IIMS is delighted to present one of its occasional live, online seminars, this one entitled: Biological attack on iron and steel – a surveyor’s potential nightmare?
Before booking your place please note that this lecture will be given at 11.00 (UK time) on Wednesday 30 October 2019. If you are unable to join live, you are able to request a copy of the video that will be prepared and made available after the event – see below.
Marine surveyors will be familiar with common iron rust whatever form is takes and should not only be able to recognise the five different types of electro-chemical on sight and understand the conditions that cause the problem, but also know how to deal with these conditions in order to minimise their deleterious effects on a vessel’s structure. The literature on the subject of electrochemical or galvanic corrosion is enormous. Biological attack is, however, not so widely understood or recognised in the marine world where it generally takes one of two main forms, either macrobiology or microbiology.
Macrobiological attack is the well known phenomenon of mussels, barnacles, slimes, grasses and seaweeds attaching to the hull. These items do not usually cause serious harm to the metal but they can and do slow the boat down and increase the fuel consumption. However, there is a different kind of corrosion which is also found on metal boat hulls, particularly those lying in water containing decaying vegetable matter. Few people it seems are familiar with the problem or that it is caused by microbiological attack. Or, in other words, metal worm, tiny micro-organisms that eat the steel or metal. MIC is a highly unpredictable process but the marine surveyor should realise that, under the influence of micro-organisms, the corrosion processes can happen in a matter of months compared to the years it would take for ordinary abiotic corrosion to reach serious proportions. The impact and cost implications can be enormous and an estimated 20% of all corrosion damage is caused by micro-organisms, yet little seems to be known about the subject.
Retired, veteran marine surveyor and Past IIMS President, Eur Ing Jeffrey Casciani-Wood, has studied this phenomenon for a number of years and will present this essential online lecture live from the IIMS offices.
The cost is £35 to include a copy of the video that will be made of the lecture and sent after the event.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.
