Corrosion Awareness Day - Chemistry behind Corrosion 2023

In context to Corrosion Awareness Day activities, AMPP Pakistan Chapter in collaboration with the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (IMME), Faculty of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of the Punjab, Lahore organized an event ‘Chemistry behind Corrosion’ which was held on 20 March 2023. The Corrosion awareness day is celebrated on the 24^th of April every year, and due to the occurrence of the Holy Month of Ramadan in April this year, it was decided to conduct the activities including chemistry behind corrosion, corrosion photographic competition, and technical awareness session in March, April and May respectively. 

The event ‘Chemistry Behind Corrosion’ was designed to develop interest and awareness about corrosion-related issues and its worldwide impact on the environment and assets, among the undergraduate students of B.Sc. Metallurgy and Materials Engineering. To achieve this objective, Dr. Ameeq Farooq, instructor of the Applied Chemistry course, delivered an introductory presentation to the undergraduate students which highlighted the basis of Electrochemistry like redox reactions, metal activity series, displacement reactions etc. He briefly explained how the electrochemical reactions which govern the corrosion mechanism, and the unique reactivity of every element and alloy in a particular environment, help engineers and experts in material selection and determine the corrosion mitigation techniques. Case studies were also shared with the students to assist them in better understanding of corrosion-related practical problems being faced in the industry and their mitigation techniques. He encouraged undergraduate students to obtain student memberships from the AMPP and Institute of Corrosion (I_corr). He explained that through those memberships, they will get the chance to network with global corrosion professionals and win scholarships from international organizations. Students are encouraged to apply for AMPP and I_corr membership which are free for students currently.

Dr. Ameeq Farooq delivered the introductory lecture.

Next, a lab demonstration was conducted based on the Corrosion Toolkit (cKit^TM) format. Different prototypes were displayed highlighting the effect of corrosion in different environments, types of corrosion, corrosion clock and corrosion mitigation techniques. Demonstrators included the recently passed out graduate Muhammad Haris Qureshi and final year students Hammad Ahmed, Shahzeen Iqbal, Masooma Maqsood, Kainat, Iqra Falak Sher, Abdur Rafey Khan, Usama Sarwar and Muhammad Bilal Asghar.

 Muhammad Haris Qureshi explained the different types/ forms of corrosion and the different colors of corrosion, i.e. the iron rust color is different compared to the rust color of copper. Hammad Ahmed briefed about the protective coatings against corrosion that are applied in the inner lining of soft drink aluminum cans. Shahzeen Iqbal showed the effects of different environments which include saline, acidic, basic and industrial environments on the corrosion behavior of steel and how to mitigate the corrosion. Masooma Maqsood and Kainat demonstrated the importance of advanced/ improved materials in bio-implants to reduce the harmful impact of corrosion in the human body. Biomaterials are used in biomedical (dental & orthopedic implants) applications such as bio-implants.

Muhammad Haris Qureshi explained about different types/ forms of corrosion.

Hammad Ahmed briefed about the protective coatings applied internally on aluminum cans.

Shahzeen Iqbal briefed about the effect of corrosion due to different environments.

Masooma Maqsood and Kainat demonstrated the use of bio-implants in the medical field.

Iqra Falak Sher demonstrated how the potential difference in an electrochemical/ corrosion cell can be used to power the clock. Abdur Rafey Khan briefed about the galvanizing technique used and carried out to apply coating on mild steel samples with a zinc layer. Usama Sarwar demonstrated how the potential of different alloys was measured through reference electrodes and voltmeters. He also guided the students on how the galvanic series was developed in different environments to predict the behavior of the alloys. Muhammad Bilal Asghar demonstrated the nickel electroplating on the steel substrate. He further explained that in most of our daily life applications, mild steel was coated with nickel like sanitary products etc. In the interactive session, students raised inquisitive questions and demonstrators satisfied them by highlighting the basic principles of the corrosion mechanism. This activity generated a healthy atmosphere and encouraged them to seek more knowledge.

Iqra Falak Sher demonstrated the corrosion clock.

Abdur Rafey Khan briefed about the galvanizing technique.

Usama Sarwar demonstrated the potential of different alloys in soil and seawater.

Muhammad Bilal Asghar demonstrated the nickel electroplating on the steel.

The Director of IMME, Prof. Dr. Mohsin Ali Raza was present during the session and appreciated the efforts of Dr. Ameeq Farooq and demonstrators in organizing this excellent event. At the end of the session, a quiz was conducted and the top scorers were Ali Hamid, Ghulam Mehdi and Aqsa Nazeer. Prof. Dr. Mohsin Ali Raza awarded the certificate to the demonstrator of the event and the top scorer.

Prof. Dr. Mohsin Ali Raza interacted with the participants of the event.

The other Corrosion Awareness Day activities i.e. corrosion photographic competition and technical awareness session will be held on 17 April and 2 May 2023 respectively. Stay tuned.

 

Author: Dr. Ameeq Farooq, Secretary, AMPP Pakistan Chapter & Assistant Professor, Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of the Punjab, Lahore