Defence University

College of Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Specialization: Electrochemical Engineering

Advanced Corrosion Engineering(CE-7341)

Chapter 1: Introduction

Instructor: Wondalem Misganaw(PhD, M.Tech, B.Tech)

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 Introduction-Definition of corrosion 2

 Corrosion may be defined as the destruction of a material

because of chemical or electrochemical reaction with its
surrounding environment or medium
 The corrosion reaction produces a new and less desirable
material from the original metal and can result in the loss
of function of the component or system.
 Corrosion results loss of performance of engineering
materials (loss of mechanical strength, efficiency, lifetime,
appearance).
 The magnitude of corrosion would depend upon the
sensitivity of particular metal or alloy in the specific
environment.
 Introduction…
 The term corrosion is sometimes also applied to the degradation of
plastics, concrete and wood, but generally refers to metals.
 Non-Metals corrode by chemical reactions & metals mostly by
electrochemical reactions.
 Metals are at high energy levels & hence there is natural tendency to
go to the low energy state i.e. they try to form oxides, hydroxides,
carbonates, sulphides etc. depending on the type of environment to
which they are exposed.
 With a knowledge of the types of and an understanding of the
mechanisms and causes of corrosion and degradation, it is possible to
take measures to prevent them from occurring.
 For example, we may change the nature of the environment, select a
material that is relatively nonreactive, and/or protect the material
from appreciable deterioration.
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 Why metals corrode? 4

 Metals exist in nature in the form of carbonates, sulphides and

sulphates.

 These chemically combined states of metal "known as ore" has a low

energy and is thus thermodynamically stable state of metal.

 A considerable amount of energy is required during metallurgy.

 The extracted metal has higher energy and thus it is

thermodynamically unstable state.

 Metals interact chemically or electro-chemically with its

environment to form compound at the surface and thus metal
undergo corrosion.
 Why metals corrode?..
 It is therefore only natural that when these metals are exposed to

their environments they would revert back to the original state in

which they were found.

 Corroded metal is thermodynamically more stable than pure metal

but due to corrosion useful properties of a metal such a

malleability, ductility and electrical conductivity are lost.

 The energy required to convert iron ore to metallic iron is returned

when the iron corrodes to form the original compound.

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Corrosion cycle
Thermodynamic Profile of metals and their compounds

Corrosion
Metal ore Pure Metal Product/metal
(Lower Energy (Higher Energy oxide
State) State) (Lower Energy
State)
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 Refining-corrosion cycle

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Corrosive Environment
 Corrosion cannot be defined without a reference to environment.
 All environments are corrosive to some degree. Following is the
list of typical corrosive environments:
 Air and humidity
 Salt and marine water
 Natural, urban, marine and industrial atmospheres
 Steam and gases, like chlorine
 Ammonia
 Hydrogen sulfide
 Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen
 Fuel gases
 Acids
 Alkalis
 Soils
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Consequences of corrosion
 The serious consequences of the corrosion process have become a
problem of worldwide significance.
 In addition to our everyday encounters with this form of
degradation, corrosion causes plant shutdowns, waste of valuable
resources, loss or contamination of product, reduction in efficiency,
costly maintenance, and expensive over design.
 It can also jeopardize safety and inhibit technological progress.
 Corrosion in some cases is desirable , for example chemical
machining or chemical milling ( widely used in aircraft and other
applications ).
 Anodizing of aluminum is another beneficial corrosion process
used to obtain better and more uniform appearance in addition to a
protective corrosion product on the surface.
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Consequences of corrosion
 There are three primary consequences of corrosion

1. Safety(Life Losses)

2. Economic losses

3. Resource losses
 Consequences of corrosion
1. Safety
 Premature failure of bridges or structures due to corrosion
can result in human injury or even loss of life.
 Catastrophic consequences resulting from operation failure of
equipment
 Sudden failure of equipment may cause fire explosion or
release of toxic product.
 Nuclear hazards: Transport of radioactive corrosion products
in water, fatal to human, animal and biological life.

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Consequences of corrosion
2. Economic Losses
 Economic losses are attributed to; loss of production, replacement
of equipment, maintenance of equipment, environmental
pollution, etc.
 In some countries corrosion damage reaches 5% of the total yearly
GDP.
 Economic losses can be divided into direct and indirect losses.

A. Direct economic loss

1. Use of expensive materials (Inability to use otherwise desirable
materials)
2. Overdesign to allow for corrosion.
3. The cost of repair or replacement of the corroded component.
4. Cost of anti-corrosive painting or other protection methods.
Consequences of corrosion 16

B. Indirect economic losses

1. Loss of time or productivity ( Delay due to replacement of failure)
2. Shutdown of plants and may cause severe problems to industry and
consumers.
3. Loss of products: Leaking containers, storage tanks, water and oil
transportation lines and fuel tanks cause significant loss of product and may
generate severe accidents and hazards.
4. Damage of equipment adjacent to that in which corrosion failure
occurs.
5. Loss of useful properties of metal, performance and thus loss of
efficiency
6. Contamination: Corrosion products may contaminate chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, dyes, packaged goods, etc. with dire consequences to the
consumers.
7. Environmental Damage (Environmental pollution)
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Reasons to Study Corrosion
1. Materials are precious resources of a country. Our material resources
of iron, aluminum, copper, chromium, manganese, titanium, etc. are
dwindling fast. Some day there will be an acute shortage of these
materials. An impending metal crisis does not seem anywhere to be a
remote possibility but a reality. There is bound to be a metal crisis and
we are getting the signals. To preserve these valuable resources, we
need to understand how these resources are destroyed by corrosion and
how they must be preserved by applying corrosion protection
technology.
2. Engineering knowledge is incomplete without an understanding of
corrosion. Aero planes, carriers cannot be designed without any
recourse to the corrosion behavior of materials used in these structures.
 Reasons to Study Corrosion 18

3. Several engineering disasters, such as crashing of civil and military aircraft, naval
and passenger ships, explosion of oil pipelines and oil storage tanks, collapse of
bridges and decks and failure of drilling platforms and tanker trucks have been
witnessed in recent years. Corrosion has been a very important factor in these
disasters. Applying the knowledge of corrosion protection can minimize such
disasters.

4. The designing of artificial implants for the human body requires a complete
understanding of the corrosion science and engineering. Surgical implants must be
very corrosion-resistant because of corrosive nature of human blood.

5. Corrosion is a threat to the environment. For instance, water can become

contaminated by corrosion products and unsuitable for consumption. Corrosion
prevention is integral to stop contamination of air, water and soil.
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What would be expected from Corrosion Engineer
 Ensuring maximum life of new equipment.
 Preservation of existing equipment.
 Protecting or improving the quality of a product in order to
maintain or improve a competitive position.
 Avoiding costly interruptions of production.
 Reducing or eliminating losses of valuable products by spillage or
leaks.
 Refitting of equipment withdrawn from service because of
corrosion.
 Reducing hazards to life and property that might be associated with
corrosion:
 Explosions of pressure vessels or piping systems.
 Release of poisonous or explosive gases or vapors.
End of Chapter 1

Thank You