INVESTIGATIONS OF CHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS

Corrosion is one of the most damaging environmental processes. The costs of corrosion are staggering-hundreds of billions of dollars per year in the US alone*. We use our laboratory and field technology observations to guide us in finding the root cause of corrosion deposits. The source of corrosion can originate locally or at distant locations, such as is the case in most forms of acid rain. Corrosion can also be caused by microbial conversions that result in the formation of corrosive agents.  Knowing the cause can result in a clear course to correct the condition, and through our investigative techniques we get to the root cause.

The exposure of materials to environments that contain even traces of corrosives for extended time periods can lead to excessive cosmetic repair expenses, damage to artifacts and relicts, structural weaknesses, catastrophic failures and dangerous conditions.    We can assist your efforts to establish the cause of such failures by on-site and laboratory examinations of the corrosion deposits, a detailed analysis of any contact fluid or gases, and associated materials.    We have examined deposits caused by: vapors generated by industrial processes that thermally decompose substances to form acidic entities; those generated by hot,  humid storage conditions; building products, acid rain and air pollution; sewer gases; out gassing from plastics and polymers; migration of corrosive substances through plastic barriers;  the oxidative deterioration of various organic substances: and microbial growth induced decay.   These corrosive agents can then weaken the structural integrity of steel or diminish the conductivity of e.g. copper, stainless steel, or nickel alloys thereby causing electrical failures, or just damage the surface appearance of a valuable artifact.   Once the deposits and corrosion products are identified, possible sources can be evaluated.  

High temperatures in furnaces and operating electronic devices can lead to the vaporization of otherwise High temperatures in furnaces and operating electronic devices can lead to the vaporization of otherwise non volatile substances.   This can cause substances to move to cooler regions and deposit or react with materials in an unwanted fashion, leading to a weakening of the material.

Fuels, fats and oils can become corrosive through various degradation processes that produce corrosive acidic substances.   Steel storage tanks are particularly susceptible to attack by microbial processesand fuel contaminants (see our fuel testing pages).   But acids aren't the only corrosive agents.  Various complexing agents and bases that alter fundamental redox equilibria can become active corrosives.  Corrosion processes can also impact plastic articles in contact with various metals.