April - May 2018

This is our eighth anniversary issue. When we began producing C&ACER in the summer of 2010, we had few resources, but we were fueled mainly by dreams and inspiration. Since then, the journal has seen remarkable growth, both in size and in reputation.  The resources followed, thankfully. We owe a debt of gratitude to the many people who supported us along the way. Certainly, we owe a debt of gratitude to the many contributors who have submitted their fine work and, doing so, furthered our mission of a corrosion ‘mukt’ world. Most of all, we are thankful for our many advertisers and subscribers who sustain us and nurture our project. We hope we have and will continue to carve out a space for just this kind of engagement.

As we walk into a new year, many of us reflect on the journeys, both actual and metaphorical, that we have made in our lives. In this issue, our focus is on marine coatings. The demand for marine coatings is anticipated to remain buoyant the coming years due to increasing emphasis on the impact of corrosion on ships and the subsequent rise in fuel consumption.  Though, the new shipbuilding industry has been experiencing sluggish growth of late, the rising demand for marine coatings during ship repair and maintenance activities is likely to boost market growth during the forecast period. For example, in India, state-run Cochin Shipyard is setting up a 42-acre international ship repair facility at Cochin Port. On the other hand, a joint venture involving Saudi Aramco has kicked off construction work at a new shipyard on Saudi Arabia’s east coast. The nearly 12 million sqm facility is planned to have an annual capacity to manufacture four offshore rigs and over 40 vessels, including three very large crude carriers. This of course, besides our regular features, columns, case studies, company profiles, interviews, new products and industry related news.

I sincerely hope that C&ACER continues to serve the entire coatings and anti corrosion community well and this journal will be the main vehicle of presenting ideas and research work in the area.

Jolly Lonappan
Editor-in-Chief