0................................................................ Corrosion failure

Corrosion Failure

Corrosion failure is a material failure related to corrosion. This condition requires immediate preservation and protection. System failures and subsequent failure investigations have become increasingly important in modern societies. Besides liability issues, an important reason for conducting a failure investigation is to identify the mechanisms and causes of a problem to prevent its reoccurrence.

Corrosion failure may require sampling and testing of corrosion products. Failure analysis is the systematic investigation of a part failure with the objectives of determining the root causes of failure and the corrective actions needed to prevent future failures. Failures occur when some system or part of a system fails to perform up to the expectations for which it was created. Failure analysis relies on collecting failed components for subsequent examination of the cause or causes of failure using a wide array of methods, especially microscopy and spectroscopy. Key benefits of failure analysis include avoiding costly future instances of corrosion-induced failure, and providing evidence for any litigation proceedings.

Generally, procedure for failure analysis includes:

One example for Corrosion Failure is Bridge Collapse (fig 1). The corrosion was caused by calcium chloride, a highly corrosive chemical compound, which was a component of the grout surrounding the steel prestressing cables in the bridge.