Corrosion Resistance of Copper and Copper Alloys
A wide variety of copper alloys are used in a range of applications. As well as good mechanical properties, the excellent electrical conductivity and thermal conduction are reasons copper alloys are deployed in many industrial fields. Copper plays a role in electronic and electrical applications and all forms of heat transfer. In automobiles as well as in houses copper could not be replaced. In the sanitary industry copper and brass are well established, for example, drinking water pipes have been used for decades without problems.
While the corrosion resistance of copper and its alloys is excellent in unpolluted air and drinking water, corrosion rates in impure environments can be much higher and lead to severe material damage. Corrosion is a system property, so it is important to find the right copper material with regard to the environmental conditions it will be exposed to.
This handbook highlights the limitations of the use of copper and its alloys in various corrosive solutions and provides vital information on corrosion protection measures.
Alkaline Earth Chlorides
alkaline Earth Hydroxides
Ammonia and Ammonium Hydroxide
Benzene and Benzene Homologues
Carboxylic Acid Esters
Chlorine and Chlorinated Water
Fluorine, Hydrogen Fluoride, Hydrofluoric Acid
Hot Oxidizing Gases
Ralf Feser, born in 1960, studied materials sciences at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg from 1980 to 1986, and then joined the Max-Planck Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf. He received his doctorate in engineering sciences from the University of Clausthal-Zellerfeld in 1990, after which he worked for several years at the Metallgesellschaft. In 1996 he was appointed professor for corrosion technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Iserlohn, a position he still holds. Since 2005 he has also been one of the CEOs at the Institute for Maintenance and Corrosion Protection in Iserlohn, a board member at the Society for Corrosion Protection (GfKORR) and convenor of the working party on "corrosion and corrosion protection of copper alloys". Professor Feser is also head of the research board at the Hot Dip Galvanizing Organisation, and a member of several other organisations dealing with corrosion on a national or international level.
Roman Bender, born in 1971, studied chemistry at the Justus Liebig University of Giessen from 1992 to 1997. He received his doctorate in natural sciences from the Technical University of Aachen (RWTH Aachen) in 2001. After receiving his diploma he joined the Karl Winnacker Institute of the DECHEMA in Frankfurt (Main) as a research associate, where he has been head of the materials and corrosion group since 2000, and editor-in-chief of the world's largest corrosion data collection, the DECHEMA Werkstofftabelle and the Corrosion Handbook. In 2008 Dr. Bender was appointed CEO of the GfKORR - the Society for Corrosion Protection.
“This book should be available in areas where applications of cooper materials are desired and/or common practice, serving there as reference book and discussion base. Also for investigation and analysis of damage cases this host of data and information is a useful tool for systematic working.” (Materials and Corrosion, 1 August 2013)