Foreword

ASM International is pleased to publish ASM Handbook, Volume 13A,Corrosion: Fundamentals, Testing, and Protection, the first book in a two-volume revision of the landmark 1987 Metals Handbook, 9th Edition volume on corrosion. ASM Handbook, Volume 13A has been completely revised and updated to address the needs of ASM International members and the global technical community for current and comprehensive information on corrosion principles, evaluation techniques, and protection methods. Advances in material science and corrosion technologies since the 1987 Corrosion volume was published have lessened some of the costs and degradation caused by corrosion. However, the systems that society relies on have increased in complexity during this time, so corrosion can have more far-reaching effects. Corrosion remains a multibillion-dollar problem that confronts nearly every engineer in every industry.

ASM International is indebted to the Co-Chairs and Editors of this Handbook, 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 is the first fruit of their efforts; they are also leading the project to complete ASM Handbook, Volume 13B, Corrosion: Materials, Environments, and Industries, scheduled to publish in 2005. The Editors have done an outstanding job in organizing the project, in recruiting renowned experts to oversee sections and to write or revise articles, and in reviewing every manuscript. We are pleased with their vision to recruit authors from Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Japan, India, and Australia, as well as from the United States. This diverse community of volunteers, sharing their knowledge and experience, make this Volume truly an international effort.

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 ASM Handbook Committee for their oversight and involvement, and to the ASM editorial staff for their tireless efforts.

We are especially grateful to the nearly 200 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.