The occurrence of corrosion and its control is an area of study covering a wide range of practical and scientific knowledge. Science provides a medium for the communication of ideas, developments and research in all aspects of this field.
But, how does one get the message across. Amongst others, one is through journals such as ours, and the other through conferences and expositions.
This month September sees two major conferences. One is CORCON 2017, said to be the largest corrosion event in Asia, and the other one by SSPC India titled New Vistas in Surface Engineering and Corrosion Protection Strategies. The research papers discussed range from highly theoretical to the essentially practical and forms an important link between metallurgists, materials scientists, academia and most important of all the industry and the government.
Our current issue’s main story is on research being done in various parts of the world. The world-renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking once said: “No one undertakes research in physics with the intention of winning a prize. It is the joy of discovering something no one knew before.”
It is this desire that drives researchers throughout the world: to discover something new. India knew about corrosion resistance centuries ago. The iron pillar of Delhi is a 7 m column in the Qutb complex in Delhi, India. The pillar has attracted the attention of archaeologists and corrosion technologists as it has withstood corrosion for the last 1600 years.
In this issue, our main story is on some of the research being done around the world in the field of coatings and corrosion mitigation. One example is on the research being done to combat corrosion in demanding environments at the University of Manchester, while another one is on the creation of a new ceramic coating that heats up the chances of hypersonic travel.
Besides this, we have our regular features and columns, case studies, educational features, new technologies, etc., that should be stimulating. Happy reading!