ABSTRACT
Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is generally thought of as being a subject with high technical content but limited intellectual focus, and of interest to only a small band of specialists. It is now possible, however, to mount a vigorous case countering such a narrow view. This arises not only from new experimental findings but, more particularly, from the development of a theoretical framework that incorporates the essential elements of electrochemistry and materials science, and places MIC firmly within mainstream microbial ecophysiology. The essence of this altered perspective lies in the appreciation that the electrochemical redox reactions that are fundamental to all corrosion processes are only one manifestation of a whole series of electron transfer reactions associated with metal microbe interactions that are themselves central issues in microbial energetics.
