Institute of Corrosion 2024 AGM at Neville Hall

Institute of Corrosion 2024 AGM at Neville Hall

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Photo 1 The Historic Lecture Theatre at Neville Hall

On Wednesday 13th November the North-East Branch of the Institute of Corrosion hosted the Institute of Corrosion 2024 AGM at Neville Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The day commenced with a Technical Offshore Wind Program, followed by the AGM and concluding with an evening dinner. Almost 70 people from all over the UK attended the Technical Program and 60 attended the evening dinner, attendees included the ICorr Council, Sustaining Members, Professional members, general members and potential future members. The day was a great success with the variety of engaging content keeping the attendees entertained for almost 9 hours from start to finish.

Photo 2 The Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne Opening the Technical Program

Matt Fletcher, Chair of the North-East Branch of ICorr, opened proceedings and who was followed by the formal opening of the Technical Program by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, who welcomed everyone to Newcastle and described how offshore wind and the project to re-paint the Tyne Bridge brought valuable jobs to the region. Lord Mayor also explained that as he did not have his “driver” available he was unable to wear his full collection of Mayoral Medals as they were too valuable to be worn in public without the extra security of his “driver”!

The Offshore Wind Technical Program then opened, consisting of 4 presentations:

Environmental considerations for offshore wind foundations corrosion protection.
Dr. Anthony Setiadi Chief Consultant / Associate Director Wood Thilsted

Photo 3 Dr Anthony Setiadi of Wood Thilsted presenting

Anthony described how the offshore wind industry growth is accelerating as the world is pushing towards renewable energy sources. These wind turbines need to be installed on foundations located in aggressive environments and are prone to corrosion if not protected and / or designed with corrosion in mind. There are various offshore wind foundation types, such as, monopiles, jackets tetrabases, gravity bases and floating structures. The presentation discussed what level of protection is required, what the options are and how would all of this impact the structural integrity throughout the design life, also how fabrication, transport and installation limitations would affect the corrosion protection design. Anthony explained how equally important, the environmental considerations need to be taken into account with respect to carbon equivalent in producing and protecting these foundations, as well as the potential byproducts expected. In discussing the creation of habitats for nature, Anthony made an interesting point, that if habitats are created on the foundations, what happens to these environments when the foundation is decommissioned in the future?

Assessment of Thermal Spray Aluminium Coating in Synthetic Seawater By Using Complementary Techniques

Dr. (candidate) Adriana Castro Vargas Research Associated – Materials Innovation Centre University of Leicester and NSIRC

Photo 4 Dr Adriana Vargas of the Materials Innovation Centre University of Leicester presenting

Adriana presented the results of her PhD that used complementary techniques, such as in-situ imaging and an analytical rotator, to understand the performance of thermally sprayed aluminum (TSA) coating in simulated marine immersion service. The experimental work involved evaluating TSA in quiescent and flowing synthetic seawater at room temperature. The coating (300µm thick) was obtained by twin-wire arc spraying of 1050 aluminium alloy on an S355 carbon steel substrate. In quiescent condition, TSA-coated steel samples were evaluated by the optical analysis of sequential images captured in-situ: (i) with defects machined before immersion (5% of exposed steel surface); and (ii) with a defect machined after 35 days of immersion (10% of exposed steel surface). When the defect is machined before the immersion, initial dissolution of iron occurs until the air-formed oxide layer degrades, the electrolyte penetrates the coating, and the aluminium surface is activated. Conversely, when the defect is created after immersion, the aluminium activates rapidly, and the system reaches the range of protective potentials (according to DNV-P-B401) providing immediate protection to the exposed steel. In flowing synthetic seawater, cylindrical coupons were tested in an analytical rotator at 50 rpm and 600 rpm for 10 days. Open Circuit Potential (OCP) and Linear Polarisation Resistance (LPR) measurements were carried out to assess the flow velocity effect and calculate the corrosion rate.

An introduction to the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and its key role in advancing and derisking technology in offshore wind.

Mr. Tom Chaplin Marketing Manager Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

Tom Chaplin provided an introduction to the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and described the key role it plays in advancing and derisking technology in offshore wind. ORE Catapult is one of the world’s leading offshore renewables technology centres, with an unrivalled set of test assets that aim to accelerate the creation and growth of UK companies in the offshore renewable energy sector. Established in 2013, ORE exists to accelerate the development of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy technologies in the UK. Through its world-class testing and research programmes and its unique centres of excellence, ORE works with industry, academia and government to improve technology reliability and enhance knowledge, directly impacting the cost of offshore renewable energy. ORE delivers products and services in four main areas: research, engineering, testing and validation, and supply chain growth.

Photo 5 Tom Chaplin of ORE Catapult presenting

Tom showed the scale of the ORE Catapult testing facilities showing a video of testing a 107m blade (which needed to be cut down to 100m to fit in the test facility) and the 14GW powertrain, which as a result of the testing, had its capacity increased. Tom also revealed plans to increase the capacity at ORE Catapult to be able to handle wind turbines well into the future with capability to test blades up to 150m long (and expansion potential to 180m) and a significant increase in drive train capacity to 23MW (with potential expansion to 28MW). After the presentation Tom was asked about catastrophic failure during testing, although unable to share images, Tom said it had happened and was quite dramatic. All was not lost as the fractured blade provided insightful data on blade failure to the owners

Development of ISO 25249 – Corrosion protection of offshore wind structures
Mr. Simon Daly Consultant – Energy & Infrastructure Safinah Limited

Photo 6 Questions following Simon Daly’s (Safinah) presentation

Simon described how a series of parts of a new international standard, ISO 25249, are currently being worked upon. The standard will address the issues of developing a corrosion protection approach for the protection of offshore wind farms. With the growth in offshore wind will come the need for large scale construction of assets which will be placed in a corrosive offshore environment. Whilst the corrosion of steel structures offshore is well documented through experiences in the oil and gas industry the offshore wind energy has encountered its own challenges when it comes to providing corrosion protection. The ISO 25249 standard will address key issues and develop a framework for a more standardised approach to the selection, execution and operation of a variety of different corrosion protection methods. Simon presented on behalf of the program managers for the first 5 parts of this new standard the development of which will shortly commence within the International Standards Organisation (ISO) framework. During the questions after the presentation the sharing of experiences gained in the Oil and Gas industry was discussed, it was generally agreed that to prevent mistakes from 30 years ago being repeated, experiences should be reviewed and shared. It was hoped that with more of the traditional Oil and Gas companies entering the offshore wind market that this will be more likely to take place.

Following the Technical Program the ICorr AGM took place, details of the AGM can be found in the AGM minutes. At the AGM Stephen Tate passed on the Presidency of ICorr to Yunnan Gao and Yunnan passed on the Vice-Presidency to Anthony Setiadi.

Photo 7 New Vice President – Dr Anthony Setiadi, New President – Dr Yunnan Gao, Past President – Stephen Tate

The evening saw a three-course dinner, enjoyed in the library at Neville Hall. As can be seen in the photographs, the library is a beautiful wooden clad room, with many original features such as elevated bookshelves, bookshelves hidden behind wooden doors and stained-glass windows. A jazz band played throughout the evening and the dinner was opened by the new president of ICorr – Dr Yunnan Gao.

Photo 8 Dinner in the impressive Library at Neville Hall

Feedback following the event was overwhelmingly positive:
• “NE Hospitality is famous and you certainly lived up to that.” – Stephen Tate: outgoing ICorr President.
• “Please accept my thanks for the superb organisation and excellent day yesterday.” – Brian Wyatt of CPGB and Council.
The Chair of the NE Branch of ICorr grateful thanks the NE Branch Committee for all their hard work in creating a most successful day, all are volunteers and worked tirelessly to make the event a success – Simon Daly, Patrick Johnson, David Mobbs, Bruno Ravel, Barry Turner and Josie Watson

Future Meetings
Due to a date clash with London Branch Dinner, NE Branch will now hold its Xmas (Branch) event at the end of January 2025.

There will be a tour of the Newcastle Castle Keep – the cost for which will be £20 a head.
Please contact nechair@icorr.org for further details.

ICorr Wales and South-West: Bristol Event

ICorr Wales and South-West: Bristol Event

Institute News

The new Wales and South West of England regional branch held its first event in Bristol on September 19th. The event was held at Mott MacDonald with presentations from Dr Rene Brueckner of Mott MacDonald and Erik Fabre of Inductosense.

Rene Brueckner leads the Materials and Corrosion team at the Mott MacDonald Bristol office and has been involved in condition assessments of reinforced concrete and steel structures, design and monitoring of cathodic protection systems, durability assessments and forensic engineering.
Rene’s presentation titled “Selection of Cathodic Protection Systems for Reinforced Concrete Structures” offered an insight into the various systems which can be utilised for reinforced concrete structures. The presentation provided an overview of their advantages and disadvantages to inform the option selection process with a focus on sustainability and environmental impact.
The second presentation was by Erik Fabre who is the head of R&D projects at Inductosense.

Inductosense are a UK-Based technology developer, specialising in ultrasonic solutions for monitoring internal corrosion and erosion. Erik’s expertise focuses on ultrasonic testing and sensors, supporting multiple clients with technology projects and sensor deployments. The presentation, “A Pathway to Thickness Measurement Locations (TMLs) Digitalisation” provided an insight into an alternative approach to permanently installed sensors which due to their cost, are normally used for monitoring critical areas for corrosion rate estimation.

Inductosense have developed a technology that combines passive sensors and a different data collection method to enable a more cost-effective, consistent, and deployable solution. The talk discussed how the handheld data collector, robotics, and online solutions work together to address different applications with accessibility and inspection frequency.

The talks gained lots of interaction from the audience with many questions and plenty of further discussion. With 18 delegates in attendance along with the ICorr President, the first Bristol event was deemed a successful one!

The next branch event will take place in Southampton on October 24th and will be reported in the November/December issue. For further information or if you are interested in attending or presenting at future events, 
please contact swchair@icorr.org

You can also keep up to date on events by visiting our LinkedIn page;
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12992293/ and https://www.icorr.org/events/
For past branch presentations, please visit: 
https://www.icorr.org/wales-and-south-west-branch/ and scroll down to Local Technical Programme where copies of past presentations may be found.

Photo: Delegates Networking.
Photo: Delegates Observing Rene Brueckner’s Presentation.
Photo: Delegates Observing Erik Fabre’s Presentation.

Ask the Expert

Ask the Expert

Ask the Expert

Why Do Bronze Medals Tarnish So Quickly?
By Roger Francis, RF Materials

Meet the Author
Dr. Roger Francis

Dr Francis has been a corrosion engineer for over 45 years. He has wide experience in the fields of marine corrosion, desalination, sour oil and gas corrosion, mineral processing, and the chemical and process industries. He has published over 100 technical papers in all these areas, particularly on copper alloys and duplex stainless steels. Roger has written seven books on various aspects of corrosion and has jointly edited three other books. The most recent was on corrosion in desalination plants. Dr. Francis has served on several standards committees working on corrosion testing of both copper alloys and stainless steels. In particular he was involved with the committee turning NACE MR0175 into ISO 15156.The author has served as chair of NACE Europe, two terms as the NACE (now AMPP) European Area Director and also as Chair of NACE STG 32 (Oil and Gas; metals). He was made a NACE Fellow in 2005 for his work in marine corrosion. In 2014 he received the T J Hull Award for his work in publications. In 2012 he set up his own corrosion consultancy business, RF Materials. In 2023, he received the Institute of Corrosion Paul McIntyre award presented to a senior corrosion engineer who, as well as being a leading practitioner in his field, has advanced European collaboration and international standards development.

Bronze has been used for a variety of medals for over two hundred years and given sufficient time without cleaning, they will all tarnish. Figure 1 shows an old coin with different degrees of tarnish on the two sides. Figure 2 is a bronze medal that also shows tarnishing.

There is a wide range of bronze alloys, where the chief alloying element is tin, aluminium, or silicon. The majority of bronze medals used to be made of LG2 gunmetal (Cu/5Sn/5Zn/5Pb) or something very similar. Tin bronzes are reddish, but not as strongly red as pure copper. Other elements may be added to modify the colour, for example, to make it more yellow. However, to cut costs, many modern “bronze” medals are actually brass (Cu/5Zn), which has a similar appearance to tin bronze but is not as corrosion resistant.

When a “bronze” medal is polished and shiny, the metal surface is very active and reacts readily in the air to form a very thin layer of cuprous oxide. This slightly dulls the appearance, but continued exposure to air will enable corrosion to continue, and a thicker layer of reddish brown cuprous oxide gradually forms. Although both alloys form cuprous oxide as the main corrosion product, the zinc or tin substitutes at some of the copper sites in the oxide matrix. Zinc makes the oxide layer less protective, while tin makes it more protective1. If the tin content is high enough, a separate layer of stannous oxide can form, but this is unlikely at 5% tin1. If a medal is exposed to an aggressive atmosphere for long enough, then a second corrosion product can form on top of the oxide layer, as shown in Figure 3. This is a basic copper carbonate, and it is less protective than the cuprous oxide layer.

Bronze has been used for a variety of medals for over two hundred years and given sufficient time without cleaning, they will all tarnish. Figure 1 shows an old coin with different degrees of tarnish on the two sides. Figure 2 is a bronze medal that also shows tarnishing.

There is a wide range of bronze alloys, where the chief alloying element is tin, aluminium, or silicon. The majority of bronze medals used to be made of LG2 gunmetal (Cu/5Sn/5Zn/5Pb) or something very similar. Tin bronzes are reddish, but not as strongly red as pure copper. Other elements may be added to modify the colour, for example, to make it more yellow. However, to cut costs, many modern “bronze” medals are actually brass (Cu/5Zn), which has a similar appearance to tin bronze but is not as corrosion resistant.

When a “bronze” medal is polished and shiny, the metal surface is very active and reacts readily in the air to form a very thin layer of cuprous oxide. This slightly dulls the appearance, but continued exposure to air will enable corrosion to continue, and a thicker layer of reddish brown cuprous oxide gradually forms. Although both alloys form cuprous oxide as the main corrosion product, the zinc or tin substitutes at some of the copper sites in the oxide matrix. Zinc makes the oxide layer less protective, while tin makes it more protective1. If the tin content is high enough, a separate layer of stannous oxide can form, but this is unlikely at 5% tin1. If a medal is exposed to an aggressive atmosphere for long enough, then a second corrosion product can form on top of the oxide layer, as shown in Figure 3. This is a basic copper carbonate, and it is less protective than the cuprous oxide layer.

Figure 1: 19th Century Coin Showing Different Degrees of Tarnish on the Two Sides.

Figure 2: Tarnished Medal.

Figure 3:
Old Russian Coins from The Early 19th Century Showing Green Carbonate Corrosion Product.

Engineering Council and NCEES (USA) Sign 
Historic Mutual Recognition Agreement

Engineering Council and NCEES (USA) Sign 
Historic Mutual Recognition Agreement

Institute News

Prof. John Chudley,
Chair of the Engineering Council
www.engc.org.uk

The Engineering Council has signed a landmark Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with the USA’s National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).


The agreement was signed in Chicago by Laura Sievers, President of the NCEES and John Chudley, Chair of the Engineering Council. This significant event marks the first international agreement of its kind with any international counterpart in the NCEES’s 104-year history. This agreement establishes a streamlined process for recognising professional engineering qualifications between the UK and the USA and ensuring that engineers can practice across borders with greater ease and without compromising on professional standards.

As engineers are licensed at the state level in the US, participation in this agreement is determined by individual state licensing boards. Today, 26 US states have already confirmed their intent to participate in the agreement, marking a significant step forward towards wider adoption.

UK Chartered Engineers and US Professional Engineers wishing to use the streamlined route provided by the agreement will need to hold the International Professional Engineer (IntPE) title. To find out how to obtain this in the UK, see the Engineering Council website, and in the US see NCEES.

Source: Engineering Council Press Release   
Contact: Helen Potts, Engineering Council – hpotts@engc.org.uk   Tel: 020 3206 0568

Highlights of the MRA include:

  • 
Simplified Pathways for Certification: UK Chartered Engineers can now more easily obtain a US Professional Engineer license in participating states and US Professional Engineers can more easily achieve the CEng title in the UK.
  • 
Minimisation of Redundant Assessments: By recognising the equivalency of qualifications, the agreement removes the need for repeated assessments, thereby simplifying the certification process.
  • 
Increased Professional Mobility: The agreement opens new opportunities for engineers to work across the UK and the US, facilitating their professional growth and development.
  • 
Support for Key Industries: The agreement strengthens the engineering profession in both countries, supporting industries such as construction, automotive and aerospace.
  • 
Enhanced Trade in Engineering Services: By reducing restrictions on cross-border services provision, the agreement encourages the growth of international trade in engineering services.

 

ICorr North-West: AGM

ICorr North-West: AGM

Institute News

Our North-West (NW) Branch held its AGM on 1st October 2024 from 16:30 at Luther King 
House, Brighton Grove, Manchester, a most interesting venue and an excellent conference facility.

The event included talks from Paul Lambert on 200 years of Cathodic Protection and Trish Conder on NDT in the renewable energies sector. An excellent buffet and social meet followed the presentations and formal business of the AGM.

Paul Lambert
Paul is Head of Materials and Corrosion Technology Team at Mott MacDonald, where he has worked for over thirty years. He is also a visiting professor at the Centre for Infrastructure Maintenance, MERI, Sheffield Hallam University. As Past President, he has a long-standing involvement with the Institute of Corrosion, where he currently provides support 
in professional review and 
assessment and is the current chair of the PAC committee. He has over 40 years’ experience in the performance, durability, corrosion, and protection of materials, including polymers. He has led on the research and development of investigation techniques and protective systems for plain, reinforced, and pre-stressed concrete and steel-framed structures, including cathodic protection and corrosion inhibitors. Additional roles include the preparation of expert evidence on coatings, road surfacing, concrete, corrosion, and stainless steels.

Dr Patricia Conder

Dr. Patricia Conder works as Principal Consultant at Inspection and NDT Consultancy, ESR Technology Ltd. Patricia has a multi-faceted background, having worked in a range of sectors, including electronics, chemicals, pulp, and paper, before entering the inspection and non-destructive testing field. Her current focus is the data science of inspection, from 
planning and reporting to 
evaluation of results combining to enable a greater insight into the underlying corrosion mechanisms. Patricia has an honours degree in physics from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD in materials science from the University of Birmingham.

Following the two excellent Technical Presentations, the Institute President – Stephen Tate thanked the North-West committee for all their hard work over the last 2 years in reactivating and growing the Branch. The Annual Branch AGM followed this, led by Greg Brown, who was unanimously elected as Branch Chair. The Chair presented a bottle of wine to long-serving and retiring committee member Brenda Peters, who will soon join the Trustees of the Institute of Corrosion as its new honorary secretary. Greg also thanked Kathleen Brook for all her work as University Liaison Officer during previous North-West Technical Sessions, including the recent highly successful Corrosion Awareness Day held in April at the University of Manchester. Kathy has now moved to Leeds to take up a new role there.

Upcoming Events

Following the AGM the branch will hold its annual Christmas dinner (date and venue to be concluded) before looking towards next year’s programme. The committee continues to grow, and if you would like to get involved or contribute towards an event, contact nwchair@icorr.org 
For further details of NW technical programme, please visit: North West Branch – Institute of Corrosion (icorr.org) and scroll down to Local Technical Programme where copies of past presentations may be found.


Photo (Right): The Reception 
Area at Luther King House.


Photo: Greg Brown – 
Northwest Branch Chair Introduces Proceedings.


Photo: Professor Paul Lambert of Sheffield Hallam University and 
Mott MacDonald.

Photo: Professor Paul Lambert Spoke Passionately on The Topic Of Protection Of Reinforced  Concrete With Many 
Case Studies Presented.


Photo: Dr Conder Discussed Various Case Studies Related to Deployment of Novel Ndt

Technologies With Particular Relevance To Emerging Net-Zero Energy Operations.