Corrosion Guides - National Physical Laboratory

Corrosion Science

Beginners Guide to Corrosion (26 KB)
Basics of Bimetallic Corrosion (55 KB)
Basics of Corrosion Control (108 KB)
Basics of Stress Corrosion Cracking (57 KB)

The Electrochemistry of Corrosion

The Electrochemistry of Corrosion (140 KB)
Figures for The Electrochemistry of Corrosion Document (915 KB)
Combined document and figures (1,044 KB)

Corrosion Control

Guide to the Conservation of Metals (348 KB)
Checklist for Corrosion Control (317 KB)
Stress Corrosion Cracking (675 KB)
Corrosion Control in Engineering Design (197 KB)
Corrosion Control of Agricultural Equipment and Buildings (132 KB)
Cathodic Protection Introduction (114 KB)
Cathodic Protection in Practice (549 KB)
Guide to Temporary Corrosion Protectives (247 KB)
Bimetallic Guide (578 KB)
Guide to the control of atmospheric corrosion (84 KB)

Construction Industry

A review on current knowledge in plumbing systems (291 KB)
Corrosion of metals by wood (154 KB)
Pumps Guide (123 KB)

Corrosion Control - Use it, or lose it!

By Bill Nimmo. Manager of the National Corrosion Service.

No one expects a well-designed and manufactured product to fail to function as soon as it is taken out of the box. Equally it is unrealistic to expect the same product to last forever! A realistic expectation is that it will give useful service for a period of time that offsets the cost of replacement and when it fails this will be in a benign manner that does not affect safety or the environment. When this "lifetime" issue is primarily a result of mechanical performance most design and maintenance engineers, and product manufacturers, are well armed with tools, procedures and qualified personnel. It is also very likely that products are redesigned often to optimize their performance, minimize cost and take advantage of developments in technology and understanding. Unfortunately, this situation is not true for all the factors that affect the lifetime; corrosion and its control is rarely given enough resources or regular attention yet it is a common cause of failure. When was the last time that your organization reviewed its capability in this area and the effect that a problem would have on your customers and your business?