Principles of Corrosion (MATS63352)
Unit aims / introduction
To introduce the thermodynamic and kinetic principles of the chemical and electrochemical processes that give rise to corrosion and oxidation, and the techniques for measuring and monitoring corrosion rates.
Unit dates (to be confirmed) - online distance-learning
February 2010 – May 2010
For information on the campus-based version of this unit, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team
Unit tutors
Unit leader – Professor Bob Cottis
Contributors – Professor Stuart Lyon; Dr Nick Stevens; Dr Bob Prescott
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 click here.
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 Chemistry
- Week 2 – Corrosion Chemistry and Electrochemistry 1
- Week 3 – High temperature degradation and protection 1
- Week 4 – Kinetics of oxidation
- Break – Reflective and catch up week
- Week 5 – High temperature degradation and protection 2
- Week 6 – Electrochemistry
- Week 7 – Corrosion chemistry and electrochemistry 2
- Week 8 – Corrosion rate and measurements
- Break – Reflective and catch up week
- Week 9 – Practical electrochemistry
- Week 10 – Electrochemistry and high temperature experiments 1
- Week 11 – Electrochemistry and high temperature experiments 2
- Week 12 – Electrochemistry problems
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:
- Corrosion and Materials
- Environments, Testing and Localised Corrosion
- Corrosion Control
- Corrosion Control in the Oil and Gas Industries
- Corrosion Mechanisms and Control in the Process and Power Industries
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:
- MSc Advanced Engineering Materials
- MSc Polymer Materials Science and Engineering
- MSc Textile Technology
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
By the end of the unit, you should be able to:
- Corrosion Chemistry:
Identify and give examples of chemical reactions relating to corrosion; Define and use the solubility product for ionic species; Define and use the equilibrium constant for a reaction in solution; Define and use rate constants for chemical reactions in solution; Reproduce Fick's Laws and apply them to simple diffusion problems. - Faraday's Law:
Reproduce Faraday's Law; Use Faraday's Law to convert between charge and mass; Current and mass loss per Unit time; Current density and penetration rate. - Tafel's Law: Reproduce Tafel's Law; Use Tafel’s Law to manipulate E-log i data.
- Nernst Equation:Use the Nernst equation to calculate equilibrium potentials as a function of activity of the species concerned (and vice versa); Combine the use of the above laws/equations to solve simple electrochemical problems.
- Pourbaix Diagrams:Reproduce E-pH diagrams for Fe and Zn; Use the Pourbaix diagram qualitatively (e.g. to suggest probable behaviour of a pure metal in a given environment) and quantitatively (e.g. to estimate the equilibrium metal ion concentration at a given pH); State the limitations of the Pourbaix diagram.
- E-logi diagrams:Sketch the E-logi curve for activation control, diffusion control, and the active-passive transition, and assign functional laws to limiting conditions (e.g. Tafel’s Law or the limiting current density); Explain the relationship between E-logi diagrams and polarization curves; Interpret simple polarization curves in terms of E-log i diagrams, and construct polarization curves for simple systems.
- Diffusion Control:Describe the effect of concentration on rates of reaction; Explain the origin of the limiting current density; Reproduce and use the formula for the limiting current density.
- Electrochemical Measurements:
Measure potential and current, and identify the possible sources of error in such measurements; Control potential or current using a potentiostat, and identify limitations associated with this application; Define and measure potentiodynamic and potential step polarization curves; Define and measure galvanodynamic and current step polarization curves; Measure and interpret a linear polarization resistance measurement, and explain the theoretical basis. - Electrochemical Methods:
Explain the general principles of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and indicate its main applications; Describe the general principles of electrochemical noise measurement and indicate its main areas of application. - Thermodynamics of Gaseous Oxidation:
Use thermodynamics to determine the dissociation pressure of a metal oxide or metal sulphide and reproduce Ellingham diagrams for several oxides. - Kinetics of Oxidation:
State the main steps involved in oxidation of a metal; Describe the point defect structures of metal oxides and sulphides, particularly n-type semiconductors, such as Nb2O5, and p-type semiconductors, such as NiO, and relate these structures to the mechanisms 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 determine the effects of doping by chromium or lithium on the point defect structure of NiO; State the relationship between diffusion in polycrystalline oxides and oxide grain size; State the main oxidation rate laws, know the rate-controlling steps and derive a simple relationship between oxidation rate constant and point defect concentration for parabolic oxidation of nickel; Give examples of mixed oxidation kinetics; Explain why the oxidation of metals that form multi-layered scales is usually controlled by diffusion across the inner layer; State the factors that can affect oxidation kinetics. - Oxidation of Metals:
State the compositions of the oxide scales formed on nickel, iron, cobalt and chromium, and describe their mechanisms of growth; Give the relationship between rate of scale thickening and time during oxidation of chromium at temperatures above 900°C, and show how this leads to a limiting scale thickness; Describe the main features of oxidation of aluminium, silicon, titanium molybdenum, tantalum, and niobium; State approximate oxidation rate constants for iron, nickel, cobalt, chromium, silicon and alumina-forming alloys at 1000°C.