Electrochemical behaviour of iron and copper in a culture solution for Spirulina platensis

Cyclic voltammograms of iron and copper electrodes were run in sodium hydroxide, carbonate-bicarbonate buffer and culture media for Spirulina platensis at 30 degree C. Potentiostatic steady state polarisation curves for both electrode surfaces in these electrolytes were performed in the presence and the absence of S. platensis at fixed temperature. Corrosion potential and corrosion current density values of iron and copper were obtained graphically from these curves. In all cases, the largest corrosion current density corresponded to the maximum biogenerated-oxygen concentrations, that is, illuminated culture media containing S. platensis. Corrosion potentials of iron electrodes shifted to positive values for increasing corrosion rates, whereas constant corrosion potentials were obtained for copper electrodes independently of the electrolyte.