Corrosion is the degradation of material due to an electrochemical reaction in the environment.
Corrosion can result in the loss of structures and production and sometimes loss of lives. Hence, the cost of corrosion can be very high, and some say this could be 3-5% of GDP of an industrialised nation.
Corrosion is a complex area where thermodynamics, electrochemistry, materials engineering, mathematics, and electricity need to be applied for analysis. Hence, corrosion engineering is a significant research area covering some industries including the oil and gas industry.
Our research focusses on corrosion in tropical environments.
Research students get a rich and rewarding experience during their candidature at the School. The School has some excellent facilities to carry out corrosion research. The School has subscribed to some outstanding research journals, through the library, including the Corrosion Analysis Network from American Society for Materials.
Charles Darwin University offers PhD and Masters by Research programs in corrosion engineering. There are opportunities for prospective new postgraduate students interested in research. Potential PhD and Master by Research topics include:
- thermodynamic stability diagrams for hardfacing alloys
- developing erosion-corrosion models for mining and minerals industry
- microbially Influenced Corrosion in alloys used in the oil and gas industry
- corrosion modelling for structures subjected differentials aeration corrosion
- numerical analysis of corrosion in complex structures.
Research Coordinator: Krishnan Kannoorpatti.