The Future Focus of Corrosion Rate Monitoring Sensors

The Future Focus of Corrosion Rate Monitoring Sensors
Addressing global warming should not be about limiting production processes or increasing costs to reduce environmental impact; rather, it should involve taking proactive measures to drive the next wave of economic growth. We are in a transformative era that will pave the way for future progress.
Corrosion causes structural damage and shortens service life, necessitating reconstruction and repairs while leading to material loss and reduced energy efficiency—all of which generate significant additional carbon emissions. Approximately 25–33% of global steel production is used to replace components damaged by corrosion, accounting for 1.6–3.4% of total global CO₂ emissions.
Electrochemical corrosion occurs in environments involving the atmosphere, rainwater, salt spray, and soil. Since corrosion is an electrochemical process, monitoring it involves more than just simple thickness measurements.
While design and protection strategies—such as increasing concrete density, thickening the protective cover, using carbonation- or chloride-resistant concrete, and employing corrosion inhibitors, long-lasting coatings, hot-dip galvanizing, or cathodic protection—can reduce average annual carbon emissions over the structure's lifecycle...
...introducing corrosion monitoring allows for early intervention against deterioration and prevents premature structural failure. Electrochemical corrosion sensors offer precision, simplicity, and relatively low costs.
Electrochemical corrosion analysis involves predicting the behavior of lightweight materials and managing maintenance in infrastructure sectors. There is a growing demand for more efficient detection methods and extended service lives. Meeting these demands requires an accurate understanding of corrosion progression. We need a system capable of investigating issues, implementing countermeasures, proposing solutions, and managing the entire process. Establishing such technologies requires various sensors to monitor, diagnose, and gather the necessary data for countermeasures. The ACM (Atmospheric Corrosion Monitor)—which analyzes the relationship between droplet characteristics, environmental parameter fluctuations, and corrosion rates—can determine the time of wetness, sea salt deposition, and corrosion rates.
Corrosion is driven by changes in environmental parameters and intrinsic corrosion factors (such as potential, galvanic effects, and crevice conditions). Therefore, we simulate and measure data regarding single-alloy corrosion (free corrosion), dissimilar material corrosion (galvanic corrosion), surface contaminants, air temperature, and relative humidity.
Cathodic protection is not used in the splash zone of offshore monopiles. Structural integrity relies entirely on the coating; impedance—a phenomenon occurring at the electrode/electrolyte interface—can be analyzed across different frequencies to assess coating degradation and electrochemical processes at the metal-coating interface. Regarding coating performance—specifically barrier properties across primer, intermediate, and top layers—micro-cracks can compromise shielding or barrier capabilities. The coating capacitance ($C_{dl}$), or double-layer capacitance, serves as a metric for loss of coating adhesion. Charge transfer resistance ($R_{ct}$) relates to the kinetics of the corrosion process and is inversely proportional to the corrosion rate.
My work focuses on simulating atmospheric corrosion (considering both environmental and intrinsic corrosion parameters) and coating degradation. By analyzing environmental and corrosion factors—such as potential, galvanic effects, and crevice corrosion—we can predict and mitigate corrosion rates for future infrastructure and optimize coating formulations. This is the context for my development of electrochemical corrosion monitoring sensors...

Without the backing of a prestigious reputation or "halo effect," it is highly unlikely to secure sponsorship, and there is likely little to no market for this in China...