The Importance of Corrosion Research

Abstract

Abstract The advent of stainless steels marks a symbolic advance in man's struggle against rust. Their availability through research has been an important factor in industrial and architectural progress. Cathodic protection, which began as a fundamental research project in electrochemistry, now makes possible the transportation of oil and gas in pipelines, contributes longer life to hot-water tanks, and provides potentially large savings in many other areas. The national economy benefits in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars annually through this and additional corrosion control measures adopted by the automotive, oil and chemical industries. Protection of boilers through water treatment and improvement in the corrosion resistance of steel used for tin-coated containers for food and beverages are further examples of economic advantages gained through corrosion research. The over-all savings, however, have been not only in dollars, but also in the conservation of natural resources, and in the reduction of accidents caused by stress-corrosion cracking of pressure vessels, or corrosion fatigue of critical components of airplanes and of other high-speed machinery. Recent advances in corrosion science and engineering have led to vapor-phase inhibitors, new alloys for resisting chemical media and elevated temperature environments, titanium alloys of improved corrosion resistance, anodic protection, and stainless steels resistant to stress-corrosion cracking. The full contributions of these developments to the total national production have not yet been realized. Corrosion failures affect all industries, all communities, hence all people, with no one group feeling responsible for investing in a research program which benefits everybody. Like problems of public health, the solutions must be met on a broad front with general public support. It is proposed that a National Institute for Corrosion Control be created paralleling the National Institutes of Health. Such an Institute would be concerned with research and development, with the training of men, and with the dissemination of corrosion knowledge. The positive influence of such an organization could have an appreciable impact on the American economy. 1.2.1,1,2.2