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Volume 16
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10.3390/met16080840
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Article

Passive Film Degradation and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion Mechanism of β Titanium Alloy Induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

by
Qingnan Zhang
1,
Yuxin Tian
1,
De Liu
1,
Han Zhang
1,2,
Junyi Chen
1,2,
Zhen Zhao
3,
Qiuyuan Feng
4,
Wei Gao
1,
Qi Wang
1,*,
Hongying Yu
1 and
Dongbai Sun
1,2,*
1
School of Materials & Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
2
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
3
School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
4
Baoti Group Ltd., Baoji 721014, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Metals 2026, 16(8), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16080840
Submission received: 27 June 2026 / Revised: 17 July 2026 / Accepted: 20 July 2026 / Published: 2 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Corrosion and Protection)
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Abstract

This study investigated microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and passive-film degradation of a Ti-15Mo-3Al-2.7Nb-0.25Si β titanium alloy exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The alloy comprised a continuous β-Ti matrix with dispersed α-Ti precipitates, and this α/β dual-phase microstructure provided a potential microstructural basis for spatial variations in passivation behavior among different microregions. During immersion, P. aeruginosa formed a heterogeneous biofilm of bacterial cells and extracellular polymeric substances, altering interfacial mass transfer, oxygen distribution, and local chemistry. Relative to the sterile control, the inoculated group showed increases in maximum pit depth from 2.4 to 4.1 μm and corrosion current density from 8.72 to 17.2 nA cm−2, while the charge-transfer resistance decreased to 4.32 MΩ cm2 after 14 d, confirming enhanced localized corrosion. Mott-Schottky and XPS analyses showed that the donor density increased from 1.07 × 1019 to 1.29 × 1019 cm−3 and the Ti4+ fraction decreased from 72.29% to 66.74% and the relative Ti0 fraction increased from 7.01% to 17.59%, reflecting increased defect accumulation within the film, impaired passive-film integrity, and reduced local protective capability. P. aeruginosa therefore increases the MIC susceptibility of this β titanium alloy by biofilm-induced interfacial microenvironmental heterogeneity. These findings support MIC assessment and integrated antifouling-anticorrosion surface design for marine β titanium alloys.
Keywords: titanium alloy; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; microbiologically influenced corrosion; passive film titanium alloy; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; microbiologically influenced corrosion; passive film

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, Q.; Tian, Y.; Liu, D.; Zhang, H.; Chen, J.; Zhao, Z.; Feng, Q.; Gao, W.; Wang, Q.; Yu, H.; et al. Passive Film Degradation and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion Mechanism of β Titanium Alloy Induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms. Metals 2026, 16, 840. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16080840

AMA Style

Zhang Q, Tian Y, Liu D, Zhang H, Chen J, Zhao Z, Feng Q, Gao W, Wang Q, Yu H, et al. Passive Film Degradation and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion Mechanism of β Titanium Alloy Induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms. Metals. 2026; 16(8):840. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16080840

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Qingnan, Yuxin Tian, De Liu, Han Zhang, Junyi Chen, Zhen Zhao, Qiuyuan Feng, Wei Gao, Qi Wang, Hongying Yu, and et al. 2026. "Passive Film Degradation and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion Mechanism of β Titanium Alloy Induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms" Metals 16, no. 8: 840. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16080840

APA Style

Zhang, Q., Tian, Y., Liu, D., Zhang, H., Chen, J., Zhao, Z., Feng, Q., Gao, W., Wang, Q., Yu, H., & Sun, D. (2026). Passive Film Degradation and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion Mechanism of β Titanium Alloy Induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms. Metals, 16(8), 840. https://doi.org/10.3390/met16080840

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