Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion of Carbon Steels – Swinburne University of Technology

Dr Muhammad Awais Javed was awarded his PhD in 2015. Dr Javed’s doctorate thesis investigated the factors affecting microbiologically influenced corrosion of carbon steels in lab-based studies. Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is the initiation, facilitation, acceleration and/or inhibition of corrosion due to the presence and activities of microorganisms. It is an interdisciplinary subject and can involve a range of scientific and engineering fields such as metallurgy, chemistry and microbiology. The industries most affected by MIC include maritime, chemical processing, nuclear power, oil and gas production, and waste water treatment.

Dr. Javed’s research work was related to DMTC Project 2.5 – Corrosivity of Australian Naval Bases. The key objective of this project was to investigate the composition of port/harbour waters, determine the presence of MIC related microorganisms in these waters and establish a link between the composition of port/harbour waters and corrosion. Dr Javed’s research investigated the effect of different metallurgical, chemical and microbiological factors on the initial bacterial attachment and subsequent MIC of carbon steels. The findings from his research will help to design more rigorous lab-based tests of MIC that can be used to support the development of mitigation strategies for MIC attack in actual field conditions.

Having displayed outstanding research capabilities during his PhD and high quality of his work, Dr Javed was hired into the Swinburne University as a Post-Doctoral Researcher and is currently working on microbiologically influenced corrosion performance of candidate piping materials. Dr Javed continues to improve his knowledge/practical skills to become an expert in his professional area and to be able to assist Australian industry to tackle the complex MIC problem.