World Corrosion Awareness Day is approaching, and it reminds us why we are on this mission and why we should keep advocating for the management of corrosion and durability of our assets.
At the ACA, we ensure to provide the Australasian society with the tools to mitigate corrosion. We pride ourselves in providing training programs, technical and trade events. Communications and advocacy are the frontline of our calling for corrosion awareness.
We are committed to promoting corrosion awareness every single day. We are taking action to influence government and industry policy, collaborate with top industry experts on cutting-edge research, and drive education initiatives that empower professionals and engage the community.
We thank and salute everyone who works tirelessly to promote corrosion awareness and management worldwide, including practitioners, academics, students, and advocates. Your dedication is invaluable in making our society safer and more sustainable.
We invite you to join us, the World Corrosion Organization, the European Federation of Corrosion and AMPP on this 24th of April and share your corrosion stories on your social channels to help raise awareness of our cause.
In celebration of the upcoming World Corrosion Awareness Day, we share a special message by our New Zealand Branch President, Grant Chamberlain.
“Corrosion Hunters
Rust never sleeps, the Famous words from Neil Young. So, Corrosion Hunters have to work twice as hard during the day to make up for their sleeping.
If you have anything made of steel, it will want to rust 24/7, even when you’re sleeping, on weekends, or on annual leave. It doesn’t even stop for Christmas.
Rust doesn’t announce its presence; it hides in corners, behind panels, under shiny cladding, and in the soil. To combat rust, you need the expertise of a proactive Corrosion Hunter. Like most hunters, they start thinking like their prey (rust). Rust thrives in moist, dirty, and salty environments; Corrosion Hunters are adept at finding these environments and not being fooled by camouflaged rust hiding in a moist environment under shiny cladding. Rust also loves to camouflage itself underground, where it finds a moist, dirty, and sometimes a salty environment 100% of the time. This is where a specifically trained Corrosion Hunter excels, ensuring no rust goes undetected.
The Hunter can reduce and weaken its prey by:
- Providing a barrier between the steel and its environment; for example, paint it.
- Remove any contact with more noble metals.
- Changing its electrical properties by applying Cathodic Protection.
- Changing the environment. For example, dehumidifiers or vapour phase inhibitors can be installed.
Cars are a good analogy to use.
Cars are painted to provide an environmental barrier. You wash your car to change the environment by removing salt and dirt. As the car gets older, it must have more frequent WOFs. WOF inspectors are Corrosion Hunters. They have books to tell them where each model of car will rust. They know it will be under shiny chrome strips, in poorly draining areas, and underneath. You maintain your car’s rust prevention system by repainting the car when the paint fails,
I think New Zealand asset owners can learn from this analogy by.
- employing Corrosion Hunters,
- increasing the frequency of inspections as assets get older,
- hunting out rust-prone areas, and either, Eliminate, Isolate or Control the areas.
- Maintain the asset’s anti-corrosion systems.
- Install new anti-corrosion systems as new risks are identified.
The Australasian Corrosion Association assists Corrosion Hunters by providing standards covering corrosion prevention techniques. They also train and qualify corrosion prevention specialists to assist asset owners in sleeping at night, knowing rust is tucked up in bed”.