ACCORDING to the World Corrosion Organization, corrosion around the globe causes damage of $2.5trn annually, which is about 3% of the world’s GDP.

The Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), a global community of professionals dedicated to protection through the advancement of corrosion control and protective coatings, has quantified maritime’s share of the damage bill.

A study attributed to the AMPP’s antecedents (Nace International and SSPC) released in 2016 estimated the total cost of marine corrosion worldwide was between $50bn-$80bn.

An online search for “corrosion in ships” returned 48.3m results in just seconds. A search for “books on corrosion of ships” returned 35.8m results.

It seems a great deal has been written and published on the subject, yet the problem continues to loom large in the lives of shipowners, fleet managers, shipbuilders, shiprepair yards, chief engineers, superintendents, captains, naval architects and others who oversee the protection of ships’ hulls and running gear. Corrosion is their main enemy.

Books about corrosion are usually thick, heavy volumes, full of chemical and mathematical formulae, theories, and hypotheses. They are not usually tomes to be cracked open for handy remedial info by a ship superintendent or engineer who has a ship in drydock and a (yet again) badly corroded rudder.

In that regard, the Corrosion Handbook breaks with tradition.

First, it is rather thin (54 pages in total), attractively and spaciously laid out with plenty of photos and illustrations. Second, there is no theory whatsoever in the book. It is entirely practical. It describes important problems and gives immediate solutions, showing where and when those solutions have been applied and with what result. It is widely regarded as easy to read and understand.

The book is divided into two sections. The first lists and gives examples of specific problem areas on and in ships. This includes areas prone to cavitation erosion and corrosion, such as rudders and thruster tunnels, parts of the ship subject to chemical corrosion including scrubbers and tanks, and those areas that are often the victim of abrasion and wear resulting in corrosion, such as decks and boottops. Examples and illustrations of each are given.

The second part of the book lays out coating-based solutions for each of the above. These are not theoretical. They are not complicated. They are simple, practical, proven ways to deal effectively with the problem which, from experience, work every time.

Again, lots of specific cases are given with photos and direct feedback from those who have had success with these solutions.

The original handbook was expanded in the second printing to include a section on protecting propellers from corrosion, a subject which has gone back and forth over the years. This new section describes one proven way to protect propellers from cavitation damage.

The solutions that have been shown to work are based on the premise that if the steel or other substrate is completely protected and insulated against all corrosive factors in the environment, corrosion will be prevented. The real question is how one can achieve that degree of long-lasting protection. The Corrosion Handbook has answers, at least for specific cases.

The Corrosion Handbook, authored by Subsea Industries CEO Boud Van Rompay, is available free of charge to anyone in the maritime field who requests a copy.

If you would like a free copy, send your request to [email protected] and provide your company name and your position in the company, or a relevant industry affiliation, plus a postal address. You will receive your copy of the handbook by post.