Assignment 1 : Corrosion Engineering

1. Linings of tanks can fail because of salt contamination of the surface that remains after the surface is
prepared for the application of the lining. Between 25% and 75% of coating failures have been attributed
to residual salt contamination. The cost of reworking a failed lining of a specific tank has been estimated
at $ 878,060.

(a) Calculate the risk due to this type of failure assuming that 44% of failures are caused by residual salt
contamination. [4 marks]

(b) If the cost of testing and removal of contaminating salts is $ 17140, is this additional cost justified
based on the risk calculation in ( a )? [4marks]

(c) Calculate the minimum percentage of failures caused by residual salt contamination at which the
additional cost of $ 214100 for testing and removal of these salts is justified. [4 marks]

(d) Briefly discuss the significance of the Pilling-Bedworth rule. [1 marks]

2. When studying corrosion kinetics of steel, the rate of corrosion can either be increased or decreased
due to a lot of factors. Draw relevant sketches and explain the effect of the following conditions:

i. Effect of increasing temperature

ii. Effect of increasing chromium alloying element
iii. Effect of increasing the stirring rate

iv. Effect of increasing molybdenum

v. Effect of increasing Chloride ions [5marks]

3.a Why does corrosion of water filled steel tanks occur below the water line? [5marks]

b. What is Electroplating? Give the uses of Electroplating. [5marks]

c. Briefly discuss the economic aspects of corrosion. Give a clear distinction between direct and indirect
costs [5marks]

d. Explain using labelled diagrams where appropriate the difference between pitting and crevice
corrosion with regards to initiation and mechanism? In your diagrams and answer you should
differentiate between the initiation stages and stable stages of these mechanisms. [6marks]

e. Define and discuss about the use of inhibitors in corrosion control. [6marks]

f. What are the factors that affect the rate of corrosion? [3marks]

g. A sample of zinc anode corrodes uniformly with a current density of 5.32 x 10-7 A/cm2 in an
aqueous solution. What is the corrosion rate of zinc in mdd? [5 marks]

Due date 15 june 2023