Corrosion engineering (damages and costs due to corrosion)

Introduction to the phenomenon of corrosion

As we know, everything in nature returns to its origin, for example, iron is found in nature in the form of oxides (Fe 4O3), (FeO) and (Fe 3O2), which is iron ore. (Combined affinity of iron and oxygen together) The science of corrosion engineering tries to control corrosion in industries and prevent financial and human losses and losses caused by it through a set of factors such as the use of coatings, metallurgy, material selection, cathodic protection, inhibitors and other methods.

All disciplines → Construction

Corrosion Engineering → Prevention of destruction

What is corrosion?

The destruction of metals due to chemical and electrochemical interactions is called corrosion, which causes significant financial losses to industries every year. The task of corrosion engineers is to reduce this loss by considering all possibilities, and conducting research and understanding the issues is one of the most important points in corrosion control.

Definition of corrosion

Many definitions have been provided to better understand corrosion:

• Reaction of metals and alloys with the surrounding environment
• Deterioration of metals with oxygen and other chemicals
• Destruction of materials due to non-mechanical factors
• Electrochemical reaction of metals with the surrounding environment
• Photo of extractive metallurgy

Perhaps the best definition of corrosion can be provided as follows:

“Corrosion is the destruction, deterioration or change and transformation in the properties and characteristics of materials (especially metals) and as a result of their reaction with their surrounding environment”

Corrosion from an engineering perspective:

In order for a corrosion engineer to perform his duties well, he must acquire the necessary skills in the following areas:

• Protection of metals and alloys in the environments in which they are used (cathodic and anodic protection)
• How to use various metallic and non-metallic coatings in different industries
• Preparation of corrosion inhibitors, plating materials and improving their quality
• Modification and improvement of the properties of alloys used in industry in terms of corrosion
• Monitoring of corrosion and methods of corrosion monitoring

Corrosion engineering

The main task of corrosion engineering is to provide a method The prevention of corrosion problems and providing solutions for them.

Therefore, studying and researching the selection of suitable materials for industrial units, modern methods of corrosion monitoring and control, evaluation of coatings and inhibitors, corrosion management, development of inspection instructions based on risk, and analysis of component failure are considered to be the most important tasks of corrosion engineering.

Estimation of corrosion costs

Investing in corrosion control is a form of profitability. Not paying attention to corrosion problems in every industrial and manufacturing unit leads to hidden costs that are impossible to avoid.

Corrosion economics

The first step in corrosion economics is to choose an appropriate method to minimize corrosion costs. These costs can include: production and equipment costs, loss of valuable products, undesirable product appearance, environmental costs, etc.

The importance of statistics in determining corrosion damage

Without access to statistics and information, prioritization and development of a comprehensive policy to combat corrosion in order to maintain and protect industrial equipment is not possible.

Is corrosion damage greater or natural disaster damage?

According to the National Society of Corrosion Engineers, the annual cost of natural disasters in the United States, including floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc., is $17 billion. It is observed that corrosion damage is more than 16 times the cost of natural disaster damage.

If we want to make a comparison for the natural and economic process of corrosion, we can compare it with phenomena such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and volcanoes, with the difference that we are forced to accept the aforementioned phenomena, but corrosion can be predicted and controlled. This shows the importance and necessity of paying attention to the phenomenon of corrosion and choosing appropriate methods to deal with it.

Lack of awareness of the factors that cause corrosion and lack of familiarity with the methods of protecting industrial equipment and facilities have made the destruction and destruction of metals in industries an indisputable fact and an inevitable phenomenon.

Ignorance of the importance and role of corrosion in life and the workplace causes billions of dollars in losses to the world economy every year.

Examples of the cost of corrosion

In this section, examples of corrosion costs in several countries are summarized as follows:

• In the UK, more than 40 tons of metal are corroded every hour.
• Switzerland 15 billion francs
• Finland 300 million dollars (only in the automotive industry)
• America more than 270 billion dollars per year

Cost of corrosion in Iran

Given that there are no documented statistics on the direct and indirect costs of corrosion in the country, and any figures and numbers presented in reports, quarterly reports, etc., are calculated solely based on the use of common methods in industrial countries such as the United States, Japan, etc., which are based on a percentage of gross national product, it can be said that the cost of corrosion in Iran is estimated at 3 to 5 percent of the country's gross national product, equivalent to 3200 billion tomans per year.

Corrosion slowly but continuously wastes national wealth, and therefore the catastrophic dimensions of corrosion in terms of material loss, energy, and environmental damage are not precisely known. However, by recognizing the problems, obstacles, and ways to reduce the effects of corrosion and prevent the waste of financial and human resources, the cost of damage caused by corrosion in industries can be minimized.

Corrosion Cost Assessment Methods

The Ollig Method, which bases estimates on corrosion protection methods.

The Hoar Method, which provides estimates based on different industrial sectors.

The in/out method, which uses the input-output matrix to provide initial estimates.

Corrosion Damage Assessment

The damage caused by corrosion has a wide range of dimensions, which can cause significant human and financial losses if not addressed. Corrosion in various factories and industries causes leakage of valuable materials, unnecessary stoppage of production processes, reduced production efficiency, premature replacement of parts, and environmental damage, which also threatens the safety of equipment.

Aspects of Economic Damage

Accurately estimating corrosion losses is very difficult due to the scope and scope of the problems, the amount of damage caused, the costs required to control corrosion, and so on.

Classification of Costs Due to Corrosion

Corrosion costs can be divided into two parts:

a) Direct costs

Direct costs of corrosion control include inspection, use of inhibitors, corrosion monitoring, coating maintenance, replacement of corroded parts, repair, maintenance and reconstruction of machinery. In economic evaluations of corrosion, most research and studies have focused on direct costs.

b) Indirect costs

Indirect costs include increased repair times or increased level of changes, production delays and unreasonable shutdowns of production units.

In fact, the real costs of industrial component and equipment failure are much higher than the costs of replacing damaged parts. The indirect costs of component failure can be much heavier than the direct costs. Unfortunately, estimating indirect costs in different industrial sectors is very difficult.

Factors that cause indirect costs of corrosion

Some of the factors that because indirect costs include:

• Downtime of production line machinery and equipment due to the need to replace and rebuild parts that have corroded.
• Leakage of toxic substances and environmental pollution
• Loss of materials as a result of corrosion of their storage tanks
• Unpredictable repairs and premature replacement of parts
• Decrease in quality in the productivity of equipment and machinery