As existing remedies offer only temporary reprieve, industries look for technically better and commercially viable solutions to deal with corrosion, Executive Director of BHEL-Tiruchi A.V.Krishnan said in Tiruchi on Monday.
In 75 per cent of cases, industries are unable to fix the problems due to insufficient information. Corrosion affects several industries in transport, petroleum, manufacturing, power and other sectors, resulting in loss of several thousands of crores of rupees, Mr.Krishnan said, inaugurating a colloquium on ‘Corrosion Control and Surface Engineering-Current R & D / Industrial Scenario,’ at the National Institute of Technology-Tiruchi (NIT-T).
The NIT-T’s Centre of Excellence in Corrosion and Surface Engineering (CECASE) has designed the three one-day colloquium as a platform for discussion and sharing of knowledge on various applications for corrosion control. Better research in institutions, he believed, will bring down the problems caused by human factor: lack of knowledge and insufficient control.
Citing statistics, Mr.Krishnan who inaugurated the colloquium along with the Secretary of MHRD Ashok Thakur said there was scope to bring down annual loss to the extent of Rs.80,000 crore due to corrosion by at least 25 per cent. Storage of materials was an important area, particularly for power equipment manufacturers who utilise imported pipes and tubes that develop rust during the course of sea voyage.
Mr.Krishnan who inaugurated the colloquium along with the Secretary-Higher Education of Ministry of Human Resource Development Ashok Thakur released the colloquium souvenir and CD in the presence of NIT-T Director S.Sundarrajan and CECASE Chairman S.Natarajan.
The NIT-T succeeded in enlisting Mr.Ashok Thakur’s participation through video-conferencing facility between the Institute and MHRD, New Delhi. The function was the first in NIT-T to be inaugurated through video-conferencing, Prof.Sundarrajan said in his presidential address.
The facility, he explained, obviates the need for industry specialists to physically visit the institute for interacting with students. Prof.Sundarrajan assured that the CECASE, in partnership with Karaikudi-based CECRI (Central Electrochemical Research Institute), will rank among the best international centres of excellence over the next few years.
