Corrosion and Materials (MATS61331)

Unit aims / introduction

This unit provides a general introduction to the necessary components of materials and corrosion science including: the basics of corrosion and oxidation, the basics of materials structure and properties, similarities and differences between metals, ceramics and polymers, relevant analytical microscopy techniques, materials processing and fabrication, corrosion failure analysis and corrosion management methodologies.

The unit provides an introduction to the fundamental materials science necessary for the understanding of corrosion and its control as well as the basics of aqueous corrosion and high temperature oxidation. It has no prerequisites, although students should normally have studied science or engineering to degree level.

Learning Outcomes

Unit dates (to be confirmed) - online distance-learning

14 September 2009 – 18 December 09

For start dates for the campus-based version of this unit, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team

Unit tutors

Unit leader – Professor Stuart Lyon
Unit e-Tutor – Your e-Tutor, assigned when you start the unit, will act as a group mentor throughout the unit and will guide you through all the learning material.

Study time and method

This unit is delivered as an online distance-learning unit and a campus-based unit. This page concentrates on the online distance-learning version, if you would like information on the campus-based version of this unit, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team.

Online distance-learning (part-time)

This unit is delivered online through a virtual learning environment (VLE) system called Blackboard.

Each unit contains 12 study weeks over a 14-week period. Each study week normally comprises five study sessions, corresponding to five working days.

This unit requires approximately 12.5 study hours each week of the unit (excluding break weeks). You are able to study at a time that suits you, but some group discussions may be scheduled by your e-Tutor.

For more information on online distance-learning, please click here

Unit structure - online distance-learning

Week 1 – Corrosion failures and materials structure
Week 2 – Chemistry, electrochemistry and aqueous corrosion
Week 3 – High temperature corrosion
Week 4 – Physical metallurgy
Break – Reflective and catch up week
Week 5 – Mechanical metallurgy
Week 6 – Localised corrosion and corrosion control
Week 7 – Analytical microscopy and related techniques
Week 8 – High temperature materials
Break – Reflective and catch up week
Week 9 – Assessment: Failure analysis of a distillation column
Week 10 – Materials processing and fabrication
Week 11 – Polymers, ceramics, composites and concrete
Week 12 – Monitoring, testing and management of corrosion

For information on the campus-based version of this unit, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team

Assessment

Assessment is a requirement if you are studying a postgraduate qualification. If you choose to take individual units only, the unit assessment is optional.

Assessed coursework

All coursework can be submitted via Blackboard, and feedback from e-Tutors will also be given online.

Unit examination

Formal examinations will take place two or more times each year. An examination will normally be available with six weeks of the unit completion date; you may take the examination at a later date but no more than one year after commencement of the unit.

Examinations can take place at The University of Manchester or at a University approved off-campus location, such as a British Council office / other university.

Please note that The University of Manchester will assist all students in finding a University approved off-campus examination location, but it is ultimately the student's responsibility to find and pay for this. All students are welcome to take their examination at The University of Manchester.

Credits

This is a 15-credit unit which can be built up to lead to a postgraduate qualification.

MSc Corrosion Control Engineering

This unit forms part of the MSc Corrosion Control Engineering. Other units included in the course are:

Manchester Materials Masters

The MSc Corrosion Control Engineering is one of four courses under the Manchester Materials Masters (MMM) programme. Other MMM MSc courses include:

Pre-requisites and making an application

There are no formal pre-requisites to study for an individual unit, but we would advise you to have a relevant level of knowledge and understanding of the subject to ensure that you can cope with the postgraduate-level study. If you wish to progress onto a postgraduate qualification following completion of an individual unit, then you will need to complete a formal application.

To make an application to an individual unit or to a postgraduate qualification, please click here

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding this unit or other units and courses within the School of Materials, please contact our MMM Team:

mmm@manchester.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)161 306 4869

Fees

Full 12-week unit - £1,900

Your registration includes full access to the teaching material on Blackboard and allocated e-Tutor support throughout the programme.

Learning outcomes

Week 1 – Corrosion failures and materials structure

Recognise common engineering alloys by appearance and density: i.e. copper and alloys, aluminium and alloys, steels.
Distinguish between failures that are due to mechanical, environmental or other factors.
Identify common types of corrosion (e.g. uniform corrosion, pitting corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, flow corrosion, high temperature corrosion).
Describe the construction of an ideal 2-D plane from close-packing of spheres.
Relate idealised close-packed structures to real crystal structures, ie. hcp, fcc and bcc.
Explain the formation of a 3-D lattice structure by stacking of close packed planes
Give the lattice structures of Fe, Cu, Al, Mg and Ti.
Describe point defects in crystal lattices (e.g. vacancy, interstitial and substitutional) and how they arise.
Identify and describe key features of the microstructure of alloys (e.g. grains, grain boundaries, second phases, dislocations, vacancies).
Analyse the importance of lattice dislocations to crystal slip and metal plasticity.
State mechanisms of strengthening of alloys (e.g. solid-solution hardening, precipitation hardening, work hardening).

Week 2 – Chemistry, electrochemistry and aqueous corrosion

Distinguish between chemical and electrochemical reactions.
Give examples of chemical and electrochemical reactions.
Balance chemical and electrochemical reactions.
Explain the electrochemical basis for corrosion.
Use a supplied Pourbaix diagram to give qualitative predictions of corrosion behaviour.
Use supplied E-log i diagrams to identify Ecorr and icorr
Explain the differences between E-log i diagrams and polarisation curves
Deduce polarisation curves from E-log i diagrams
Use supplied E-log i diagrams to derive qualitative explanations of corrosion behaviour

Week 3 – High temperature corrosion

Use thermodynamics to account for the minimum oxygen potential required for metal oxidation
Explain why metals oxidise at different rates
Explain the significance of oxide growth (oxidation rate) laws State the types of high temperature corrosion that are associated with operation of plant.
State the main approaches to protecting a metal against high temperature degradation.
Reproduce Ellingham Diagrams for several oxides.
Describe the point defect structures of metal oxides and sulphides, particularly n-type semiconductors and p-type semiconductors and relate these structures to the mechanism of growth of these oxides on the respective metals.
Derive relationships between the concentrations of point defects and oxygen partial pressures for Nb₂O₅ and NiO and, hence, determine the effects of doping by chromium (Cr,³⁺) or lithium (Li⁺) on the point defect structure of NiO. State the rate-controlling steps for each of the oxidation rate laws.
Derive a simple relationship between oxidation rate constant and point defect concentration for parabolic oxidation. Give possible reasons for a change in oxidation kinetics after some time of exposure.
Explain why the oxidation of metals that form multi-layered scales is usually controlled by diffusion across the inner layer.

Week 4 – Physical metallurgy

Comprehend the differences between various materials in terms of properties (i.e. mechanical, physical), durability and other related factors (e.g. cost, appearance, etc.)
Explain the concepts of binary phase diagrams (e.g. solid solution and eutectic) and describe their construction from cooling curves.
Apply the Gibbs Phase Rule and Lever Rule to phase diagrams.
Derive the theory of homogeneous nucleation with reference to the freezing of molten metal.
Apply solidification theory to solid-state nucleation and explain the formation of coherent, semi-coherent and incoherent precipitates.
State mechanisms of strengthening of alloys (e.g. solid-solution hardening, precipitation hardening, work hardening).
Give approximate compositions of some common alloys (e.g. ferrous, aluminium, nickel and copper alloys)
Identify key features of alloy microstructures using optical microscopy

Week 5 – Mechanical metallurgy

Define the key mechanical properties of materials (tensile strength, yield strength, fatigue resistance, creep strength)
Describe the origin of elasticity and plasticity and their influences on the deformation of a material.
Explain the difference between engineering stresses and strains and true stresses and strains.
Explain the behaviour of metals in tensile tests, including fracture, and the measurement of tensile properties;
Describe the application of mechanical tests in SCC.
Explain the influence of notches on stress state.
Describe the measurement of toughness by impact and fracture mechanics tests.
Explain the origins of fatigue of metals and interpret fatigue curves.

Week 6 – Localised corrosion and corrosion control

Identify the main forms of localised corrosion.
Provide simple explanations of the mechanisms of localised corrosion processes.
Identify the main forms of localised corrosion.
Provide simple explanations of the mechanisms of localised corrosion processes.
Name chloride ions as a main environmental initiator of localised corrosion and explain their function.
Provide simple explanations of the mechanisms of localised corrosion processes.
Define the main components of a paint and their functions
State and use the four criteria necessary for cathodic protection to be successful
Explain the difference between sacrificial and impressed cathodic protection systems
Define what is meant by a “corrosion inhibitor” and name some commonly used corrosion inhibitors
Differentiate between the three types of surface film formed by inhibitors, namely an adsorbed layer, a passive film, a precipitated film
Describe applications of corrosion inhibitors

Week 7 – Analytical microscopy and related techniques

List and compare relevant experimental approaches for the examination of materials morphology and microstructure.
State necessary specimen preparation methods for optical and electron microscopy.
State the principles underlying microscopic examination of materials (e.g. using optical and electron microscopy)
List and compare relevant experimental approaches for the examination of materials morphology and microstructure.
State necessary specimen preparation methods for optical and electron microscopy.
State the principles underlying microscopic examination of materials (e.g. using optical and electron microscopy)
Explain the principles of Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis and Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA).
Describe the use of EDS and EPMA for the compositional analysis of materials.
Explain the principles of chemical analysis using spectroscopic methods and give examples of analysis using X-ray
Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.
Explain the principles of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron diffraction and describe how they may be used for phase analysis of materials.

Week 8 – High temperature materials

Identify the three stages of the conventional creep curve, and sketch a diagram showing how the mode of deformation varies with temperature and stress
Explain the differences between dislocation creep and diffusion creep, and explain the dependence of diffusion creep rate on grain size.
Interpret graphs presenting creep data, and use the Larson Miller method of incorporating time and temperature into a single parameter.
Identify the three stages of the conventional creep curve, and sketch a diagram showing how the mode of deformation varies with temperature and stress
Explain the differences between dislocation creep and diffusion creep, and explain the dependence of diffusion creep rate on grain size.
Interpret graphs presenting creep data, and use the Larson Miller method of incorporating time and temperature into a single parameter.
Specify the ranges of alloy compositions required for formation of protective oxide scales on high-temperature alloys.
State the effects of alloying elements on the properties of the various classes of high-temperature alloys.
State the limiting temperatures for the main classes of alloys and explain the basis for such temperatures.
State how to carry out oxidation experiments and determine oxidation kinetics; explain why the experimental conditions should be specified closely.
Explain the preparation of cross-sections of oxidized metals for examination of morphologies and compositions of oxide scales (and other corrosion products).
State the important factors in selecting materials for high-temperature service.
Outline the main types of materials used at high temperatures; Explain the effects of alloying elements in high-temperature alloys.
Describe the main types of oxide that give protection at high temperatures

Week 9 – Assessment: Failure analysis of a distillation column

State the mode of operation of a distillation column and identify the main chemical streams from a chemical engineering flowchart
Identify materials of construction and design details from engineering drawings
Analyse analytical and microscopy data to deduce the nature of the corrosion failure
Identify new candidate materials and design a corrosion testing programme to evaluate their performance

Week 10 – Materials processing and fabrication

Explain the methods by which materials may be processed to their final shape: (eg. casting, rolling, extrusion and machining).
Give examples of common heat treatments of alloys (annealing, normalizing, quenching and tempering of steel, precipitation hardening of Al-Cu alloys).
Describe the differences between hot and cold working of materials.
Explain the effects of mechanical processing on materials microstructure.
Describe the differences between hot and cold working of materials.
Explain the effects of mechanical processing on materials microstructure.
Interpret constant temperature and continuous cooling transformation diagrams.
Explain how heat treatment can affect materials microstructure and properties.
Describe the principles of a mechanical fixing and explain the possible corrosion problems that may arise
Describe the main processes of fusion joining (welding) of materials and describe the melt and heat-affected zone.
Explain the effect of the power density of the heat source on the total energy input into the weld and on the size of the melt and heat affected zones.
Describe common weld defects and problems and understand how to eliminate them.

Week 11 – Polymers, ceramics, composites and concrete

State the chemistry of common polymerisation reactions and the difference between a monomer and a polymer.
Explain the differences between a thermoset polymer and a thermoplastic polymer.
Explain the various methods of processing polymeric materials to their final shapes.
Explain the mechanisms of degradation of polymers.
State which environmental factors are important for degradation of polymers.
Describe how the mechanical behaviour of visco-elastic materials such as polymers differs from that of linear-elastic materials such as metals.
Explain what is meant by the glass transition temperature and describe its effect on the mechanical and physical properties of polymers.
Name important engineering ceramics and describe their typical mechanical and physical properties.
Contrast the properties of ceramic with other types of materials such as metals and polymers.
Identify types of engineering composite and describe how they are produced.
Explain the interactions between the matrix and the strengthening component (reinforcement) in a composite.
State the ingredients used, and the process for, manufacture of Portland cement; explain the chemical processes involved in the hydration of Portland cement.
Explain strength development in concrete and the importance of the water-cement ratio.
Describe the general features of a composite material, using concrete as an example.
Describe the processes of degradation of cement and concrete

Week 12 – Monitoring, testing and management of corrosion

Discuss the aims of corrosion management in an industrial enterprise and the approaches that can be used (i.e. regular maintenance, predictive maintenance, etc.)
Describe the use of materials selection as a corrosion control method in the design stage of a new process.
State the typical annual costs of corrosion for industrial economies.
Describe four methods used for the monitoring of corrosion.
State the most common reasons for corrosion monitoring and corrosion testing.

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