Corrosion Coupons Their Benefit, Significant Limitations, And False Positive Threat To Those That Own, Manage, Or Operate Any Building Property The corrosion of steel piping and its related components is a continuous and virtually unstoppable process. The end product, which is commonly referred to as rust, is simply the result of an electro-chemical reaction through which the higher energy processed metal is slowly reverted back into its naturally occurring chemical form – metal ore. Even with the proper application of available countermeasures, the estimated cost for repairing corroded piping systems in the United States alone stands well in excess of $76 billion annually – making corrosion one of the most potentially damaging losses to any commercial, private, or industrial property next to fire. An estimated one sixth of all steel production worldwide is used to replace corroded metal – much of it at cooling and process water piping systems. Different Testing Methods While various options exist, such as ultrasonic testing, metallurgical analysis, spool pieces, and instantaneous electronic measurement (LPR), corrosion coupons still remain the most widely used and respected form of corrosion measurement…
