Punjab University (PU) Institute of Metallurgy & Materials Engineering (IMME) hosted a training workshop, organized by Pakistan Advanced Materials Forum (PAMF), on corrosion and its prevention. Faculty of Chemicals & Materials Engineering Dean Prof Dr Abdullah Khan Durrani, PAMF Secretary General Dr Amjed Ali, 50 scientists and engineers from various educational and R&D institutions like PN, SNGPL, IST, PU, KRL, PAEC, EPRF, MTC etc participated in the workshop.
PAMF President Engr Tahir Ikram, while addressing the opening ceremony, has said that like other natural hazards such as earthquakes or severe weather disturbances, corrosion can cause physical and economic loss to national assets, structures and engineering components including daily use appliances. He said that the objective of this workshop was to update the appreciation of corrosion and the awareness of emerging technologies for corrosion control and prevention.
He said that the workshop is intended to focus on the concerns of public safety, damage to property and the environment, as well as saving billions of rupees. He said that through the application of existing or emerging technologies to products or services, advances were being made in all methods for corrosion control: selection, coatings, inhibitors, cathodic protection and design.
Addressing the workshop, Dr Durrani said that the global cost of corrosion was estimated to be US $ 2.5 trillion, which was equivalent to 3.4% of the global GDP (2013). He said that by using the available corrosion control practices, it was estimated that savings of between 15 to 35 % of the cost of corrosion could be realized i.e. between US $ 375 and $ 875 billion annually on a global basis. He hoped that the knowledge the participants would get would be an asset for their organizations and institutions. He added that this faculty has a Corrosion Control Research Cell established in 2000 by renowned professor Dr Ijaz Hussain Khan, who was a pioneer in Pakistan to start corrosion engineering.
PAMF Secretary General Dr Amjed Ali highlighted the scope of the workshop. The 3-day workshop would enable the beginners to establish a solid foundation in corrosion before moving on to advanced topics. He said that exercises, hands-on practical sessions and experiments throughout the course empowered participants to understand the basic concepts and fundamentals important to corrosion. He wished that the participants had a great learning experience and enjoyed the workshop. He expressed his gratitude to the organizers for successfully arranging the workshop on corrosion and its prevention. He said that the realization of this problem and work towards a sound solution was very important for all of us.
