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Lecture 1. CORROSION AND SOCIETY

• What it is
• The cost of corrosion
• Corrosion can be controlled
• Significance of corrosion control
• Summary of this lecture
• Reading assignments

[Next Lecture] [Course Outline] [General Info] [Study Guide]

1.1 Definition of Corrosion

Corrosion is the degradation of a material, usually a metal, by chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment. Or simply, Corrosion is extractive metallurgy in reverse.

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1.2 The Co$t of Corrosion

Direct Cost: ~ 4.2% GNP

• Replacement of corroded components
• Use of corrosion resistant alloys
• Use of coatings or inhibitors
• Electrochemical protection measures

Indirect Cost

• Loss of production during downtime
• Loss of products due to leakage
• Loss of efficiency due to corrosion
• Contamination
• Loss of human lives due to explosion, fire etc.

1.3 Corrosion can be controlled

• Materials selection
• Proper design
• Electrochemical protection
• Inhibitors
• Paints/Coatings

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1.4 Significance of Corrosion Control

• Economics
• Safety
• Environmental concerns

1.5 Summary of this lecture

This lecture presents an overview of corrosion and its technological and sociological effects on our society. The interaction of a material with its environment results in CORROSION. The high cost to a nation's economy due to corrosion can be reduced by 25% if existing corrosion control technology is used. The significance of corrosion control are economics, safety and environmental concerns.

1.6 Reading assignments

To reinforce learnings in this lecture read pages 1-19 (textbook)
To prepare yourself for the next lecture read pages 23-45 (textbook)

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