Anodizing:
formation of a protective oxide coating on aluminum/aluminum alloy surfaces by electrochemical means, with the substrate being the anode under the influence of the applied current. Hard anodizing is a special type of anodizing to produce a relatively thick oxide surface layer with relatively high hardness and wear resistance.

Amphoteric materials:
materials vulnerable to corrosion in both acidic and alkaline environments (for example aluminum, zinc, lead).

Asset management:
managing resources to develop, operate and maintain infrastructure in order to maximize returns.

Blistering (paint):
Formation of dome-shaped projections in paint resulting from local loss of adhesion and lifting of the paint film from the underlying surface. A distinction can be made between temperature blisters (short-term, during paint application) and moisture blisters (long-term, from exposure to water).

Break (water distribution systems):
Mechanical or structural failure of a water main.

Bronze disease:
Defined by D.A. Scott as: "the process of interaction of chloride-containing species within the bronze patina with moisture and air, often accompanied by corrosion of the copper alloy itself, a process which has been more or less understood for the last 100 years."

Source:  D.A. Scott: JAIC, Volume 29, Number 2, Article 7 (pp. 193 to 206), 1990.

Condition monitoring:
Assessment of the condition (or "health) of a system or component(s) by analysis of measured signals.

Corrosion:
Degradation of a material caused by chemical, electrochemical or biological action(s) or reaction(s).

Critical water main:
Water main considered of vital importance to users (sustains large population), and/or supplies water to customer(s) requiring high reliability, and/or failure would cause significant property or environmental damage.

Electroendosmosis:
Endosmosis under the influence of a (electrical) potential gradient. (It has been proposed as one of the mechanisms of paint blistering.)

Enamels:
Subset of varnishes (see below) with heating to carry out the curing process.

Source: R.R. Matheson Jr.: "20th to 21st-Century Technological Challenges in Soft Coatings", Science, 9 August 2002, pp.976-979.

Endosmosis:
Inward flow of solvent (water) by osmosis.

Exosmosis:
Outward flow of solvent (water) by osmosis.

Hydrolysis:
Decomposition of a chemical compound by reaction with water.

Imbibition:
Uptake of water by a substance that does not dissolve in water (tends to produce swelling).

Intelligent pig:
Inspection device traveling inside a pipeline.

Iron oxides and hydroxides:
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Lacquer:
A coating whose film forming material is dissolved in a solvent - the coating dries by solvent evaporation (usually refers to a clear paint film but dyes may be added for coloring).

Leak (water distribution systems):
Hole or joint failure of lower severity than a break.

Paint:
Pigmented liquid or resin applied to a substrate and converted to an opaque solid film subsequent to application.

Passivation:
Surface treatment(s) for removal of surface contamination (cleaning) and formation of a protective passive surface film.

Passivity:
Loss of chemical reactivity by a metal/alloy resulting in "inert" chemical behavior. Formation of a passive surface film can induce passivity.

Polarization:
Shift away from the open circuit potential of an electrode (away from the free corrosion potential) under the influence of an applied current.

Prohesion:
Related to protection and adhesion of protective coatings. Applied to certain corrosion test methodologies.

Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA):
Systematic determination of why a failure (problem) occurs and what corrective action is required to eliminate this problem.

Saponification:
Formation of soap by alkaline hydrolysis of a lipid (e.g. fats, oils, waxes). From "sapo", the latin word for soap.

Semipermeable membrane:
Membrane that is permeable to a solvent but impermeable to the solute dissolved in the solvent. Paint films acting as semipermeable membranes are permeable to water but impermeable to species dissolved in the water (an effect of importance in osmotic blistering of paint coatings).

Spangle:
Grain pattern on hot dipped galvanized (zinc coated) steel surfaces. These grains are formed by dendritic growth, when the molten zinc solidifies on cooling. Non-spangled galvanized zinc coatings have been attributed to very high purity zinc, in the "absence" of lead or antimony.

White Rust (Zinc):
Zinc hydroxide, formed by the reaction between zinc and water, a voluminous white compound. More ...

Varnish:
Coating with chemical reactions (curing reactions) between film forming constituents. In contrast to lacquer where such curing reactions are absent.

Source: R.R. Matheson Jr.: "20th to 21st-Century Technological Challenges in Soft Coatings", Science, 9 August 2002, pp.976-979.

Zinc Patina:
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