Abstract
Those presently involved in the marine corrosion field rely on documented historical data and collective experience to address present day needs pertaining to testing, research, and corrosion-control in marine environments. While certainly not the first to recognize or investigate materials performance in marine environments, Francis L. LaQue is arguably the most respected engineer/scientist for inspiring vast amounts of research and testing in this field, and sharing the results overtly with all interested parties Commencing in 1935 with the support of the International Nickel Company (INCO), and the Ethyl Dow Corporation, LaQue also solicited others to identify critical areas of concern and to establish test programs addressing the causes and control of corrosion, and other forms of materials degradation, in marine environments.
In the ensuing years, these types of initiatives resulted in establishment of marine corrosion test sites at Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach, NC (USA). These test sites became world renowned as among the most corrosive for evaluating performance of materials and coatings. Tens of thousands of test specimens were exposed to marine atmospheric and seawater environments. The test sites were visited by interested parties from all over the world. This paper reflects on LaQue's pioneering approach that allowed testing in real-world marine environments and generation of comprehensive, practical data over nearly seven decades. These data are still widely referenced and used in materials selection for marine environments.
