September 2014, Vol. 241, No. 9

Features

New Smart Coatings Detect and Mitigate Corrosion in One Step

An insidious and often invisible enemy is eating away at the bottom line of the oil and gas industry. Corrosion erodes profit margins, and increases the risk of costly equipment failures or environmental disasters. The oil and gas industry spends $7 billion annually on direct corrosion control and repair on liquid oil and gas transmission pipelines alone. Another $1.4 billion a year goes toward protecting or restoring production and exploration infrastructure and equipment. Indirect costs, which can include business interruption, environmental cleanup and legal expenses, can easily double the financial impact of corrosion. Scientists at Battelle fighting back against corrosi