Adjunct Associate Professor
Paul Schweinsberg

Biography

Research theme: Energy
Research discipline: Chemistry
Research area

• Corrosion Polarization Curves

Corrosion polarisation curves can be difficult to interpret because the experimental curve is a composite one incorporating both the anodic and cathodic corrosion reactions. The team has used the appropriate thermodynamic and kinetic parameters inserted into the relevant mathematical functions to synthesise the true cathodic and anodic curves for the iron corrosion system. These curves are then combined to give the approximate synthesised experimental curve which is then matched to the experimental one. Finally, the matched curve is deconvoluted to show the true anodic and cathodic components (SYMADEC). The team has applied the programme to the corrosion of iron, carbon and low-alloy steels (Corrosion Science, 47 (2005) 3034).
Associate Professor Schweinsberg is currently using the above approach to study the corrosion of a zinc sacrificial anode alloy, and has a paper currently before referees in the journal Corrosion Science.

• Cathodic Protection

Associate Professor Schweinsberg is studying the Zn-Fe galvanic couple in saline solution. Different zinc alloys used as sacrificial anodes are under investigation.