Compelling questions still abound about the fundamental processes of corrosion, broadly defined Corrosion initiation mechanisms and the dynamics of materials degradation are poorly understood. While many corrosion inhibition processes have been discovered and implemented, there is often little understanding of why they work. Improved techniques are needed to study and model dynamic corrosion systems, so that they can be better understood and mitigation techniques can be better developed. The lack of understanding about corrosion prevents the development of better mitigation processes and any research on alternatives.
For this award, the research objective is to identify the science opportunities that have arisen from recent advances and accomplishments in the field of fundamental corrosion research that will advance scientific understanding of the mechanisms of corrosion processes, materials degradation and their mitigation; prioritize a set of research grand-challenge questions to fill identified scientific gaps; and make recommendations on a national strategy in fundamental corrosion research with the goal of gaining the critical understanding of (1) materials degradation and (2) mitigating technologies. This strategy should also include recommendations on how to maximize the dissemination of the outcomes of corrosion research to maximize their incorporation into corrosion mitigation.
