In honor of Corrosion Awareness Day, see what UA is doing to fight corrosion
To many, corrosion is a fact of nature. Seemingly unavoidable, it exists on buildings, bridges, and structures until one day its surrounding structure collapses or is replaced. But what if it could be prevented, or at the very least, minimized? Because corrosion is far more than the nuisance it makes itself out to be. It degrades building structures causing safety hazards and has a massive impact on the economy. According to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), corrosion costs are around 276 billion dollars per year.
Friday, April 24, is Corrosion Awareness Day, designated by The World Corrosion Organization. In honor of this day, we want to remind you about all the incredible corrosion prevention work that is happening right here at The University of Akron (UA).
Associate Professor Dr. David Bastidas at his home in Akron.
Engineering professor receives patent for work preventing corrosion
UA’s own Dr. David Bastidas, Associate Professor of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, recently received a patent for his work developing microcapsules that contain corrosion inhibitors which, when applied to concrete structures, will protect against corrosion. The use of traditional corrosion inhibitors is one of the most efficient protection methods to prevent corrosion and increase the life of concrete. However, these types of inhibitors are tough on the environment because of the toxic components used in their makeup.
The main advantage of the microencapsulation used in Dr. Bastidas’s work are their environmental compatibility. The microcapsules also feature a smart controlled release, meaning that the inhibitors are released when aggressive species penetrate the material through immersion, condensation, or damage to the structure. This method prevents releasing too many inhibitors at once when they are not necessarily needed. Currently, Dr. Bastidas and his research team are approaching industrial partners from the construction, coatings and additives industry for licensing opportunities.
Local corrosion experts solving national problems
The University of Akron is home to the National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance (NCERCAMP-UA) – a collaboration that does not exist anywhere on the planet. Industry and government consult with our experts on national corrosion projects. The center is home to a multimillion-dollar suite of equipment to provide research, testing and analysis. Projects, like developing environmentally friendly “green concrete” that is able to withstand corrosion (another project of Dr. Bastidas), could have a significant global impact on controlling and preventing corrosion.
Launching the careers of the next generation of corrosion engineers
Each year, the College of Engineering graduates students from our undergraduate corrosion engineering program – the only corrosion engineering bachelor’s degree program in the country. Corrosion engineers research and develop methods to lower the environmental impact on roadways, bridges, power plants, windmills, manufacturing plants and pipelines. They also design new materials and structures that will address emerging needs in a variety of industries including energy, chemical processing and pharmaceuticals.
Graduates have gone on to work at companies including BP, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Philips 66, Sherwin-Williams, PPG, Lubrizol, and Newport News Shipbuilding.
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