Abstract
Materials degradation and corrosion problems are always a concern for many process industries. The needs for reliable materials property data and for a permanent technical expertise to solve material problems are becoming an issue for various plant sites. A combination of technical expertise and data bases was collected from lab tests, field tests, and service performance of materials used in the pulp and paper industry. The data was divided into seven segments, reflecting the various aspects of materials performance in the pulp and paper industry. The common corrosion problems were traced back to specific attributes (e.g., pH, ppm Cl−, applied stress, weldment). Appropriate attributes and examples of successful solutions to corrosion problems in each of the seven segments were organized into a data bank. A specialized software package was used to induce the computerized expert "rules" for the solution to the corrosion problems. These rules were reviewed by knowledgeable engineers, verified by corrosion experts in the field and stored within the software package. After combining the rules from the different segments, the computerized expert system was developed. This system is presently capable of selecting appropriate materials to solve the corrosion problems often encountered in the pulp and paper industry.
