If you think it will not corrode, think again ...
The devil is in the details (see 3).
Big picture and long-term thinking are also very important (the
latter definitely still matters). (see 2 and 7)
It is not only the poor metals and alloys that suffer (see 1).
Controlling it starts at the design stage - on the drawing
board/CAD terminal (see 2 and 9).
Nobody said controlling it was easy ... (see 2).
Corrosion damage costs real money; consider the saying:
"paying a little now (for prevention), or paying a lot later (for damage)".
Be careful out there ... of the pain in paint (remember good
surface preparation is crucial, and see 2 and 9).
Enormous efforts of others have gone into developing professionally
recognized codes, standards, specifications, guidelines, manuals ... worthy of consulting.
Many a small initial problem, if undetected or
"conveniently" ignored, will eventually become a big (very inconvenient) problem
that can no longer be ignored (see 7).
... and a few more:
Expect the unexpected.
Experience counts (but see iii).
Experience combined with intelligent testing and monitoring is even
better ... (see v).
Responsibility for controlling it extends far beyond the corrosion
engineer/scientist/"corrosion expert".
Monitoring and understanding ... a good thing!
"Out of sight" should definitely not be "out of
mind".
Plan, prepare and organize for the worst ... and then hope for the
best.
Micro-organisms, although very small - invisible to the naked eye,
can do a lot of damage (your family doctor already knows this).
A "little knowledge" can be a dangerous thing (see ii).
The temptation to "cut corners" can be great - but should
be resisted.
Another "list of 10" has been started
Big problems start at the microstructure level.
(The well known saying - outside of the technical domain - "corrosion starts in
microscopic proportions" has been attributed to Dr. Alexander).
Every dollar spent on design improvements can save many dollars
(perhaps a fortune) during the subsequent operational life.
Corrosion damage does not only occur "in service",
potential problems also lurk in manufacturing, assembly, storage, transportation, repairs,
cleaning ...
more to follow
Published May 5, 2004 on corrosion-club.com (updated March 4, 2005,
December 19, 2005, October 5, 2006 and July 12, 2007) |
