Toward the Concept of Designing Smart Corrosion Prevention System

Abstract

The techniques that are applied for prevention of corro-sion mostly rely on the logic of protecting the surfaces and not on providing the ways and means of promoting the processes that would not allow the course of corrosion to begin. The result is, we have a plethora of methods for different components of the same vessel, and for different environment and circumstances, for the same equipment. Sometimes we try on macrodesign, while at times we depend on material selection as remedy. Inhibitors are used in few cases whereas you find coatings being administered here and there and electrochemical protection employed somewhere else. This gives a look to the sea -going vessels as if they are coming out of an operation theatre with bandages and dressings all over. These specific solutions to specific corrosion at specific location for specific ambience have led to bulky systems with heavy penalty on payloads and still shrouded in uncertainty so far as prevention of corrosion is concerned. Different systems for protection for different situations have also led to the difficulties of monitoring as to the structural integrity of the equipment. This talk is intended to systematically analyse the total corrosion situation - the material, the environment and the circumstances, and propose a design of intelligent corrosion prevention system. While the concept of designer material and nano-technology and their application to design corrosion-resistant material systems are examined, extension of biological processes for molecular repair of materials and components is explored to firm up the concept of selfrepairing systems. The idea of functional smartness as exemplified by functionally graded materials and smart coatings and skins are reviewed along with the design of electron cloud, An answer to the question whether mater-ials could be adapted to meet the requirement of envir-onment that causes corrosion without losing its integrity is probed. It is getting possible to integrate materials, sensors, actuators and control electronics and redefine the concept of material from a purely passive system to an active system with inherent self-sensing, diagnosis and self-repairing and control capabilities.