Welcome to the Corrosionpedia News Roundup! The News Roundup is where Corrosionpedia finds the most important and most recent corrosion-related news and summarizes it neatly for our audience. In this early June installment, we take a look at several failures that were caused by corrosion. This includes a fatal bridge collapse in India, a huge natural gas leak in Los Angeles, and a costly recall for a large automaker. Also highlighted are several new products that prevent corrosion, and we go to the Great Lakes to get news about a remedy for corrosion concerns in North America’s largest freshwater source.
Mazda Recalls Nearly 50,000 Vehicles
The Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to recall roughly 49,000 of its 2011-2013 Mazda6 sedans because of corrosion concerns. According to officials, components in the front of the car that connect parts of the vehicle's suspension may have received an inadequate coating application. In salty conditions or other corrosive environments, this could cause the connecting component to fail, which in turn could cause steering issues potentially resulting in an accident. There have been no reports of incidents caused by the corrosion concern, but drivers should see Mazda’s website for more information.
Worst Natural Gas Leak in U.S. History Caused by Corrosion
A recent report revealed more details about the largest natural gas leak in the history of the United States: the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage plant leak in Los Angeles that began in 2015. The report, conducted by a private company that was hired by California officials, revealed that some of the storage vessels were corroded due to contact with groundwater. This water, filled with microorganisms, caused microbiologically influenced corrosion to compromise the integrity of the metallic natural gas container.
The report found that although Southern California Gas, the owner of the facility, complied with regulations at the time, more could have been done to prevent and monitor corrosion.
New Rust-preventing Product Shows Promise
A new liquid has been formulated to prevent rust in tool and die applications. The liquid, known as EcoAir Tool & Die Rust Preventative, was recently created by the Cortec Corporation. It is applied by a spray method. What is special about EcoAir Tool & Die's formulation is that it is not flammable. The rust preventative also does not require post-application cleaning, unlike some other oil products that prevent rust. The rust-preventing EcoAir product was developed for a special application to move large molds across continents and while protecting the molds from corrosion and water exposure.
Deadly Bridge Collapse in India Blamed on Corrosion
A report released last week found that a deadly bridge collapse in Mumbai, India was caused by corrosion. The collapse of the Himalaya Bridge occurred on March 14, 2019, and took the lives of 7 individuals and injured 30 more. Upon inspection over the last few months, it was determined that certain areas of the Himalaya Bridge had corroded from 15 millimeters to just 2 millimeters prior to fracturing. Several engineers involved in the structural auditing process have been arrested for crimes relating to negligence. The report claims that the bridge inspection intervals were not followed adequately.
New Pipeline Construction in Great Lakes Expedited
Pipeline owning company Enbridge said in a statement on May 30th that it could potentially complete a new pipeline to go in between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron earlier than expected. The pipeline is meant to replace the existing Line 5 pipeline, which is being decommissioned due to concerns about corrosion. The expedited plan states that construction could begin in 2021, and the new pipeline could be operational by 2024. The original plan was for construction to take 7 to 10 years, but Enbridge now says that as long as the permitting process goes as planned, the completion will be quicker.
The existing line currently runs through an area known as the Straits of Mackinac that connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. The replacement line will run through these straits as well.
New Battery Coating
A new coating development shows great potential to decrease corrosion on lithium ion batteries. The Argonne National Laboratory, run by the United States Department of Energy, recently discovered the breakthrough that has the potential to better protect the cathodes of lithium ion batteries. The polymer coating is applied through a process known as oxidative chemical vapor deposition. The special coating applied with this process not only protects the exterior of the lithium ion battery cathode from corrosion, but also has the ability to protect the interior of the cathode as well. The coating does an excellent job preventing corrosion and still allows the flow of electrons to occur, which is what a lithium ion battery requires to function properly.