Mining Institute of Scotland (MIS)

Palm Court Hotel, Seafield Rd, Aberdeen AB15 7YX

Synopsis:
Metallographic replication is often associated with material validation, high-temperature damage assessment and creep monitoring; however, its application as a corrosion investigation technique is less widely understood and, in some cases, underutilised or misinterpreted. This presentation aims to address that gap by demonstrating how replication can be effectively applied to investigate corrosion-related degradation mechanisms directly in the field, particularly where traditional laboratory-based analysis is not feasible.

In many industrial situations, removal of samples for laboratory examination is impractical due to operational constraints, component criticality, or cost. Metallographic replication provides a valuable alternative, enabling detailed microstructural assessment to be carried out in-situ with minimal disruption. This presentation is based on practical, on-site investigations where replication was selected as the primary diagnostic tool in the absence of laboratory sampling options.

A series of case studies will be presented to illustrate the capability of the technique in real-world corrosion scenarios. These include the identification and confirmation of stress corrosion cracking, where replication enabled the observation of crack morphology and propagation paths without destructive sectioning. The technique was also applied to assess sensitisation in stainless steels, revealing grain boundary conditions consistent with chromium depletion and increased susceptibility to intergranular corrosion.



Speaker Biography:

Dr Nkem Nwosu, PhD, CEng, MIMMM, MICorr is a Principal Metallurgist at Element Materials Technology based in Teesside, United Kingdom. With more than a decade of experience in failure investigation and materials testing, he has examined over 800 cases involving nickel alloys, titanium, aluminium, copper and a range of stainless steels. He previously served as a Senior Metallurgist with Exova Group plc, where he introduced more than 14 new accredited metallurgical tests. Dr Nkem Nwosu holds a PhD in Materials Science & Engineering and an MSc with Distinction in Advanced Materials Engineering from Edinburgh Napier University. He also holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

A flyer is attached to this meeting notice.

Attachments