VALE: KEITH LICHTI
We have recently been notified of the passing of our former Branch President and internationally recognised geothermal corrosion expert, Keith Lichti.
In 1977, Keith completed his master’s degree in Materials Science and Professional Engineer certification in Canada and emigrated to NZ to join the DSIR Industrial Processing Division as a research scientist. His initial work investigating the mechanisms of corrosion in fluids containing CO2, H2S and NH3 was vital for selection of materials for the Ohaaki Geothermal Power Station that was commissioned in 1989.
In his 48-year professional career with the DSIR, that became Industrial Research Ltd, then MPT Solutions, then Quest Integrity NZL Ltd, he specialised in different aspects of geothermal fluid corrosion but was also involved a wide range of projects covering corrosion and corrosion monitoring, product development, condition assessment and asset management.
Keith joined the Wellington Division of ACANZ when it was formed in 1980 and was an instructor for the Corrosion Technology Certificate courses held in 1985. He became the ACA NZ Branch President in 1992/93 and served the following two years as Branch Secretary. As our Branch Technical Officer, Keith was part of the organising committee for the ACA Conference when it was held in Wellington in 2008. He also delivered the 2008 PF Thompson Memorial Lecture titled ‘Accelerated Corrosion Testing’.
He was also actively involved in AMPP (NACE International) as chairman for conferences and symposiums and technical paper reviewer. He was invited chairman of AMPP technical group TEG 182X geothermal systems scaling and corrosion from 2011 to 2022.
Publications
Keith has published over 100 technical papers, many presented to local and international conferences in countries including Australia, England, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, The Philippines, Taiwan, Turkey and the USA.
Their topics included:
- Corrosion Monitoring in geothermal systems; on-line monitors
- Scaling and Corrosion – vessels, heat exchangers, turbines and pipelines
- Corrosion Control – acidic geothermal wellbore production facilities
- Asset Management Systems- geothermal energy plant vessels and pipelines
- Risk Assessment- energy conversion plants geothermal and motive fluid
- Risk Assessment- CO2 removal plant and CO2 purification processes
- High Temperature Corrosion – flue gas and process gas corrosion
- Remaining Life prediction – conductors and electrical components, and
- Computers in Corrosion Control -Expert Systems and database developments.
Submitted by Willie Mandeno with assistance from Soroor Ghaziof