As I was walking through a parking garage late one evening, I heard a faint murmur of voices which I finally deduced came from the assembled automobiles. After listenting for some time I was able to decipher the following prayer.
Preserve me from contact with salts and other evil companions
May water not condense on my undersides
Protect my coat from injury by sticks and stones and
May the Lord keep my body whole till the spirit no longer moves my engine.
This short and fervent lament brought to mind the many problems which beset us as corrosion scientists and engineers. It points out that corrosion involves both chemical and physical deterioration and that what is usually required is not an infinite lifetime but some economically satisfactory compromise. This editorial will consider some of our attempts to deal with both the scientific and engineering aspects of corrosion control.
Because corrosion...
