A Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) researcher was recently recognized for his work in reducing corrosion in submarines with an award from the inaugural Maritime Australia Industry Innovation Awards.
The awards were developed by the nonprofit group Aerospace Maritime and Defence Foundation of Australia Ltd. (Geelong, Victoria, Australia), which was established to promote Australian industrial and manufacturing resources in the fields of aviation, aerospace, maritime, and defense. The program was established by a subsidiary of the nonprofit, aimed at recognizing the significant innovations of companies and individuals operating in the commercial maritime and naval defense sectors.
Scott Wade, a NACE International member and associate professor at Swinburne, and his team of researchers from the Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) (Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia) research foundation were honored for their work studying microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) on maritime platforms.
The judging panel, which includes former naval chiefs, recognized the work with a “high commendation” under the major award category.
"At Swinburne, we continue to work on improving the understanding of the complex problem of microbiologically influenced corrosion and how we can minimize its effect to various key industries,” Wade says. “The project is an excellent example of how industry and universities can come together to help solve real world problems.”
Wade first became involved in corrosion research in 2003 when working on the development of an optical fiber-based corrosion sensor. He has since worked on a wide range of subjects related to corrosion, including the development of resistance-based atmospheric corrosion sensors, marine corrosion and accelerated low water corrosion (ALWC), and MIC. His work ranges from fundamental studies to applied research, including field investigations of corrosion.
The team’s work has been used by the Royal Australian Navy (Canberra, Australia) as well as shipbuilding company ASC (Osborne, South Australia, Australia). The latter group was formerly known as the Australian Submarine Corp., and currently serves as an Australian government business enterprise involved with Australian naval shipbuilding.
Source: Swinburne University of Technology, www.swinburne.edu.au.