High School Science Students Receive
NACE International Awards

One way the NACE Foundation assists educators in bringing corrosion technology into the classroom is by sponsoring awards for science fairs. The Foundation also helps with:

• Grants to allow for corrosion science-related classroom experiences
• A speaker?s bureau to relate educational and career opportunities in corrosion science
• Teacher workshops and material

International Science and Engineering Fair Winners 2002
First Award: $500
Bethran Chinedu Nnorom

?Analysis of electromotive force released in an iron half-cell for cathodic protected pipeline testing?
Catholic High School, Huntsville, AL

The purpose of this experiment was to develop a method using electromotive force to test the stability of cathodic protecton (CP) pipelines. The initial idea was to determine the effect of alternating principle reduction potentials on the release of electromotive force, emf, in an iron half-cell. Further research into corrosion protection in popes and their relation to electromotive force led to the formation of a simple way to achieve performance testing.

Electromotive force was determined by the Nernst equation and voltmeter readings. Hydrochloric acid and lemon juice were used as test solutions. Electromotive force was measured in the first part of experimentation finding the effects of molar concentration, temperature, corrosion methods and increase or decrease over time. The standard reduction potential for iron -.44 V was found to decrease when there was corrosion.

In the second part of experimentation water samples were collected 10, 20, and 30 feet from and below a submerged CP pipeline. The results for this experiment were improvised utilizing 1M of hydrochloric acid (HCl). Use of HCl produced corrosion two weeks into testing. The emf in the water samples increased as it moved away and below the pipe.

This project found the effects of alternating potentials on emf release and a simple way to test CP pipes by finding emf patterns.

Second Award: $300
Danielle D. Nangle

?Converting Carbon Directly into Electricity?
South Fork High School, Stuart, Florida

Purpose ? The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate a new technology fuel cell that can convert carbon directly into electricity.

Hypothesis ? A molten salt carbon fuel cell can convert carbon directly into electricity without combustion and associated emissions.

Procedures ? Conduct research on carbon fuel cells Identify concepts for cell design
Plan the experiments Purchase and obtain supplies and equipment
Design, build, and test functioning carbon fuel cells
Vary the cell design and chemistry and measure the differences in output voltage
Design ? The cells use firebrick ceramic shell and stainless steel cathode and anode
The cells were filled with a mixture of carbon powder and salt
Testing ? The assembled cell was put into a small lab furnace and heated to 900 degrees C. Cell output voltage was measured with a voltmeter

Data/Results ? Five cells were built and tested. Four cells produced voltage but cracked during testing due to mechanical problems. The fifth cell did not crack and was successfully tested to a maximum of 1.584 volts.

Conclusions ? I conclude that this project was successful. After solving some mechanical problems wit ell construction, my simple carbon fuel ell converted carbon directly into electricity. This is a demonstration of a technology that could help reduce toxic and carbon dioxide emissions.  

Third Award: $200
Isaac E. Lloyd

?A Hydroquinone Electrochemical Cell?
Ogden High School, Ogden, UT

This project attempted to demonstrate the feasibility of an electrochemical cell in which hydroquinone is oxidized to quinine in one half reaction, while some oxidizing agent, possibly hydrogen peroxide, is reduced in another.

After a number of failures, progress was made on the sixth cell. About a 10% yield of the product, benzoquinone, was recovered. The electrodes seemed to be inefficient, as well as the salt bride, so improvements were made on the later cells, notably the use of platinum electrodes and acidifying the solution. Some direct syntheses were also done to verify the production of quinine. One of these attempts, using sodium iodate as the oxidizing agent, had not been reported in the recent literature. It gave a high yield, +90%, of benzoquinone. This synthesis was then implemented successfully in a cell. A 75.9% yield of benzoquinone was recovered, though some quinine may have been lost in the extraction process.

Though the electrochemical oxidation of hdryoquinone and reduction of iodate (or hydrogen peroxide) are known, as are the reverse reactions, evidently no one has tried to use this system as an energy source. In theory, it could be a useful Galvanic cell and indirect hydrogen-storage system. One, it requires relatively low-mass starting materials in aqueous solution. Two, it is potentially waste-free and environmentally friendly (depending on the oxidizing agent). And three, it is reversible and thus rechargeable.

International Science and Engineering Fair Winners 2001
First Award: $500
Oleg Igorevich Shamovsky

?It?s a trap ? Anomalies of the electrolytic oxidation of aluminum?
Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Anomalous oxidative processes in the electrolytic cells containing neutral aqueous electrolytes are observed when using aluminum electrodes. The first anomaly is the alkali metal-mediated oxidation of aluminum electrodes. The mechanism of this process includes the reduction of the protective oxide coating of aluminum (known as corundum) by atomic states of alkali metals, which unclashes the oxidation of unprotected aluminum by water. The ability of alkali metals to catalyze cathodic oxidation of aluminum is found to be determined by their atomic size rather than by chemical reactivity, and increases in the following sequence: Li<<NA<K<CS<RB. The results obtained suggest that the formation of the physical coordination complex of alkali metal atoms with oxygen ions within the corundum. The second anomaly is the drastic decrease of the direct electric current by physical coordination processes on the surface of the aluminum anode. It is found that electric resistance is enormously increased when using sulfates as electrolytes. The obtained results suggest that the particles of the oxidized form of sulfate anion are physically incorporated into the cleft within the corundum lattice, thereby preventing the access of anionic species of the electrolyte to the aluminum atoms of the anode. Summarizing, the surface of metallic aluminum represents a regular 2D network of traps for neutral species of appropriate sizes. Entrapment of these species by the corundum lattice leads to anomalous electrochemical properties of the aluminum electrodes.

Second Award: $300
Benjamin James Pernezny

 ?The Effectiveness of Environmentally Safe Coatings for the Inhibition of Corrosion of Steel in Aggressive Marine Conditions?
Wellington Community High School, Wellington, Florida

This project explores various methods of improving the environmental properties of industrial marine coatings. In an effort to reduce VOC pollution, water-borne acrylic latex coatings were explored as alternatives to oil-based coatings. Nontoxic infinitive pigments were explored as substitutes for the traditional lead and hexavalent chromium-based inhibitors. Samples of cold-0rolled steel were cut into coupons of uniform surface area and coated with alkyd and latex primers pigmented with xero-valent zinc, 316-L stainless steel, zinc phosphate, stannous oxide, and weighed again. When used without an inhibitor, the performance of the acrylic latex coating was far inferior to that of the oil-based alkyd coating. The use of zinc and 316-L stainless steel as inhibiting pigments in small concentrations also proved to be ineffective. When used in higher concentrations, zero-valent zinc and a 1:1 combination of zinc and zinc phosphate substantially enhanced the corrosion-resistant properties of the acrylic latex coating to match the performance of the oil-based alkyd coating, Zinc phosphate alone proved ineffective as an inhibitor, as did the oxides of tin.

Third Award: $200
Hwang George

 ?Can Acoustical Methods be Used to Detect and Characterize Corrosion? Phase II?
Carman-Ainsworth High School, Flint, Michigan

The hypothesis was made that the Resonant Frequency method would be able to detect and characterize corrosion for different engineering materials. This hypothesis was based on the physical model and the fact that corrosion influences both the properties and mass of the materials as well as on resonant frequency.

The purpose of the Phase II of the study is to further prove there is a relationship between corrosion and resonant frequency. The hope of developing a novel and sensitive method for detecting corrosion was also the purpose of further experimentation.

The steps taken in Phase II were completed according to ASTM standards. Each test specimens for the hot cold rolled steel, stainless steel and concrete were measured using two different forced vibrations methods: the Mechanical and Electromagnetic methods. The regression equation between resonant frequency and elapsed time of corrosion was found for those materials. The elapsed time of corrosion for hot and cold dolled steel was one hundred and twenty three days; for the stainless steel seventy; and for concrete fifty-eight. The range of the correlation coefficient for the steel was ?0.46 to ?0.93 and for concrete ?0.43. Simultaneously the correlation coefficient for the standard method, Mass loss was in the range ?0.21 to 0.111 for steel.

Experimental data supported the hypotheses proving the resonant frequency method is sensitive enough to detect and characterize corrosion, and showed this method can be used to find which variable, physical properties or mass loss, was influenced by corrosion.

International Science and Engineering Fair Winners 2000
First Award: $500
Ashvin Kumar Dewan

?Conducting Corrosion - A Study of Solution Porperties, Part III?
Hightower High School, Missouri City, Texas

Appropriate metallurgy (Part I), filming Inhibitors (Part II) and neutralizer inhibitors (Part III) are popular corrosion mitigation techniques. Metallurgy upgrades are expensive. Filmers provide physical barriers between the metal and solution. Neutralizers decrease acidity of process fluids. In Part III, I examined neutralizer amines ? ammonia, monoethanol amine, diethanol amine, 3-methoxy propyl amine and dimethylethanol ? and resulting hydrochloride salt corrosivity. In crude-tower overheads, the salt?s protonated amine causes corrosion.

In static cells, with defined metallurgy, geometry and temperature. I hypothesized that protonated amine diffusion controlled corrosion. The Nernst Equation relates diffusivity to infinite dilution conductance, viscosity and density. I extended the equation to finite composition using actual conductance and theorized that corrosion would be strongly correlated with these solution properties. This study focuses on measuring solution properties and corrosion rates of amine salts and testing my hypothesis to predict the corrosion rate from solution properties. The latter are measured easily; corrosion experiments are laborious and expensive.

For this study, NH4Cl and DEA*CL were studied at length; other hydrochlorides were included for comparison. There is a strong relationship between corrosion and solution properties. Corrosion and conductance increased with temperature; viscosity and density decreased with temperature. Surprisingly, there is a maximum in corrosion rate versus composition, which migrates right at elevated temperatures. Solution properties can be used to screen neutralizers.

Second Award: $300
Stephanie M. Gleason

 ?Continuing the Search for Corrosion Inhibitors in Tobacco?III?
Southeastern High School, South Charleston, OH

Previous research suggests that a compound in tobacco inhibits corrosion of steel. Evidence has pointed to a pyridine compound, possibly nicotine. It is hypothesized that nicotine inhibits corrosion of steel. In this study pure nicotine in various concentrations (0.1% to 0.8%) was combined with steel shavings and observed for up to 18 hours. Since oxygen is consumed in the corrosion of metals, an oxygen probe was used to compare dissolved oxygen (DO) vs. time in water, steel + water, and steel + nicotine. During the experiment soluble iron (ferrous and ferric) was tested from samples using a colorimetric iron test kit. Finally absorbance spectra were determined using a UV-vis spectrophotometer for each test condition. Results showed oxygen was consumed when steel and water were combined and rust was visible on the steel. However, with increasing concentrations of nicotine oxygen consumption decreased and visible rust decreased to near zero. Iron concentrations also correlated well with the nicotine concentrations, showing less iron in solutions with increasing nicotine concentrations. The absorbance spectral data further supported the nicotine inhibition hypothesis and provided data showing the rust-inhibiting concentrations to be above 0.1% nicotine. Alkaloid compounds such as nicotine have been identified in tobacco and are known to have antioxidant activity. Previous chromatography data, combined with the present study strongly suggest that nicotine inhibits the corrosion of steel.

Third Award: $200
Benjamin Pernezny

 ?Optimizing Corrosion Resistance of Cupric and Ferrous Alloys Using Cathodic Protection?
Welling High School, Wellington, Florida

This project was conducted to determine the effectiveness and economic feasibility of cathodic protection as a method of reducing corrosion in cupric and ferrous alloys. Zinc was used as the sacrificial anode, coupled with either cartridge brass or cold rolled steel. Samples of brass and steel were cut to a size of 3 cm by 5 cm. Since samples were cut such as that a certain ration of surface area was obtained. For a 1:8 treatment, for example, the zinc would be cut such that the surface area of the zinc was 1/8 that of the cathode (brass or steel). Ratios of 1:8, 1:4,3:8, 1:2, 3:4, and 1:1 were used. Each sample of zinc was connected using aluminum wire to a sample of brass or steel. The anode and cathode couple was placed in a beaker with 150 ml of seawater. The beakers were placed on a platform shaker to simulate a high water velocity environment. The metals were exposed to seawater constantly for 28 days. The samples were removed, dried, and weighed. The sample weights were compared with the weights before experimentation. Without any protection, the steel samples lost an average of 7.92% of the original weights, and the brass lost an average of 1.39 %. With a sample attached of ratio 1:8, the weight loss plummeted to 0.41% in steel, and 0.02% in brass. The steel continued to lose less as the size ratios increased, and the weight of the brass samples increased as the size ratios increased. The most efficient ratio seemed to be at the 1:2 ratio, where steel only lost an average of 0.12% and the brass gained an average of 0.59%.

NACE International Awards 1998
First Award: $500
Christina Salazar

?Anti-Fouling Paint and Sea Urchin Fertility?
Keystone School, San Antonio, Texas

The purpose of this project is to determine whether various anti-fouling paints, including those made to cause less damage, will inhibit the fertility rate, sperm motility, and normal development of sea urchin embryos.

Fiberglass panels were painted with four anti-fouling paints, allowed to cure, and then exposed to saltwater for varying lengths of the time. Quantofix test strips and a colometric kit were used to measure the presence of copper in each solution. After three days of resting in saltwater, the panels? leaching of copper stabilized at 3-4 ppm. Fertilization and embryo development were allowed to occur in paint leachate and in copper solutions of 4 and 8 ppm. Photographs were taken after 2 hours and 24 hours. Fresh sperm were diluted in the paint and copper solutions and examined until movement ceased. Time of motility was recorded. Painted panels were agitated in saltwater for ten days, yielding over 100 ppm of copper. All results were statistically analyzed and found to be highly significant. Results indicated that all paints, including those advertised as environmentally friendly, inhibited fertility and normal development and reduced the duration of sperm motility, that copper us the source of this inhibition and that very low concentrations of paint leachate and copper cause the effect. 

Second Award: $300
Lee Lude

?The Effect of Cathodic and Barrier Protection on the Corrosion Resistance of Steel?
Michigan City High School, Michigan City, Indiana

The purpose of the project is to determine what effect the zinc coating thickness had on the formation of red rust and if the addition of a barrier coating (paint) further improved steel?s resistance to corrosion.

Accelerated tests are common in corrosion engineering, the most popular being the ?salt fog.? A salt fog test was run for both painted and unpainted samples. All data was visually, graphically, and x-ray analyzed to reveal any tendency or correlation and to chemically identify the corrosion products observed.

Results of my testing showed that as the zinc coating thickness increased the time to red rust also increased and the amount of red rust observed decreased. The addition of a barrier (paint) coating did extend the time for red rust formation on all zinc coated specimens, but not for the cold rolled specimen.

This project did result in enough evidence to prove my hypothesis true. Increasing the zinc coating thickness will improve the corrosion resistance of unpainted steel sheets. The addition of paint to zinc coated steel sheets will further increase the corrosion resistance.

Third Award: $200
Stephanie Gleason

?The Alternative Use for Tobacco! In Search of Corrosion Inhibitors?
Southeastern High School, South Charleston, OH

The purpose of the study was to build upon research done at the University of Maryland Dental School indicating that less corrosion of metal fillings was observed in people who chew tobacco and to determine the active corrosion inhibitor compound.

Extract from tobacco leaves did inhibit rust formation on steel wool. Knowing that oxygen is consumed when rust is formed, an oxygen meter with a dissolved oxygen sensor was used. Dissolved oxygen was measured over time in each of 4 BOD bottles (water, water + steel wool, tobacco extract, and tobacco extract + steel wool). Results showed that when metal and water are together the DO levels drop dramatically and the color of the solution becomes very dark. This suggests that a chemical reaction possibly related to rust inhibition occurs at the surface of the metal. Using the solution from the experiments described above, all four samples were extracted with methylene chloride. Then using a gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer the samples were analyzed for appearance or disappearance of compounds. The results showed that a nicotine-like compound appeared to be significantly higher in the test solution (T-extract + steel wool) than in the control solution (tobacco extract alone). Whether this compound inhibits rust has not been determined, but rather results indicate that it may be a by-product of the chemical reaction involved in rust inhibition. Further separation and identification studies continue in these preliminary studies to identify the corrosion inhibitor.