Carbon steel is currently being considered as a candidate canister material for use in a deep geological repository of radioactive waste. Assessment of canister material corrosion through microbial activity is an important part of the safety assessment for the final repository. The aim of study was to compare and characterise the corrosion behaviour of carbon steel under sterile and non-sterile anaerobic conditions in natural groundwater containing sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). A molecular-biological approach was used to determine the presence and abundance changes of relevant bacterial groups. Carbon steel corrosion rates were higher in the presence of SRB compared with sterile control. EIS described the evolution of three time-constants under non-sterile conditions, while scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the carbon steel surface was covered with a two-layer biofilm. Molecular-biological analysis of the water and biofilm indicated the dominance of SRB, with Desulfomicrobium and Desulfovibrio species prevalent.

Fe–Al–Si alloys have been previously reported as an interesting alternative to common high-temperature materials. This work aimed to improve the properties of FeAl20Si20 alloy (in wt.%) by the application of powder metallurgy process consisting of ultrahigh-energy mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering. The material consisted of Fe₃Si, FeSi, and Fe₃Al₂Si₃ phases. It was found that the alloy exhibits an anomalous behaviour of yield strength and ultimate compressive strength around 500 °C, reaching approximately 1100 and 1500 MPa, respectively. The results also demonstrated exceptional wear resistance, oxidation resistance, and corrosion resistance in water-based electrolytes. The tested manufacturing process enabled the fracture toughness to be increased ca. 10 times compared to the cast alloy of the same composition. Due to its unique properties, the material could be applicable in the automotive industry for the manufacture of exhaust valves, for wear parts, and probably as a material for selected aggressive chemical environments.