Atmospheric Corrosion Effects of Air Pollution on Materials and Cultural Property in Asia and Africa

This project is part of the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) funded Program on Regional Air Pollution in Developing Countries (RAPIDC). The Program is managed on Sida’s behalf by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the corrosion project is coordinated by the Corrosion and Metals Research Institute (KIMAB). Corrosion attack after one (2002-2003 and 2005-2006), two (2002-2004) and four (2002-2006) years of exposure are presented for 12 test sites in Asia (India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and China including Hong Kong) and four test sites in Africa (South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Materials exposed are carbon steel, zinc, copper, limestone and paint coated steel. At each test site, the environment is characterized by SO₂, NO₂, HNO₃, O₃, particles, amount and pH of precipitation, temperature and relative humidity. Preliminary results are also given from the enlargement of the network (2006-) by inclusion of five new test sites in Asia (Taj Mahal/India, Iran, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives) and two new test sites in Africa (Mozambique and Tanzania). The obtained corrosion values are different from those obtained in European corrosion networks, for example, the corrosion attack on copper is higher than zinc in Asia/Africa while in Europe the zinc values are generally higher.