CORROSION NEWS - APRIL 2001

Corrosion is Problem at Aging Prudhoe Bay Oil Field

To Prevent Rust, Keep Metal Surface Dry - or Add a Coating

Stainless Steel Enters Less Traditional Markets

"Pack of Cards' Car Park may Collapse Due to Corrosion

NTSB Safety Recommendation for Piper and Cessna Aircraft

CASA Finds Old Parts on Ansett Plane

Louisiana's Department of Health Finds More Problems with Plaquemine Plant's Water

Paris MoU Spells out Causes of Tanker Safety Concerns

Sun Signals Cycle's Peak with a Blast

Tanker "Castor" Corrosion Has Become a Laboratory. Has Identified "Super-Rust"

S. Carroll's Water Could Be Corrosive and Costly

NUS Link-Up to Fight Corrosion

Daimlerchrysler Recalls 701,000 Dodge Ram Pickup Trucks

Taiwanese Nuclear Accident Caused by Corrosion Given 2nd Most Serious Rating

Corrosion May Be Involved in Scuba Death

Corrosion Involved in Fatal Police Helicopter Crash

Corrosion Complicates Refurbishment - The House of Horrors

Addition of Cathodic Protection Extends Life of U.K. Motorway Bridges at a Cost of B.P. 2.6 Million

Wash, Wax Car Helps Looks, Stops Corrosion and Extends Life

Corrosion of GM Cars Involved in Class-Action Lawsuit

Pipelines in Deep Water-New Industry-Wide Effort Launched to Improve Remote Corrosion and Flow Monitoring

Monitoring in Deep Water

Replacing Aluminum with Corrosion-Fighting Composites Helped Volvo Penta Build a Better Stern Drive

SQUIDS Are Finding New Applications in Some Unexpected Places

An Easter Treat Helps to Stop Corrosion

Board to Fix School's Heating, Cooling System - Corrosion a Big Consideration

Mercedes and Mitsubishi Recall Cars for Safety Checks

Henry Brown, 93, a Chemist Who Made the Metal Shine

Motor Dealers Slammed on Faults

Ship Sinkings Point to Poor Standards, HONG KONG IMAIL

Radiological Situation Normal in Kursk Disaster Area

A Titanic Exhibit

Altran FPS Kit Detects Corrosion in Fire Sprinkler Systems

Process Makes Manhole Rehab Safer and Easier

Kurt Packer Joins Corrpro as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President

Stinking Sewers Cost $100 Million in Plant Capital Costs and $300,000 Per Year in Chemicals

Alloy-Coated Sheet Steel Production Commercialized

Divers Immersed in Tower Work to Find Corrosion

Simple Answer to Rusty Tools

Understanding Your Oil

CORROSION IS PROBLEM AT AGING PRUDHOE BAY OIL FIELD   top

Corrosion is a constant problem on the North Slope, which was built nearly 25 years ago. Spills caused by corrosion - although they account for only a few of the spills each year - tend to be big, averaging more than 4,200 gallons according to Alaska state statistics.

This winter alone there have been four large spills at Prudhoe Bay, and two of those were from corrosion or abrasion. Recently, a pipeline at Kuparuk ruptured, spilling a hot mixture of salt water and crude onto the tundra. At 92,400 gallons, the spill may be the largest ever to hit the North Slope's fragile tundra. The Kuparuk spill was caused by corrosion. Water had seeped between insulation and pipe at a weld joint and corroded the steel. BP has agreed to pay $500,000 a year for 10 years to help fund state corrosion experts and increase monitoring.

Corrosion and abrasion are symptoms of aging oil fields, like Prudhoe, which started up 24 years ago. As the oil fields age and production falls, the companies pump seawater underground to boost oil flow. Now vast volumes of water come out of the ground with the crude. The water is mildly acidic and corrodes the pipes. As the oil fields age and produce less, pressure to keep maintenance costs low increases. The motive to cut costs could run counter to protecting the tundra. Since 1996, BP's corrosion control budget at Prudhoe has fallen 14 percent, to $37 million this year. The company is injecting more chemical inhibitors, and Prudhoe pipeline corrosion rates have fallen. Overall, there is a decreased number of corrosion-related repairs needed.

Another situation that developed in 1997 involving corrosion at welds sprayed 2,000 gallons of oil over the tundra. Since then, workers have checked about 67,000 weld joints.

The corrosion budget for Phillips Petroleum has climbed 71 percent since 1996 to $24 million. The experience has been that prevention is cheaper than spill cleanup and repair.

TO PREVENT RUST, KEEP METAL SURFACE DRY - OR ADD A COATING   top

Rust is corrosion that affects ferrous metals such as iron and steel. In many cases, water vapor must be in the air before rust can occur. With iron, for example, 40 percent humidity must be present before rust will start to occur. The best way to prevent corrosion is to keep metal surfaces dry. Isolating the metal by coating it with paint, lacquer or wax is another good way to prevent corrosion.

Before coating a metal surface, remove all traces of rust. Then apply a primer and finish with paint. It's best if the paint and primer are the same brand; they usually are formulated to work together. Metals such as brass, copper or aluminum are best protected with either wax or by spraying them with lacquer or clear varnish.

Rust also can attack metal in inaccessible areas. Corrosion occurs inside a home hot-water heater, for example, because the ions circulating in the water make it easy for dissolved oxygen to pull the electrons from the interior surface of the metal tank.

Rust that occurs in localized areas is called localized corrosion. There are three types: galvanic, crevice and pitting.

- Galvanic corrosion: It occurs whenever two dissimilar metals contact each other. This creates a flow of electrons between the metals that eventually causes them to disintegrate. One way to prevent this corrosion is to replace one metal piece with another that is compatible with the mating piece.

For example, many aluminum storm doors have steel rivets holding the hinges or closing piston in place. Often, corrosion starts around these fasteners, then works to the adjacent aluminum panels. Drilling the corroded fasteners out and replacing them with aluminum pop-rivets will stop the galvanic corrosion before it spreads.

- Crevice corrosion: It occurs around the joints and seams of metal fixtures where dirt accumulates. By itself the dirt is not particularly harmful, but it allows moisture to collect; this causes corrosion. Joint and seam corrosion is a common occurrence on gutters and downspouts. Clean them often to keep dirt and leaves, which retain moisture, from building up. If rust is present, remove it with a flexible sanding wheel chucked in an electric drill, then prime and paint the bare metal.

- Pitting corrosion: It occurs outdoors when the wind bombards metal surfaces with minute particles of dirt, salt or sand and creates microscopic craters that retain moisture. At first, the corrosion is limited, then quickly escalates into a formidable problem. Outdoor electrical conduits, television antenna masts, metal windows and doors, and children's play equipment are a few of the items that receive constant assault from air-borne particles and are subject to pit corrosion. This type of corrosion is severe near the seashore and is most noticeable on the side of the house that faces the prevailing winds. Check exposed metal surfaces often; sand and paint them if they show signs of pitting.

Adapted from an article by Edward R. Lipinski who is a freelance writer whose column is syndicated by the New York Times News Service.

STAINLESS STEEL ENTERS LESS TRADITIONAL MARKETS  top

Stainless steel producers in the United States have felt the sting of the decline of the overall U.S. steel industry for the past two-plus years, and are, like their brethren on the carbon side, trying to find ways to get their product into more applications. Stainless steel has been a staple in automotive and appliance markets and is beginning to make inroads in other, less traditional markets as well.

The material has made significant progress in residential and commercial construction, where users are enamored with its strength and corrosion resistance. There appear to be more opportunities in infrastructure development, where those same properties are becoming increasingly attractive. The problem for engineers and construction planners lies in justifying the up front cost of using stainless steel in place of carbon for infrastructure work and other applications. Stainless steel is initially more expensive, and those with tight construction budgets often cannot justify spending the extra money, even if they can project cost savings down the road brought on by the corrosion resistance and strength of the steel. Several stainless steel market sources say there is potential for growth, but that it is up to the producers of stainless to push harder for their material to be used.

For example, Stainless rebar obviously is more expensive than carbon steel, but it certainly lasts longer because of the strength and corrosion resistance. There is something to be said for not having to replace the steel for a longer period of time. The benefits of stainless as opposed to epoxy-coated carbon steel are obvious to users, but that users cannot afford, in many cases, to substitute stainless because of budgetary constraints.

Buyers now are turning to other means to get the characteristics they want. The cladding of carbon steel, or covering it with a stainless coating, is one such option gaining more acceptance in the infrastructure development market. Stainless clad carbon rebar offers better corrosion resistance and strength than the epoxy-coated rebar, and is much less expensive than stainless rebar itself. The problem with stainless clad, however, is similar to that with the epoxy coating. When rebar is bent, as it often is in infrastructure development, the epoxy coating of the steel can fracture, leaving the steel exposed and increasing the rate of corrosion and, thus, the frequency with which the steel must be replaced. The same thing can happen with a stainless clad rebar.

"PACK OF CARDS' CAR PARK MAY COLLAPSE DUE TO CORROSION  top

BRIXHAM'S busy central car park - often packed with 400 cars - is in danger of 'collapsing like a pack of cards" an experienced engineer claimed today. The concrete and steel structure should be immediately closed to the public because of serious corrosion, says Mike Westwood, who works for one of Europe's leading civil engineering companies as a mechanical structural engineer. He said: 'Corrosion is at a very advanced stage indeed on some of the support stanchions. 'If one collapses, it will go down like a pack of cards.

But Torbay Council has insisted it is regularly inspected and is safe. It has ordered major repairs to the ground-floor supports to the four-storey parking deck, and a spokesman said: 'We don't consider that it is dangerous. 'Following inspection of the car park, we determined that remedial works were needed on some of the steel columns that were suffering from corrosion.

The 'temporary" car park, which has been designed to be dismantled, is already considered by local residents to be well past its sell-by date and an eyesore alongside the new town square. It was due to be replaced in a town centre redevelopment which failed to get off the ground.

The work agreed by Torbay Council will cost around GBP 2,000 per column. There are around 30 supporting the concrete structure, although not all may need major repairs.

NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATION FOR PIPER AND CESSNA AIRCRAFT  top

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration: Issue appropriate airworthiness directives, applicable to Piper PA-28, Piper PA-44, and Cessna 172 series airplanes older than 15 years, to require recurrent visual inspections, on an appropriate, calendar-based interval, for evidence of corrosion pits or cracking on control cable terminals that were or may have been constructed from SAE-AISI 303 Se stainless steel. The inspections should be performed after removal of any safety wire or safety clips on the terminals. Require that any terminals with signs of corrosion or cracking be removed from service immediately. (A-01-6) Determine which currently certificated aircraft models are authorized to have control cable terminals made from SAE-AISI 303 Se stainless steel, evaluate the need to require recurrent visual inspection, on an appropriate, calendar-based interval, of the terminals on these aircraft, and require such inspections if needed. (A-01-7) Immediately notify all manufacturers of both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft of the cracking and corrosion problems currently being experienced with terminals made from SAE-AISI 303 Se stainless steel. (A-01-8) www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2001/A01_6_8.pdf Despite laws, leaks continue from underground gasoline storage tanks.

CASA FINDS OLD PARTS ON ANSETT PLANE  top

Ansett airlines' maintenance department had failed the airline again because he had not replaced a crucial 10-year-old landing gear component in time, an airline safety watchdog spokesperson said. According to aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the part suffers corrosion and must be changed immediately after 10 years operating life, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) spokesperson said. A detailed CASA maintenance audit on one of Ansett's grounded Boeing 767s found the part was two and a half months overdue for change, CASA spokesman told AAP. The aircraft was one of the fleet of 767s grounded by CASA at Easter in the safety blitz called by the authority. This discovery would not affect the authority's decision to allow Ansett to keep the rest of its fleet in the air. There was no evidence of maintenance problems with the rest of Ansett's fleet ... but the travelling public needs to be reassured continuing to spot checks are being conducted on the rest of Ansett's aircraft.

LOUISIANA'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FINDS MORE PROBLEMS WITH PLAQUEMINE PLANT'S WATER   top

State health officials have found more problems with drinking water at the Georgia Gulf chemical plant here. New inspections revealed more than a dozen problems, including poor labeling, corrosion and connecting potable and nonpotable water wells. The Department of Health and Hospitals inspected the plant's water system earlier this week after admitting last week that it discovered high arsenic levels in the plant's water more than three years ago, but never told anyone. The arsenic oversight at Georgia Gulf was discovered during a review of all Iberville Parish water records. The parishwide review began after officials discovered another oversight: the failure three years ago to report the discovery of vinyl chloride in a nearby trailer park's water system. A day after DHH announced the oversights, a group of attorneys filed a class-action lawsuit against the state.

Several wells are prone to taking on contaminants from outside because of excessive corrosion, proximity to a drainage ditch, sitting in standing water, a leak or other faults, the report says. Since the arsenic contamination was discovered last week, all 550 Georgia Gulf employees and 150 to 200 contract workers are drinking bottled water and using bagged ice. The DHH tests found elevated arsenic levels at wellheads, but other tests found acceptable levels in the water system.

PARIS MOU SPELLS OUT CAUSES OF TANKER SAFETY CONCERNS  top

Malta, the IACS and the long-term efficacy of the ISM code are scrutinized in the latest report from the regulatory body. MALTA, the International Association of Classification Societies and the International Safety Management code all feature prominently in a report from the Paris memorandum on tanker safety.

Maltese-flagged tankers accounted for more than four out of 10 tanker detentions in Europe between September and November last year, according to a report from the Paris memorandum.

Deficiencies were found in 47% of the 205 inspections carried out, with 23 detentions as a result. The rate of detention of 11.2% compared with 8.1% for all ships inspected in the Paris MoU region in 2000, and a detention rate for tankers in 1999 and 1998 of 5.9% and 5.5% respectively. Five detentions (21%) involved items for which class is responsible. Two vessels were found with hull cracking and severe corrosion in bulkheads or frames, although fire-fighting equipment accounted for the greatest number of detainable deficiencies. The detention rate of ships of 25 years or more, one-quarter of the vessels inspected, was 13.7%. Some 42.5% of the ships inspected, and 47% of the ships detained, were flagged with Malta at the time of inspection. Two had serious structural defects. Inspection of one of these vessels, the 26 year old Maria S, revealed 31 defects covering all convention certificates, manning levels, ship stability and strength, hull corrosion and cracking and cracks in the bulkheads.

SUN SIGNALS CYCLE'S PEAK WITH A BLAST  top

The sun celebrated Easter with a massive solar flare, the fifth largest on record, scientists say. Ground monitors measuring solar particle counts spiked upward rapidly Sunday, and spacecraft images showed the flare, say Solar and Heliospheric Observatory satellite scientists. The blast came at the climax of the sun's 11-year solar cycle of magnetic activity. Such solar blasts can damage satellites, disrupt power lines and even increase the corrosion on oil pipelines. Space station astronauts have been alerted to the flare, which can be a threat to them, but no special arrangements beyond sleeping in the most heavily shielded portions of their habitat, a standard practice, are planned, says James Hartsfield of NASA's Johnson Space Center.

TANKER "CASTOR" CORROSION HAS BECOME A LABORATORY. HAS IDENTIFIED "SUPER-RUST"  top

AMERICAN Bureau of Shipping has warned that the extent and rapid spreading of corrosion aboard the product tanker Castor was the most likely reason for its casualty and could ultimately require further strengthening of intermediate and annual survey requirements. Preliminary findings from a continuing investigation into the Castor casualty could also have implications for the way new double-hulled ships are built and maintained.

The investigation, conducted jointly with the Cyprus maritime authorities, has so far found that tank coatings were central to what happened inside the vessel's No.4 tank, which doubled as both a cargo tank and a salt water ballast tank. Other factors that contributed to "hyper-accelerated corrosion" in the tank its exposure to both gasoline cargoes and salt water. Gaugings have indicated that sections of this steel were wasted by as much as 30%. This relates to an corrosion rate of as much as 1.5 mm per year compared with the expected rate of about 0.1mm or less.

The investigation has found that, while original steel had been coated, steel replaced in 1997 during the ship's fourth special survey had not. It also found that uncoated steel in the underdeck area acted as an anode with the partially corroded, original steel and provided a weak point for corrosion to spread.

The Castor has become essentially become a "laboratory for corrosion". Steel samples have been cut from the damaged section of the tanker and sent for metallurgical analysis. If these initial conclusions hold up, there will be implications for the construction and maintenance for new generation of doubled hulled tankers.

The potent form of corrosion, dubbed "super-rust", could threaten a whole generation of ageing products tankers, and possibly also newer double-hulled vessels. Although many tanker owners may flinch at the prospect of new regulations and more stringent surveys, leading classification societies are already forming the view that more has to be done. American Bureau of Shipping chairman Frank Iarossi, scheduled to speak at a conference in London, is expected to drop a bombshell when he reveals that "super-rust" lay behind the potentially catastrophic crack which opened on the deck of the product tanker Castor on December 31.

S. CARROLL'S WATER COULD BE CORROSIVE AND COSTLY  top

In Summerville, S.C., a town 20 miles northwest of Charleston, about 200 homes in five subdivisions have had leaky copper pipes. Just as in Maryland, no one knows why. The investigation has expanded to 3,000 Maryland homeowners in Eldersburg, Sykesville, Chevy Chase, Laurel, Silver Spring and Bethesda. Copper pipes in those communities have mysteriously developed pinhole-size leaks in the past few years, the same as homes in parts of Texas, Ohio, Florida, and as far away as New Zealand.

But what stops leaks in one water system doesn't always work in another. That has led to several theories - some seemingly plausible and some seemingly implausible - about the cause of the leaks. Even the Copper Development Association, a pipe-maker's trade group, cannot pinpoint a single cause. Theories include:

Too much acidity in the water. Acid content of rainwater increases as it runs over blacktop and asphalt before draining into, in Carroll's case, Liberty Reservoir, the chief drinking water source for much of the Baltimore area. In Jacksonville, Fla., leaky pipes were traced to water that was too acidic.

Water that is too healthy. Changes made to the filtration process in the mid-1990s to meet federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements may remove chemicals that protect the pipes from corroding. Too much water softener. The use of softeners in treating water suspends minerals that are naturally present and help pipes develop a protective interior film, known as scaling, that prevents leaks. In Butler, Ohio, chemicals that promote calcium scaling inside pipes helped stem leaks.

Deposits of minerals such as aluminum, iron and silica, which attack the inner surface of copper pipes, eating through the protective scaling and the pipe.

Microscopic organisms that form colonies inside the copper pipes and eat through the metal. That was the problem in Mission, Texas, according to officials there, who added a chemical to the water that appears to have alleviated the leaks. Poor installation or workmanship on copper pipes. Solder might not have been properly flushed out of the pipe, or joints might have been improperly prepared during soldering, causing wave-like turbulence.

Stray electrical currents in the water, which corrode pipes. Such currents can seep into the water from copper pipes used to ground electrical wiring for personal computers and other high-tech devices in homes. Electrons from cellular phones and microwave towers also may be attacking the pipes. These problems may be compounded in homes that are improperly grounded. Water samples from three Eldersburg subdivisions have been analyzed where leaks had occurred, two where they had not and one well in Finksburg - indicates the water has corrosive tendencies that might dissolve the calcium needed to form protective scaling on the inside of the pipes.

Whatever the cause, government officials said, what is harming the copper pipes poses no danger to homeowners. All it has hurt so far is their bank accounts - replacing interior or exterior copper pipes costs more than $2,000 on average (as high as $8,000), and it is unusual for such problems to be covered in a homeowner's insurance policy. Many South Carroll residents have discovered leaky exterior pipes after receiving water bills more than 50 percent higher than previous bills. Interior leaks are usually visible as wet spots on walls or ceilings.

Carroll officials and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which supplies water to about 400,000 homes in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, are working with the Copper Development Association to determine the cause of the leaking, also known as "pitting." Consensus among the experts is that there are deposits of aluminum, silica and iron. But precisely how or where or why deposits form, and they are not uniform has not been determined. Each week, the WSSC receives about 70 reports on leaky pipes, Brown said. More than 2,800 homeowners have reported problems. Carroll officials are being cautious while the investigation continues. For several months, a corrosion inhibitor that works by promoting scaling, called zinc ortho phosphate, has been added to the treatment process.

NUS LINK-UP TO FIGHT CORROSION  top

JAPAN'S largest chemical multinational, Sumitomo Chemical Company, and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will conduct joint research into corrosion caused by seawater. The problem is a major headache in Singapore's chemical industry as production plants use seawater to cool many processes. It can also have an impact on Singapore's planned hefty investment in desalination plants. The joint research agreement, signed on Monday, will see Sumitomo and NUS spend four years and $1.5 million studying the effects of seawater on materials used in cooling systems, as well as the effects of water-treatment chemicals on seawater. Professor Ching Chi Bun, director of the Chemical and Process Engineering Centre at NUS, said: 'Many large plants, particularly those on Jurong Island, use seawater to cool their production processes. 'Every two or three years, these plants have to shut down partially for a few months to have their cooling systems inspected for corrosion. This is very costly for the companies.' Prof Ching explained that if research could extend the interval between inspections to four or five years, it would save companies millions of dollars. The research will be conducted by Sumitomo's Process and Production Technology Centre, and researchers from the faculties of science and engineering at NUS. Dr Hiroshi Ishimaru, director of Sumitomo's research centre, said: 'Sumitomo Chemical wants to cooperate with the Singapore Government and academia in this project to gain mutual experience and benefits.'

DAIMLERCHRYSLER RECALLS 701,000 DODGE RAM PICKUP TRUCKS   top

DaimlerChrysler Corp is recalling 701,000 Dodge Ram pickup trucks because of a spring problem on the hood latch, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The recall involves vehicles manufactured between July 1993 and March 1999, and is aimed particularly at trucks registered or located in the Northeast or Midwest, areas where metal corrosion rates are higher because of the heavy use of road salt during winter. The NHTSA said corrosion of the return spring on the secondary hood latch could cause the mechanism to stick in the release position. If the primary hood latch is not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly. Dealers will replace the secondary hood latch, safety officials said.

TAIWANESE NUCLEAR ACCIDENT CAUSED BY CORROSION GIVEN 2ND MOST SERIOUS RATING  top

Despite a government panel report clearing the utility of any blame, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung has insisted that disciplinary action be taken against Taiwan Power Company over a recent nuclear accident. A government report recently released said that the power outage at the island's No. 3 Nuclear Plant on March 18 was more of a electrical equipment failure than a nuclear accident.

The report, authored by a panel led by head of the National Science Council Wei Che-ho, vindicated the claims of Taiwan Power Company, which operates the nuclear plant, that the reactor was not affected by the accident and no radiation was released into the surrounding environment. Although Taipower delayed reporting the accident to the National Energy Council, which supervises the operation of the island's three nuclear plants, the company is not otherwise to blame for its handling of the accident, according to the report.

The accident took place when a high-tension cable transmitting power from the plant short-circuited because of damage to its insulators caused by corrosion. As a result, two generators at the nuclear plant automatically shut off, leaving the plant in darkness. The two backup generators that were supposed to supply electricity to the nuclear plant in a power outage failed to kick in, forcing the reactor to fall back on battery power for its water cooling system, which keeps the reactor from melting down. Fortunately, another backup system was hooked up and a crisis was avoided before the depletion of the battery, which can last only eight hours. The accident was given the second most serious rating for risk, on a scale of four categories of the riskiness of nuclear accidents.

CORROSION MAY BE INVOLVED IN SCUBA DEATH   top

Mr Chard was diving alone, with just his father following in a boat, in June last year, when he is believed to have got into difficulties after a button on his BCD (buoyancy control device) jacket jammed. He had boat cover, but that is useful only if someone gets into trouble and can get to the surface. It is not of any help if you have trouble under the water. The court at Dorchester County Hall heard that Dean Chard had dived in Turkey nine months previously, and was eager to start diving again in the Dorset area. On June 9 he had arranged to go out on a boat with his father, Gary Chard.

Twenty minutes into the dive Mr Chard noticed there were no air bubbles and he notified coastguards. A search found the body of Dean Chard on its back on the sea bed at a depth of 10 metres, with his BCD jacket by his side. Examination of the equipment subsequently showed that the BCD jacket's inflater button - the jacket allows a diver to rise and sink in the water by varying the amount of air it contains - was jammed open through corrosion. The inquest was told that the Poole firm Dorset Diving Services had completed a service of the jacket just before Mr Chard's trip to Turkey, and that corrosion should not have appeared to that extent.

This case shows the importance of equipment being properly and regularly serviced, of people being properly trained, and that they should not dive alone. These factors have definitely been brought to the fore in this case as possible contributory causes.

CORROSION INVOLVED IN FATAL POLICE HELICOPTER CRASH  top

SAN JOSE, Calif. _ San Jose police unveiled a new department helicopter Thursday, Air Two _ a sleek $1.8 million aircraft equipped with high-tech gadgetry and a bittersweet reminder of its ill-fated predecessor emblazoned on its tail, the initials of Desmond Casey, the police pilot who died when the previous police copter crashed in 1999 on the pavement of The Alameda. The city purchased the craft with insurance proceeds from the Oct. 25, 1999, crash and with funds from grants. Its first day of duty will be May 5, when it will assist in the patrol of Cinco De Mayo festivities, Hirata said.

Air Two's debut comes a little more than a month after the National Transportation Safety Board issued its fact report on the crash of Air One, which also took the life of mechanic Herman Yee.

Casey and Yee were flying the MD-520N from Reid-Hillview Airport to its base at San Jose International Airport when it went down. Casey was called a hero for grappling with the helicopter's stricken controls and avoiding buildings and people before it crashed in the middle of the street. No one on the ground was injured. The NTSB report drew no conclusions, but noted that cracks and corrosion were found in a mechanism that connected two segments of the control cable _ the same types of problems that were the subject of a federal airworthiness directive and a manufacturer's service bulletin that were issued a few weeks after the crash.

CORROSION COMPLICATES REFURBISHMENT - THE HOUSE OF HORRORS   top

THE 20 million British Pound revamp of the Scottish government's headquarters is running at least six months behind schedule, the Evening News has discovered. The refurbishment of St Andrews House was due to have been finished in the first half of this year. But the Scottish Executive today admitted the completion date had now slipped to December - although it claims there will be no cost overruns caused by the delay. The news comes just two weeks after the key architect of the new Scottish Parliament building, Benedetta Tagliabue, said that project would not be complete until the end of 2004 - two years after the official completion date.

Opposition politicians today called for the Scottish Parliament's audit committee to launch an investigation into the refurbishment of St Andrews House. A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said today: "It was originally envisaged that the projects would be completed in the first half of 2001. However, a number of items, notably the stonework and floors, needed further attention. It is an old building and until you start doing the work you don't know what you will come across. The project is now running in line with our revised completion date of December 2001."

Modernisation of the building started in January 1999 and was complicated by the corrosion of the building's steel frame. Builders have had to section off areas of the building to treat the frame, which could have affected the stonework facade. And internal walls have been knocked down and floors levelled to create open plan office space.

ADDITION OF CATHODIC PROTECTION EXTENDS LIFE OF U.K. MOTORWAY BRIDGES AT A COST OF B.P. 2.6 MILLION  top

Eight ageing spans on the M60 and M602 will have current passed through their supports to "zap" out internal water which causes corrosion. The process known as "cathodic protection" forces moisture away from the steel supports at the core of concrete pillars which can lead to weaken-ing of the structure. The pounds 2.6million project at Eccles, on the outskirts of Manchester, is cheaper and quicker than conventional repairs.

WASH, WAX CAR HELPS LOOKS, STOPS CORROSION AND EXTENDS LIFE   top

Getting a car all cleaned and waxed isn't just a matter of appearance; it's a good protection against the savagery of the weather and the environment.. Of course, a shiny car puts your best foot forward and will attract admiring looks the next time you park your car for a day at the beach or a noontime stop at the local eatery. And, if you get compliments, be sure to tell everybody how long it took. There's no sense using all that energy without boasting about it.

When you wash your car, which you should do every month or so, make sure you get at the dirt under the car as well, in the wheel wells and especially at the door sill area, where sand can accumulate. By far, the most common causes of auto paint corrosion are road salt, dirt, insects, tree sap, tar, salt in the air near seacoast localities and industrial pollutants.

CORROSION OF GM CARS INVOLVED IN CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT  top

Last year General Motors agreed to a $19 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit over defective brake parts in 2.6 million of the car-maker's sedans built from 1988 to 1993. The settlement meant that General Motors would pay repair bills for owners and lessees of the defective cars. The company also agreed to notify owners and cover attorneys' fees. The law suit asserted that the rear brakes in the Chevrolet Lumina, Pontiac Grand Prix, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and Buick Regal were prone to corrosion, causing brake repairs.

PIPELINES IN DEEP WATER-NEW INDUSTRY-WIDE EFFORT LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE REMOTE CORROSION AND FLOW MONITORING  top

Exploration and production in the deep waters offshore can be compared to exploring in deep space. In both areas, it is extremely difficult to maintain equipment because of inaccessibility. And, in the famous words of Gene Kranz, flight director at NASA during Apollo 13: "Failure is not an option."

"You can't easily send a person down 3,000 to 9,000 feet to check on deep water pipelines. You can't easily intervene if problems develop, either. The systems that monitor oil and gas production and the corrosion of pipelines must be fail-safe and in place when the flow lines are installed on the ocean floor," says Dr. Andrea Ethridge, senior consultant for InterCorr International, Inc., a corrosion solutions company headquartered in Houston.

Corrosion-related failures, or excessive corrosion rates at today's tremendous oil production depths can be extremely expensive if left unchecked as well as being potentially dangerous to the environment, Etheridge explains.

A new joint industry program, launched in April by InterCorr International, Inc. and Shell Global Solutions (US) (a division of Shell Oil Products company), will investigate cost-effective and reliable systems for monitoring corrosion and flow assurance in subsea pipelines.

In addition to Shell, other oil companies taking a lead role in developing the program are BP, Intevep-PVDSA, the R&D arm of Venezuela's national oil company, and Petrobras, the national oil company of Brazil. Input gained through two focus group meetings with these and other companies has helped to develop the scope of work for this major joint industry development effort.

"We expect to have about 10 to 15 participants in the program, including oil and gas producers, major suppliers and service companies," says Etheridge. "Those who sign early -- within 90 days after the program starts -- will save about 25 percent of the cost to participate," she says. "Our experience has shown that most companies recoup their participation costs in this type of program with only a single application of the technology.

MONITORING IN DEEP WATER  top

Offshore oil comes from the ground in flow lines at high temperature, but then is rapidly cooled by deep water at low temperatures once it is in the subsea pipeline. This can cause precipitation of water that increases corrosivity and can also cause deposition of waxy substances, both of which can jeopardize flow, system integrity and ongoing operations. Until recently, producers saw the rate of flow and corrosion of pipelines as independent problems. The new InterCorr/Shell Global study will address both of these concerns and provide a common solution, says Etheridge.

One of the problems currently experienced by deep water operators is that only limited monitoring options are available today and none has been proven in deep water service. The major purpose of the InterCorr program will be to integrate several monitoring capabilities into a single unit and verify their performance under simulated deep water conditions in advance of a field trial.

The new program will develop an enhanced, multifunctional monitoring capability that integrates existing, high reliability technologies capable of monitoring corrosion and flow assurance. This system will be adaptable to subsea, pipe-in-pipe, insulated or buried flowlines. The program will also provide a demonstration of long-term system performance and reliability under simulated deep water conditions.

Effective corrosion monitoring and flow assurance of subsea flowline installations remains a challenge. In deep water projects, flow lines are the most capital-intensive parts of the project. In the Gulf of Mexico and many other field developments around the world, these lines are made from carbon and low alloy steels to minimize cost. However, to achieve this cost benefit, the carbon and low alloy steels must be adequately protected against corrosion by chemical inhibitors and must be monitored for sand erosion, scaling and organic solids deposition which jeopardize production.

Excessive deterioration or loss of flow can lead to lost production, failure, or the need for repair. The consequences in deep water can range from very expensive to cost prohibitive. Therefore, it is critical to develop pipeline monitoring capabilities for deep water systems.

Etheridge explains that the new monitoring and corrosion control system will be designed around the following anticipated requirements:

-- Continuous corrosion rate measurements and wall thickness data at multiple points of interest
-- Rapid response monitoring capabilities for both general and localized corrosion
-- Multi-functional capabilities that also include monitoring of flow, sand erosion and scale/organic solids deposition
-- Effective, reliable operations in deep water subsea environments
-- Interface with existing hardware systems for field production monitoring
-- Reliable transmission of data at regular intervals using modern telemetry technology


Sponsors of the program will receive a preferred position over non- sponsors in terms of technology availability and cost. Consultants to the program will be Dr. Russell D. Kane, senior consultant, and Peter Pratt, sales manager, both with InterCorr. Combined, they bring more than 50 years of oilfield corrosion and monitoring experience to the program.

Those interested in this new program should contact the following: UK, Europe and Asia Pacific: Dr. Andrea Etheridge by phone (011-44-207-538-4982) or email aetheridge@intercorr.com North and South America: Dr. Russell D. Kane by phone (281-444-2282) or email rkane@intercorr.com * "Shell Global Solutions" is a trading style used by a network of technology companies of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group.

REPLACING ALUMINUM WITH CORROSION-FIGHTING COMPOSITES HELPED VOLVO PENTA BUILD A BETTER STERN DRIVE  top

When engineers at Volvo Penta set out to create the company's first entirely new stern drive in more than a decade, they Rejected forty years of conventional wisdom about marine drive construction, they steered clear of bolted aluminum and instead built the drive's structural components from adhesive-bonded composites.

It's salt-water corrosion and loose joints that can scuttle marine drives. With an inherent corrosion resistance and the elimination of bolted joints, adhesive- bonded composites target both problems. The new "Xtreme" drive also exhibits the more usual hallmarks of a smart materials substitution: It weighs 20% less and has 30% fewer parts than the company's aluminum stern drives. This new approach to drive design also resulted in an overall performance boost, a reduction in manufacturing costs, and new mechanical features.

SQUIDS ARE FINDING NEW APPLICATIONS IN SOME UNEXPECTED PLACES  top

Squids, the ultra-sensitive magnetic field detectors currently used for brain scans, are now monitoring aircraft corrosion and spotting bacteria. This was reported in the American Physical Society Meeting. The secret of the SQUID is a small loop of superconducting wire,interrupted by at least one narrow strip of electrical insulator to form a'Josephson Junction'. Current flowing around this loop is extremely sensitive to changes in the magnetic field within it. Corrosion involves the movement of charged particles, which creates a magnetic field that is minute - but large enough for a squid to detect easily. The technique can also monitor the corrosion in situ, as it happens.

AN EASTER TREAT HELPS TO STOP CORROSION  top

By visiting the Ship in the port of Bristol, England this Easter, you are helping to preserve the ship for future generations. As many will know, the SS Great Britain, which returned to Bristol in 1970, is suffering from severe corrosion as well as under -investment. However, the plans to save the ship received the backing of the Heritage Lottery Fund in August last year, which has set aside a grant of 7 million for the ship and dockyard. The ship's supporters must raise 3 million by 2005 as matched funding for the B.P 10 million development plan.

The major problem is rust. The thin wrought iron plates that make up the hull are heavily contaminated with chlorides from salt water, and there is only a small window of time, perhaps 3 -5 years, within which action must be taken to prevent irretrievable losses of her fabric. After considering 13 possible conservation techniques, the clearly preferred option is to create a very dry, stable atmosphere that will stop the corrosion - like placing a rare artifact in a glass case in a Museum.

A horizontal glass plate from the edge of the dry dock to the ship will seal the badly contaminated lower part of the hull in a dry atmosphere, preventing further corrosion. From above, the ship will appear to be afloat. Visitors will be able to descend beneath the glass to see the ship from below.

BOARD TO FIX SCHOOL'S HEATING, COOLING SYSTEM - CORROSION A BIG CONSIDERATION  top

ST. FRANCISVILLE - The West Feliciana Parish School Board agreed Wednesday to seek bids to fix a nagging and expensive problem with the heating and cooling system at Bains Lower Elementary School. The board also accepted proposals for three other renovation projects that will total more than $200,000.

The school's geothermal heating and cooling system pumps water in a closed loop through pipes above the suspended ceilings of the buildings and through pipes underground. Some of the overhead pipe fittings developed leaks, which have caused damage to ceilings, carpets and furnishings.

The corrosion problem may be related to the type of materials used in the construction, the initial decision 10 years ago to use untreated water in the loop or natural erosion of the metal by weak, naturally occurring electric currents. Recommended actions include replacement of all of the overhead piping with heavier material, installing a chemical water-treatment system and adding de-vices to prevent electrical corrosion.

MERCEDES AND MITSUBISHI RECALL CARS FOR SAFETY CHECKS  top

MITSUBISHI is recalling more than 5,000 UK-owned cars because of a possible corrosion problem. The models affected are Galant salons and 5-door coupes built between 1993 and 1996. The potential fault is water penetration of the lateral lower steering arm ball joints, which could cause corrosion and accelerate wear. UK customers will be contacted this month and asked to take cars to a dealership for a free check.

HENRY BROWN, 93, A CHEMIST WHO MADE THE METAL SHINE  top

Henry Brown, a chemist who helped make the American Dream a gleaming reality by finding new ways of keeping chromium plate bright and shiny, died on March 15 at his home in Palo Alto, Calif. He was 93.

In the years just after World War II, Mr. Brown's discoveries made bathroom fixtures and kitchen utensils silvery and put the gloss on the bumpers of the finny automotive monsters Detroit turned out in the 1950's and early 60's. But there had been other earlier and less obvious beneficiaries of his skill at making dull metals shiny. In the austere war years, he showed the United States Treasury how to make steel pennies gleam and invented a high-speed process for brass-plating shell cases so they did not stick in artillery guns. Even the atomic bombs that were exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki owed something to him, for in 1943 he joined the Manhattan Project as a research chemist, developing porous nickel screens for separating atomic particles.

To prevent chromium plate from losing its shine, said Edwin Hoover, a metallurgist who worked with him, Dr. Brown used sulfur-bearing organic compounds, like saccharin, to brighten the underlying layer of nickel plate placed on the metal before a thin covering of chrome was added.

Dr. Brown studied these possible brightening agents, and then discovered that the outer chrome coating became more resistant to corrosion if it was made highly porous. He developed a technique using fine powders to increase the metal's porosity. Dr. Brown received 92 United States patents and 250 foreign ones and received recognition for his work, including the American Electroplating Society's Scientific Achievement Award in 1967. After college, he joined the Udylite Corporation of Detroit, a company specializing in cadmium plating that wanted to diversify. Except for wartime duties, the rest of his working life was spent at the company, where he was research director from 1950 until he retired in 1972.

He was one of the authors of "Modern Electroplating" (Wiley Inter science, 1974), a standard work on the subject.

MOTOR DEALERS SLAMMED ON FAULTS  top

TRADING standards officers in Sandwell today slammed 'reckless' car dealers after a shock survey revealed a 'frightening' catalogue of faults which were putting lives at risk. Half of the second-hand vehicles examined during spot checks were so dangerous that they were immediately removed from sale, with 84 per cent of them were unroadworthy. Officers carried out the checks among dealers at the lower end of the market, targeting vehicles for sale at B.P. 1,000 or less. Common faults discovered by examiners included defective tires, defective steering and suspension, excessive corrosion and faulty seats and seat belts. Some vehicles were so badly corroded that trading standards officials were able to push large holes through bodyowrk with their fingers.

SHIP SINKINGS POINT TO POOR STANDARDS, HONG KONG IMAIL  top

Ships that have found a watery grave in the past two years include Kristal, Sun Glory, Balu, Ievoli Sun, SeaBreeze 1 and Erika. And while the ships sank for varying reasons, at least three of the sinkings - Kristal, Balu and Erika - are being partly attributed to the age of the vessels.

But changes are not being made fast enough. Lloyd's Register of Shipping, the American Bureau of Shipping and Den Norske Veritas last month announced a raft of joint initiatives to improve the ship standards. The 10-point action plan includes: A common standard for identifying, targeting and monitoring possible substandard vessels; Creation of common basic design criteria for ship design including hydrodynamic loading and corrosion margins for standard-type ships; Increase the transparency of information from onshore and offshore assessments, with much of the data available via the Internet; and The introduction of an early warning system to identify problems that could be common to sister ships built to the same design or shipyard.

RADIOLOGICAL SITUATION NORMAL IN KURSK DISASTER AREA  top

The radiation in the Kursk disaster area is not above the normal level, Itar-Tass was told at the Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday. Water tests, carried out by experts of the hydrographic service, show that the "radiological situation there is within the normal limits". President of the Russian Ecology Policy Centre Professor Alexei Yablokov stressed in his article, published by the magazine "Yadernaya Bezopasnost" (Nuclear Safety), that the situation in the Barents Sea would remain normal in the future, too. However, in his opinion, the Kursk submarine has to be recovered without fail. If this is not done, the scientist believes, there will be leaks of radionuclides due to the inevitable corrosion of the reactor. Contaminated fish may become dangerous for human consumption, because the concentration of radionuclides in it may grow dozens of times over.

A TITANIC EXHIBIT  top

This weekend, the Maryland Science Center launches its most ambitious exhibit yet: "Titanic Science: the Real Artifacts, the True Stories." Visitors will be greeted with interactive activities, a walk-through "rusticle" explaining the process of underwater corrosion, a simulated iceberg, audio accounts of the sinking from eyewitnesses, artifacts from the wreck and trivia. Explore the April 12, 1912, disaster from the safety of Baltimore's Inner Harbor during Science Center hours, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends; or view the Titanic exhibit only, 5-9 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, through Sept. 3. Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., Baltimore.

ALTRAN FPS KIT DETECTS CORROSION IN FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS  top

With its FPS Kit, Altran Corporation makes it easy for building and facilities managers, fire protection system engineers, and water quality consultants to detect and characterize corrosion in fire protection systems. Corrosion is a leading cause of failure in activated fire sprinkler systems. It is also fairly easy to identify and prevent. In systems on standby, corrosion can cause pinhole leaks, which may damage structural systems, ceilings and equipment. During a fire, corrosion products--rusty deposits and tubercles--can plug sprinkler heads, rendering the system useless.

Sprinkler system corrosion failures can occur as a result of

-- Improper materials selection, such as the use of dissimilar metals susceptible to galvanic corrosion
-- Poor installation and maintenance practices, such as improper slope in dry systems, improper cleaning of corrosive flux, and failure to flush system after installation.
-- Improper water chemistry or poor water quality
-- Microbiologically-induced corrosion (MIC)

Each of these failure mechanisms requires different methods of detection, repair and prevention. Determining the correct cause of failures is the first step in developing remedial treatment and preventive maintenance programs. Improper treatment of corrosion in sprinkler systems--or treating the wrong corrosion mechanism--can result in repetition of the failure and costly repairs.

Altran's FPS Kit is a prepaid sample mailer that can be used to ship material and water samples to Altran's Boston laboratory for analysis. Upon receipt, Altran's lab and engineering staff will analyze the samples to assist in the proper identification of the corrosion mechanism, and follow up with a comprehensive analytical report of findings and recommendations. Altran does not limit the analysis to a single cause of corrosion, such as MIC. Its staff of materials engineers, corrosion scientists, chemists, and biologists have the expertise to recognize all corrosion mechanisms in sprinkler systems. For more information on the FPS Kits, or to place an order call 617-204-1000.

PROCESS MAKES MANHOLE REHAB SAFER AND EASIER  top

Flawed manholes can cause a number of problems for cities and counties. It has been estimated that up to 25 percent of inflow problems are directly related to leaking manholes. McCandless Township, PA, estimates that before its manhole rehabilitation program, 750,000 gallons per day of additional rainy day flow could be attributed to leaking manholes.

Besides the costs of treating such unnecessary inflow, city and county employees often spend hours dealing with corrosion and with cleaning and relining leaking manholes. The potential exposure of workers to hydrogen sulfide gas in the manholes can make the rehabilitation process dangerous.

McCandless Township's manholes had suffered the deterioration of two or more inches of concrete in some areas, primarily the result of corrosive chemicals in the manholes. Calcium and other mineral deposits also were evident in a number of the township's manholes. Before the manholes could be rehabilitated, they had to be cleaned, and all loose or contaminated concrete had to be removed. Traditionally, a worker with a hand-held hydroblast wand would have handled the job. However, the problem of exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas was exacerbated by the danger of having a worker inside a confined space with a high-pressure water system. So, Blakley looked for help. Lawrence, Pa.-based WaterBlasters developed a hydrojetting system that involved a specially made nozzle, which allowed workers to clean entire manholes from ground level. Capable of blasting 3,000 to 7,000 psi of water at a rate of 50 gallons per minute, the rotating nozzle presented two benefits: It cleaned the surface of the manhole from one central point, and it left a roughened surface that allowed for better application of bonding substrate for subsequent linings. By using the system, McCandless Township went from cleaning one or two manholes a day to cleaning eight or more.

Once the manholes were cleaned, substrate had to be repaired and a water infiltration material applied. Using conventional methods would have required workers to enter the manhole and apply the substrate material by hand. But Pittsburgh-- based Sauereisen and Farmingdale, N.Y.-based RFI Construction developed a process involving a specialized pump, materials and a "spinning nozzle" that allowed for application of substrate repair from the street.

A quick-curing substrate resurfacer was formulated for use with the system. Additionally, all manholes directly downstream from the pump stations were coated with a corrosion-resistant epoxy, also developed specially for the system to prevent microbiologically induced corrosion.

Using the same equipment to apply all products made the work easier on installation crews. Additionally, because of the speed with which the rehab can be completed, the companies have dubbed the process the "60-Minute Solution." "It's a cost-effective method for quickly removing inflow and infiltration from a sanitary sewer system, while, at the same time, providing a safe method of application," Blakley says.

KURT PACKER JOINS CORRPRO AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT  top

Corrpro Companies, Inc. (NYSE: CO), the leading provider of corrosion protection engineering services, systems and equipment, today announced that Kurt R. Packer, age 39, has joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Mr. Packer comes to Corrpro with over 16 years of financial and operational experience. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lightsource Telecom, LLC, a telecommunications company. Prior to that, Mr. Packer served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wayne-Dalton Corp., a leading international manufacturer of garage doors and related products.

Mr. Packer succeeds Neal R. Restivo, who has since become a director of the Company, and will report directly to Joseph W. Rog, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer. Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Rog said, "We are extremely pleased to have Kurt on board. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in financial and operational management and structuring. His excellent communication, strategic planning, critical thinking and resource management skills will be a positive addition to our management team." John L. Brack, Jr., who has served as Corrpro's interim Chief Financial Officer since January, 2001, will assist in the transition.

Corrpro, headquartered in Medina, Ohio, with over 60 offices worldwide, is the leading provider of corrosion control engineering services, systems and equipment to the infrastructure, environmental and energy markets throughout the world. Corrpro is the worldwide leading supplier of cathodic protection systems and engineering services as well as a leading supplier of corrosion protection services relating to coatings, non-destructive testing, pipeline integrity and reinforced concrete structures.

STINKING SEWERS COST $100 MILLION IN PLANT CAPITAL COSTS AND $300,000 PER YEAR IN CHEMICALS  top

By now, everybody involved in waste water agrees that organic and chemical waste in the main sewer line serving Framingham, Ashland, and Natick has created a stinking corrosion problem of epic proportions. The battle ahead though, as the towns involved see it, is over who will foot the bill to fix it.

"I'm comfortable if it's MWRA money. I'm not comfortable if it's Framingham money," Framingham's director of public works, Mark Call, told representatives of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which runs sewer and water services for a consortium of 46 cities and towns in Greater Boston. That argument, voiced at a forum held, summed up the outrage of business representatives and sewer officials from Ashland and Framingham, who must dramatically reduce levels of sulfide and organic waste in their sewage this year or face potentially crippling fines.

The manager of the Framingham Breyers plant threatened to move out of town if the factory were forced to invest more than the $500,000 a year it's already paying as a penalty for the organic and sulfate content of its sewage.

The authority estimates corrosion in the Framingham line has generated $100 million in capital costs. An expensive project is already underway to insert new plastic liners into weakened pipes in Natick - a cost that will be shared by all 46 MWRA member communities. However, the threat that future capital projects will be charged to specific towns worries local officials. "At this point there's no plan to charge individual communities, but the political wheels involved will definitely have something to say about that," said Robert Kovacs, an MWRA engineer. "This could certainly change over time."

And each individual community will have to find ways to reduce sulfide and organic discharge in their municipalities, and pay whatever it takes to stay under the limit. There are essentially three ways to eliminate the problem: Treat waste before it enters the system, line sewer pipes with plastic, or dump chemical agents like potassium permanganate into the waste water stream to neutralize the corrosive acid.

After a yearlong study, consultants pointed to industrial users - particularly the Nyacol Nano Technologies plant in Ashland and the Genzyme and Breyers facilities in Framingham - as the key culprits in increased corrosion. To control the problem in the short term, the agency is spending more than $300,000 a year to chemically neutralize corrosive agents in the waste water stream. In the long term, it wants heavy industrial users to build pretreatment plants at the contamination source, while towns modify their sewer lines to minimize organic decomposition. Finally, the MWRA will put in biofilters that eliminate much of the stench associated with sewer lines.

ALLOY-COATED SHEET STEEL PRODUCTION COMMERCIALIZED  top

NKK Corporation has developed a 55% aluminium-zinc alloy-coated gavalume steel sheet, with commercial production due to start this month. The steel, which will be marketed as Galflex Color, solves many of the problems associated with conventional gavalume steel sheets. The process makes use of NKK's structure coating technology to ensure that cracks, which normally occur on the surface coating film during bending and forming, have been minimized.

Conventional gavalume sheets had been susceptible to cracking because of the hardness of the coating film. NKK has adopted a two-pronged approach to solving the problem, softening the coating film's hardness and also adding a super-elastic coating film on top of the base steel. By reducing the cracks, an improved surface appearance can be achieved, which in turn improves the steel's resistance to corrosion, which is up to 10 times more corrosion resistant, according to NKK's tests, especially in the areas where bending has taken place.

Bending tests have been carried out, and the results suggest that the NKK process produces a steel sheet that is easier to shape, and even opens to possibility of hand forming, which is not possible with conventionally produced coated steel sheets. The sheets will be produced at NKK's Keihin plant, with a monthly output target of 1000 tonnes; initially the material will be marketed at the building materials market, though the alloy's improved shaping means that other markets will also be explored. www.nkk.co.jp

DIVERS IMMERSED IN TOWER WORK TO FIND CORROSION  top

Cheyenne's strangest dive spot was open for business Wednesday. Three divers in dry suits spent the afternoon diving into the frigid water inside the Buffalo Ridge water tower as part of a maintenance project for the Board of Public Utilities. The divers are conducting a thorough underwater video surveillance of the tank to help determine what rehabilitation is needed. The inspection is being done by Liquid Engineering Corporation of Billings, Mont., for Civil Engineering Professionals Inc. (CEPI) of Casper.

CEPI recently signed a $65,400 contract with BOPU to evaluate, design and manage the water tank rehabilitation project. They hope to finish the evaluation and will then drain the tank to allow for closer inspection of the tank floor. It is easier to check the tank with divers rather than drain it because there are few ladders that can reach the height of the tank. The inspection will focus on the thickness of the tank walls and depth of any corrosion pits.

The tank is one of BOPU's four reserve tanks. It is 70 feet tall and holds 5 million gallons. This project just covers the Buffalo Ridge water tower; none of the others will be inspected. The four tanks total 35 million gallons and all contain treated drinking water. The BOPU representative said the tanks play a vital role in maintaining adequate water for Cheyenne residents during peak water use in the summer. The tanks supplement the water supplied by the treatment plants and are refilled the night after each use. They emptied and checked the tank five years ago and noticed some rust and corrosion. That has led to the inspection and subsequent rehabilitation.

SIMPLE ANSWER TO RUSTY TOOLS  top

A small jar of oil and a steel-wool pad in the garden shed can do wonders. If you keep the steel wool in the oil, it won't rust, and it also does a better job of cleaning your tools when it's oiled. The oil cuts the grease and lubricates the tools to help prevent rust and corrosion. It's a handy idea.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OIL  top

Many consumers who change their own oil are confronted with a series of choices when they hit the motor oil aisle in their local automotive store.

What weight should I use? What filter is best for my car? Synthetic or conventional? Choices are made for a variety of reasons ranging from price and store sales to manufacturer claims, brand image, and lack of knowledge and even common misconceptions. Because we can't see what goes on inside our engine we usually don't know the benefits of one oil versus another.

After all, how are we all to know what ACEA A1-98 means and why it's good for the engine? Each set of letters and numbers refers to a specific industry test, kind of like the motor oil equivalent of the Good Housekeeping Seal or the approval of the Canadian Dental Association. For each set of letters on the back of a quart of motor oil, the brand had to pass a stringent battery of tests.

Each test measures a different aspect of the oil's performance and is conducted by independent laboratories that measure oils based on objective standards. It is a simple pass-fail for each test. The results are right on the back of the bottle. While you may not know what each of these scientific tests refer to, you do know that the more industry credentials that are listed on the bottle, the more the motor oil has proven its ability to protect your investment to the fullest extent of modern science.

A common myth exists that synthetic motor oil should only be used in high performance engines. Some performance engines, for example, do require synthetics. The same protection and advantages that the high performance vehicle engine is getting from using a synthetic can be yours. Most synthetics are better at attacking the harmful and corrosive particles that can build inside your engine over time than conventional motor oils.

Synthetics help extend engine life by reducing wear and keeping the engine clean. They help prevent sludge from forming in your engine and neutralize acids in your engine that can cause rust and corrosion on vital engine parts such as cylinders, bearings and hydraulic valve lifters. Synthetics are readily available at your local automotive store. It's true that synthetics are a little more expensive than conventional motor oils, but the protection they give your engine will save you money in the long run.