Corrosion is the deterioration process of a material due to reactions with
its surroundings. As defined in the Random House Unabridged Dictionary:
‘Corrosion is the act or process of eating or wearing away gradually as if
by gnawing, especially by a chemical action.’ The materials that are subject
to corrosion include metals, ceramics, polymers, and even our own teeth.
To most corrosion engineers, however, corrosion refers to the oxidation of
metals by chemical and/or electrochemical processes. The most common
example of metal corrosion relates to its reaction with oxygen or water.
Rusting of steel due to exposure to water or humid air is a well-known
example of electrochemical corrosion. In this process, the metal reacts with
water or oxygen and forms iron oxides, eventually causing damage to the
steel. The following sections describe the importance of corrosion monitoring
and the scope of this book.