Foreword

Enhancing the life of structures and engineered materials, while protecting the environment and public safety, is one of the paramount technological challenges for our nation and the world. Corrosion related problems span a wide spectrum of materials and systems that impact our daily lives, such as aging aircraft, high-rise structures, railroads, automobiles, ships, pipelines, and many others. According to a study conducted in 1998, the total direct and indirect cost of corrosion to the United States alone exceeds $550 billion per year. While major technological advances have been made during the last three decades, numerous new innovations need to be made in the coming years. ASM International is pleased to publish ASM Handbook, Volume 13B, Corrosion: Materials, the second book in a three-volume revision of the landmark 1987 Metals Handbook, 9th Edition volume on corrosion. The information from the 1987 Volume has been revised, updated, and expanded to address the needs of the members of ASM International and the technical community for current and comprehensive information on the physical, chemical, and electrochemical reactions between specific materials and environments. Since the time the 1987 Corrosion volume was published, knowledge of materials and corrosion has grown, which aids the material selection process. Engineered systems have grown in complexity, however, making the effects of subtle changes in material performance more significant.

ASM International continues to be indebted to the Editors, Stephen D. Cramer and Bernard S. Covino, Jr., who had the vision and the drive to undertake the huge effort to update and revise the 1987 Corrosion volume. ASM Handbook, Volume 13A, Corrosion: Fundamentals, Testing, and Protection, published in 2003, is the cornerstone of their effort. The project will be completed with the publication of ASM Handbook, Volume 13C, Corrosion: Environments and Industries, in 2006. The Editors have brought together experts from across the globe making this an international effort. Contributors to the corrosion Volumes represent Australia, Belgium, Canada, Crete, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as well as the United States. The review, revisions, and technical oversight of the Editors, have added greatly to this body of knowledge.

We thank the authors and reviewers of the 1987 Corrosion volume, which at the time was the largest, most comprehensive volume on a single topic ever published by ASM. This new edition builds upon that groundbreaking project. Thanks also go to the members of the ASM Handbook Committee for their oversight and involvement, and to the ASM editorial and production staff for their tireless efforts.

We are especially grateful to the over 120 authors and reviewers listed in the next several pages. Their willingness to invest their time and effort and to share their knowledge and experience by writing, rewriting, and reviewing articles has made this Handbook an outstanding source of information.