The efficiency of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to reduce the activity of consortium bacteria consisting of
sulphate-reducing bacteria (C-SRB) has been investigated on variable concentration by weight loss test, potentiodynamic
polarization and diffusion disk methods. C-SRB was isolated from tropical crude oil of Malaysian offshore. Biofilm analysis
was also evaluated by variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (VPSEM). Weight loss and potentiodynamic
polarization analyses showed that CTAB is able to inhibit the biocorrosion process and their inhibition efficiency had
reached to 85 and 65% at 300 ppm CTAB, respectively. Increasing of CTAB efficiency as a function of concentration was
also supported by diffusion disk analysis. Biofilm analysis showed that less of C-SRB and their metabolic by-product had
been observed. It was concluded that CTAB was able to reduce the C-SRB activity and prevent biocorrosion process on
carbon steel surface.
The performance of pipeline system used in petroleum industry is crucially declined by natural microbial activities and
demanding extra operational cost. Requirement on high capability of functional substances is attracting worldwide
research interest. The aim of this paper was to study the effectiveness of benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTC) on
reducing the activity of a consortium bacteria consisting of sulfate-reducing bacteria (C-SRB). C-SRB was isolated from
tropical crude oil and enumeration of this consortium was measured by viable cell count technique. The effectiveness of
BTC was calculated from potentiodynamic polarization method and biofilm analysis was performed by scanning electron
microscope. The viable cell count technique indicated that the maximum growth of C-SRB was approximately 160 trillion
CFU/mL at 7 days incubation period. BTC was capable of reducing biocorrosion activity due to adsorption process and
mitigating SRB species. Biofilm analysis has proven that C-SRB activity is minimized due to less presence of bacterial
growth, extracellular polymeric substances and corrosion product. In conclusion, BTC is capable to inhibit C-SRB activity
on biocorrosion of carbon steel pipeline.