Degradation of materials in aqueous systems

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The corrosion of metals is very damaging from both environmental and economic standpoints. Corrosion can cause leakage of chemicals, loss of efficiency and it can be hazardous to the population. In addition, it is estimated that the cost of corrosion to industrialized countries is approximately 5 % of their GNP. The first part of this proposal is concerned with the development of methods to predict and improve the lifetime of metals and alloys that used in many industries, from oil and gas, to nuclear power generation. Crevice corrosion can be a particularly destructive form of corrosion as it is sometimes only noticed when failure is imminent. The purpose of this research is the development of a computer software tool that can be used to determine the situations that will cause this type of corrosion. An experimental program will be run in parallel. Carbon dioxide corrosion is a flow-accelerated attack that occurs in oil field equipment. A computer model will be developed and an experimental study will be undertaken on the removal of films that protect the metal from this form of corrosion.  In microbiologically influenced corrosion, bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide gas, which causes both souring of crude oil and increased corrosion rates. Environmentally friendly methods to stop the production of this poisonous gas and reduce the corrosion rate will be investigated. The second part of this proposal is concerned with the degradation of granular fertilizers such as potash and urea when they are exposed to humid air conditions. If small amounts of moisture enter storage beds of these products, clumps may be formed, which makes it difficult to distribute the fertilizer. In this research the conditions under which this clumping occurs will be examined and the actions of additives that have the potential to mitigate this phenomenon will be investigated.