Atomic and Molecular Investigation of Corrosion for Prevention and Control
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DOD) reports spending over $20B annually to prevent and control corrosion. Understanding corrosion processes and products and identifying materials and methods to combat corrosion are important as they enable solutions to extend lifespan of assets, reduce labor hours and costs to repair and remediate corrosion, and increase war readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces. Many of the current efforts in the DOD to combat corrosion are focused on a macro or engineering level of corrosion prevention and control that are often process-oriented and overlook the intricacies of materials selection and design for varied applications. More specifically, in our work we have observed a major disconnect between field-level corrosion efforts and research efforts targeting fundamental understanding and development of corrosion solutions. It is our goal to provide fundamental investigations on corrosion-related processes, methods, and materials for corrosion prevention and remediation on highly-relevant DOD substrates and, importantly, to bridge the gap between fundamental laboratory-based research and field-level implementation. This DURIP proposal will enhance the capability of principle investigators (PIs) Dr. Kevin Bucholtz and Dr. Joseph Keene of Mercer University to study corrosion at the atomic and molecular levels in order to gain a fundamental understanding of corrosion mechanisms and processes at all stages of intervention in the corrosion process: prevention, control, and remediation. Areas to be explored include advanced alternative coating systems, additives for corrosion control, and spectroscopic detection of corrosion and preliminary coating failure. Targeted substrates and processes include additive manufactured (AM) alloys and their corrosion mechanisms, and passivation and repassivation behavior in compositionally complex alloys. Using knowledge accessible via the instrumentation funded by this proposal the PIs will bridge the gap between fundamental laboratory-based testing environments and field-level real-world applicability of nondestructive molecular and atomic level investigative elements with portable instrumentation to inform and develop corrosion solutions. Additionally, this project will expose the ever-present and costly problem of corrosion to the next generation of scientists through undergraduate course modules and research opportunities in which Mercer students will engage in research and research-related education alongside and under the guidance of the PIs
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 09, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112529
Entities
People
- Joseph Keene
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy