An advanced, patented probe sensor provides early detection of water infrastructure problems caused by corrosion and harsh atmospheric conditions. Designed to detect graphitization in active pipelines, it identifies areas at risk of major failures early on. By using indirect methods like GIS mapping, in-situ soil resistivity testing, and structure-to-soil potential measurements, high-risk zones can be pinpointed. Once these areas are identified, the probe assesses the severity and depth of graphitization, providing a comprehensive evaluation of the pipeline’s condition. This allows for the implementation of effective corrosion management strategies, including cathodic protection systems, to prevent critical failures. This article describes the sensor system and provides a case study of its use. The technology received the 2024 Engineering Materials Achievement Award from ASM International.

Efforts are underway in every sector of the scientic community to explore and develop possible strategies and solutions to counter sea level rise and climate change. Near-term materials science implications include improvements to corrosion-resistant materials and coatings.

Boriding is performed by diffusing boron atoms into a metal surface and allowing the boron to react with elements present in the substrate to form metal-boride compounds. Upon diffusing enough boron into the surface, a metal-boride compound layer with high hardness precipitates and grows below the surface of the part. This article discusses boriding of ferrous alloys, including a new deep case boriding method that produces wear layer depths comparable to competitive processes such as carburizing, nitriding, thermal spray coatings, and hardfacing.

A new ISO standard could help spur development of new surface treatments and innovative products that can help defend against harmful bacteria and biofilms. This article describes the successful development and adoption of a new standard, ISO 4768:2023, that addresses measurement of anti-biofilm activity on plastic and other nonporous surfaces.

This article identifies several factors that are not fully addressed in most fracture toughness test standards and explains how they may influence calculated values obtained from ferritic steels. Of particular consequence are test temperatures within the ductile-to-brittle transition regime and test specimen geometries when measuring the toughness of weld metal and heat-affected zones.

This article provides an overview of nondestructive test methods and their application in the study of material properties and structures. It covers the most widely used NDT technologies, including optical examination, radiography, acoustic emission, and ultrasonic testing, and discusses the impact of recent advancements.

This article reports on the development of additive friction stir deposition techniques that use secondary feedstocks such as machine chips and damaged components to make in-field repairs at the point of need. The focus of the initial research was aluminum alloys. Preliminary studies show significant promise for the adaptation of these techniques to hard alloys including steel castings, wrought high strength steels, and titanium alloys.