Keywords
Citation
(2001), "Secrets of corrosion", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 48 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2001.12848eaf.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
Secrets of corrosion
Secrets of corrosion
Keywords: Corrosion, Probes, Fault analysis
A new scientific instrument has been developed by scientists at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) (Highett, Victoria) that promises to reveal the secrets of corrosion.
The Scanning Kelvin Probe offers the kind of leap forward that astounded the science community when the electron microscope was unveiled and revealed for the first time why metals deformed and fractured. Observing this whole process is the key to developing new surface coatings that will mean that structures such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge may perhaps need painting only once every 33 years, instead of every 11 years.
Potential cost savings for industry are huge. In the aircraft industry alone, a new corrosion resistant coating could save $3 million on one large commercial aircraft for each ten year scheduled maintenance strip down.
The Scanning Kelvin Probe can capture a picture of the electrochemical reactions of corrosion within minutes – compared to other instruments that can take hours to collect data and then only from a small section of material. It is also said to be the only analytical instrument that can provide information about electrochemical reactions and surface changes on coated materials.