Page 22 - Corrosion Engineering Principles and Practice

6 C h a p t e r 1 T h e S t u d y o f C o r r o s i o n 7

Corrosion Scientists and Engineers
This group comprises persons who are going to work on the
development of techniques and methods and need to have a good
understanding of the mechanism of corrosion—personnel such as
chemists, metallurgists, physicists, engineers, and so forth who are
carrying out research and teaching in the field of corrosion and
protection. A corrosion training program designed for this group
should focus on the phenomena associated with corrosion and its
prevention in a manner based upon the scientific principles involved.
Besides specific courses and laboratories in corrosion prevention and
control, additional courses in physical chemistry, electrochemistry,
chemical thermodynamics, and physical metallurgy should be
required as prerequisites for the corrosion education.

Corrosion Technologists and Technicians
Corrosion technologists, who must collaborate directly with the
corrosion scientist and engineers, should also have a good
understanding of scientific principles and be capable of applying these
to practical problems. Corrosion technicians are typically qualified to
implement decisions made by the corrosion technologists, or to carry
out experimental work under supervision of a corrosion scientist or an
engineer. Technicians will normally work under supervision, and will
be concerned with design, surveys, inspection, commissioning plant,
control, laboratory and field testing.
A common syllabus could satisfy both the technologists and
technicians groups, but it is apparent that the depth of approach and
emphasis would not be necessarily the same. Thus, in the case of the
technologist a more fundamental approach may be required, and in
addition courses in physical chemistry and physical metallurgy, which
should precede the course on corrosion, will be necessary to enable
the technologist to appreciate the electrochemical and metallurgical
aspects of the subject. On the other hand, the technician will not be
required to go so deeply into theory and emphasis of the general
course should be on the practical aspects of corrosion protection and
on corrosion monitoring and testing.

Operatives
Operatives are the personnel who carry out the actual work in the field
under the supervision of corrosion engineers. For such groups the
training objectives should focus on treatments of the principles
sufficiently to provide a basic knowledge relevant to the special topics
being taught. These courses will be highly specialized and directed to
specific jobs. Special attention will be paid to carrying out the work
effectively and the training supplemented with case studies.
For all active personnel, certification in the field of corrosion and
corrosion prevention is an issue of growing importance because
certification provides confidence in the quality of services provided.