ICorr President Dr. Yunnan Gao Participates in Seminar on Corrosion-Control Innovation in Zhengzhou, China

ICorr President Dr. Yunnan Gao Participates in Seminar on Corrosion-Control Innovation in Zhengzhou, China

Institute News

On 2nd August 2025, a Seminar entitled ‘Coordinated Development of Corrosion Control Technology Innovation and Industrial Innovation’ took place in Zhengzhou, Henan, China. The seminar brought together more than one hundred representatives from academia and industry, both domestic and international, to discuss pathways for the high-quality development of the corrosion protection industry. Organised jointly by China International Science and Technology Promotion Association, Henan (Province) Academy of Sciences, and North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, the event also featured the strategic consultation meeting for the “Henan Province Anti-Corrosion New Materials Industry Development Strategy” project. The seminar adopted an innovative ‘enterprise-poses-the-question, research-provides-the-answer’s model, facilitating direct, solution-focused exchanges between over 70 corporate executives and chief engineers from leading enterprises and the research community.

Photo: Seminar Opening Ceremony on 2nd August in Zhengzhou, China.

A standout feature of the seminar was the involvement of Dr. Yunnan Gao, visiting President of the UK headquartered Institute of Corrosion (ICorr), who delivered a keynote technical presentation that reflected deep UK industry experience and international expertise.

Photo: ICorr President, Dr Yunnan Gao Giving His Keynote Speech

As ICorr President, Dr. Gao provided an introductory overview of ICorr, outlining the organisation’s mission, global reach, and its role in fostering international standards and best practices in corrosion science. Subsequently, in a technical keynote, he then shared valuable insights into how corrosion is managed in the UK oil and gas sector.

Dr. Gao’s presentation served as a rich learning platform for participants, especially students and academics, by illustrating how corrosion theory can be effectively translated into industry-level protection strategies. His discussion emphasised asset longevity, operational safety, and reliability in energy infrastructure.

During the seminar, Dr. Gao met with Professor Weihua Li, Academic Vice President of North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, and Chief Scientist at the Henan Academy of Sciences. He expressed his high regard for Professor Li’s team and their outstanding contributions to corrosion research and conveyed his keen interest in pursuing future opportunities for exchange and collaborations.

Dr. Yunnan Gao’s presence at the Zhengzhou Seminar reinforced ICorr’s active role in global corrosion research and application. Through his institutional introduction and the presented UK industry case study, he bridged theoretical corrosion science and industrial practice-enriching the conference’s mission of aligning technological innovation with industrial needs.

The event attracted significant attention from regional mainstream and industry media, with extensive coverage appearing in:

These reports have highlighted the seminar’s role in fostering technological innovation and industrial collaboration in corrosion control, noting the participation of prominent domestic and international experts, including ICorr President Dr. Yunnan Gao, whose contributions were recognised as a valuable addition to the conference’s international dimension.

Photo: ICorr President, Dr Yunnan Gao, Middle, Professor Weihua Li (3rd from Right), and Some Research Team Doctors at Henan Academy of Scie

ICorr and EFC Presidents Visit Northeastern University (NEU) and University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) in China

ICorr and EFC Presidents Visit Northeastern University (NEU) and University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) in China

Institute News

On 28th July 2025, the President of the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr), Dr. Yunnan Gao, and the President of the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC), Professor Gareth Hinds, visited Northeastern University (NEU) in Shenyang, China, as part of a collaborative engagement tour with leading Chinese academic institutions in the field of corrosion science and engineering.

L: EFC President, Professor Gareth Hinds; R: ICorr President Dr Yunnan Gao, during Their Visit to NEU, Shenyang

During the NEU visit, Dr. Gao delivered a presentation introducing ICorr’s mission, global activities, and contributions to advancing corrosion science, followed by a technical lecture on corrosion management in oil and gas production facilities. Professor Hinds then introduced the EFC, outlining its international collaboration framework and key initiatives, and delivered a technical presentation focusing on cutting-edge developments in corrosion rate measurement of pipeline steel in dense phase CO2.

ICorr President Giving An Introduction of ICorr to Faculty and Students at NEU, Shenyang

Following the presentations, the delegation toured NEU’s advanced corrosion laboratories, gaining an in-depth view of the university’s research infrastructure, experimental capabilities, and achievements in materials protection and degradation studies. Both leaders commended NEU’s strong academic foundation, innovative approaches, and its active role in international cooperation.

The NEU Visit Was Facilitated by Professor Dake Xu, FICorr, 2nd Right, and Associate Professor Di Wang, 2nd Left of NEU.

On 4th August 2025, Dr. Gao and Professor Hinds visited the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), a leading institution in global corrosion research with close links to the Chinese Society of Corrosion Protection (CSCP). The visit featured the same core agenda as the NEU visit: introductory and technical presentations from both Presidents, followed by in-depth exchanges with faculty and students.

The USTB Visit Was Facilitated by Professor Xuequn Cheng, (FICorr, General Secretary of CSCP), 2nd Left, and Professor Bowei Zhang, Secretary of CSCP, 2nd Right, of the USTB.

ICorr President Giving A Technical Presentation to the USTB Audience

During the last stage of the visit, the delegation toured USTB’s world-class National Materials Corrosion and Protection Data Centre, which serves as a national digital hub for corrosion data collection, sharing, and application in industrial sectors.

USTB Academics Showcase the Digital Hub at the National Materials Corrosion and Protection Data Centre

The mainstream media in China, such as China Daily, China News, Guangming Online, ScienceNet and Science and Technology Daily, all covered the visit, highlighting it as a milestone in international academic exchange, with both sides expressing strong interest in long-term collaboration, joint research projects, and personnel development in corrosion science and engineering. The coverage also emphasised how the visit underscored China’s growing role in global corrosion research and the value of integrating domestic capabilities with international networks such as ICorr and the EFC.

The visits to NEU and USTB further cemented ties between ICorr, EFC, CSCP and China’s leading corrosion research institutions, opening new avenues for collaboration in addressing global challenges in materials durability, infrastructure resilience, and industrial sustainability.

ICorr STSM – Job Vacancy

ICorr STSM – Job Vacancy

Institute News, Latest News

The Institute of Corrosion welcomes applications from ICorr members, for this important arising vacancy due to retirement of Jane Lomas, FICorr the existing post holder.

Job Title: Training Scheme Manager (Surface Treatments and Passive Fire Protection)

Location: Remote Working with occasional Northampton ICorr HQ Visits

Company Name: Institute of Corrosion

Job Type: Part-Time Consultancy (2 Days a week – part remunerated/part voluntary).

Remuneration: 15K/Annum (Reviewed Annually)

Applications: Initially via email to admin@icorr.org attaching CV and Training Experience Record

Closing Date: 31st October 2025

Commencement Date: 1st January 2026 (with prior Handover)

 Job Description:

General

  • To act on behalf of the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr) in all matters relating to Surface Treatment Training and Competence Assessment (the Surface Treatment Scheme).
  • To report to President and take instructions from the Surface Treatment Governing Board (STGB) in all activities.
  • To keep the President and chair of STGB advised of all significant activities and to extend this advice to the President of ICorr in respect of any issues that may have significant strategic importance or expose ICorr to risk.
  • To issue monthly STSM reports with dashboards to President
  • To liaise with the Professional Assessment Committee (PAC) in respect of Certification of personnel (Certification being the ultimate responsibility of PAC) and in respect of any complaints received.
  • To liaise with course providers in respect of their marketing, booking and organising of all Surface Treatment (ST) and Passive Fire Protection (PFP) courses, in accordance with the Qualification Procedure Document (QPD), using approved ICorr Tutors and ICorr Course Packages, monitoring updates where required.
  • To actively help promote ST and PFP courses and maintain ICorr Website information.
  • To attend monthly STGB meetings and contribute to STGB updates of the QPD.
  • To work towards progression of Iso Certification for ST courses.
  • To recruit, train and mentor a deputy in all aspects of the role, with a view to succession planning.

Key Requirements

  • Ability to manage time effectively and prioritise tasks.
  • Experience at senior level in the surface treatment industry
  • Hold membership of ICorr, preferably FICorr.
  • Knowledge of Institute of Corrosion training activities (or other established Corrosion Training provider)
  • Level 3 certification
  • Significant experience in training and certification management
  • Strong relationships with key industry stakeholders

Launch of New United Arab Emirates (UAE) Branch

Institute News

Welcome

Welcome to the new UAE branch, in a very exciting period in the history of ICorr. We hope that our expanding corrosion community in the UK (and internationally) are all keeping well.

I am most happy to report that the ICorr UAE Branch officially launched on 6th May 2025 with an inaugural general meeting, which was followed up with an excellent technical presentation (online event).

During the AGM, an introduction to the ICorr and its vision for the future was presented.

The ICorr president inaugurated the branch with kind wishes and then set out his expectation for the branch to share knowledge and advance science and engineering in the prevention of corrosion for the public benefit in the Middle East. The ICorr President Dr Yunnan Gao proposed Dr Muhammad Ejaz as the first chairman for the UAE branch and Hooman Takhtechian as its first vice chair. Past ICorr President Stephen Tate seconded the proposal.

A large number of candidates have come forward in response to a branch survey, and a full UAE branch committee will be
formed over the coming months, and additional online events are being planned for later in 2025. Due to current requirements for non-profit institute registration with the chambers of commerce in the UAE, the team is planning to run only online events initially, to confirm the level of interest. The UAE Team will also incorporate expertise from Oman – Emmanuel Marcus, who will be Vice Chair for that section.

We also take this opportunity to welcome Amir Attarchi (above) as our Events Coordinator who previously provided excellent support to the ICorr Aberdeen Branch.

Technical Presentation

The technical presentation by Sarah Bagnall, Director of R-TECH Materials, showcased studies on failure analysis, highlighting an insight into forensic investigation explaining failure mechanisms and prevention. Sarah Bagnall has been involved with over 700 failure investigations and has broad experience with a wide range of engineering components, metallic and non-metallic materials, and industries and has extensive expertise in corrosion of a wide range of materials, particularly for the chemical processing and petrochemical industries.

Photo: UAE Branch Chair – Dr. Muhammad Ejaz, PhD, CEng FIMMM, FICorr.

Photo: Vice-Chair, Hooman Takhtechian, MSc CEng FICorr MIMMM.

Photo: Emmanuel Marcus,
C.Eng, FICorr, FIMMM.

Photo: Events Coordinator, Amir Attarchi, MSc, CEng, MICorr,
AMPP Corrosion Specialist.

Over the last 10 years, Sarah has developed specialist expertise in the corrosion and thermal degradation of austenitic stainless steels and is the ICorr presenter for the BSSA stainless steels course; refer to Corrosion Mechanisms in Stainless Steels – Institute of Corrosion. She is also the Chair of the Wales & South-West England branch for the ICorr that launched successfully in 2024.

Sarah strongly emphasised that determining the root cause of plant failures presents an opportunity to learn from the experience and that adopting such a philosophy is critical to the continual improvement of plant safety, performance, availability, and reliability whilst reducing maintenance costs. She added that conducting an effective Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigation provides an avenue to understand and critically analyse all of the factors that have contributed towards a plant failure and failure mode. Sarah outlined the necessary steps for conducting a successful materials failure analysis with examples and discussed failure mechanisms which were encountered within the oil and gas industry. Several case studies relevant to the energy sector were also presented and discussed.

We do, of course, wish to acknowledge the support provided by ICorr HQ and our President and Past President for the successful start-up of the UAE branch following extensive research and planning. This report and where we are today represent the continuing commitment of the ICorr UAE Team, who bring their wide range of experience and contacts to the table at every meeting.

ICorr North-West Branch Hosts Joint Event with the Institute of Asset Management (IOM)

ICorr North-West Branch Hosts Joint Event with the Institute of Asset Management (IOM)

Institute News, Latest News

ICorr NW Branch held a joint meeting with the Institute of Asset Management at the University of Manchester on 1st April 2025. The event explored the theme of infrastructure asset failures, with speakers presenting various case studies—particularly highlighting the impact of corrosion to infrastructure.

Dave Champness  (Post-Graduate Researcher and Previous Water Industry Engineer) opened the session with a personal story related to asset management and aspects of corrosion in his talk “Concepts of Asset Management and How Corrosion Features”.  Paul Russell, Product Manager Concrete Repair and Composites at Mapei (UK) Ltd then spoke on product environmental sustainability, sharing case studies on extending the lifespan of structures in his presentation “Re-Lifing Structures to Extend Service”. Paul covered the carbon reduction gained in the products Mapei employs and also how they’ve sympathetically restored heritage buildings. Darren Henson (Workshop Manager at United Utilities) spoke about how corrosion can affect key assets such as pumps and the challenges of maintenance and prevention of shutdowns. Carlos Sanchez Senior Materials Scientist at The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also contributed, using case studies to illustrate his presentation, “How Corrosion can Result in Catastrophic Asset Failure”.

This was a very well attended event that attracted many questions from the Audience.

Presentations

All presentations will be uploaded soon to: https://www.icorr.org/northwest/ under Local Technical Programme.

Forthcoming Events

UK-China Corrosion Summit – 3rd-4th September 2025

Institute of Corrosion National AGM – November 19th.

Planning continues for these exciting events. Further details will be released to the NW Branch website, mailing list and ICorr members in due course.

Future NW Branch Committee meetings are planned for:

• 12th August 2025

• 14th October 2025

If you would like to know more about our activities or become involved with the NW Branch, please contact: nwchair@Icorr.org

ICorr Midlands Update

ICorr Midlands Update

Institute News, Latest News

Annual General Meeting, DNV Facility Visit and AI Webinar on Corrosion Inspection.

The UK Midlands branch officially commenced its 2025 activities with the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 28th April, attended by ICorr President Dr. Yunnan Gao.

Annual General Meeting

The ICorr Midlands Chair, Dr. Prafull Sharma, introduced the new committee volunteers, who were formally approved to commence their roles. Strategic priorities for the year were set. A key focus is expanding engagement with academia to promote student membership. The committee chair also emphasised collaboration with other professional societies, aligning with ICorr’s broader strategy for mutual growth and knowledge exchange. As part of the new strategy, the branch will also host subject-specific webinars, such as the timely topic of AI application in corrosion and inspection management on 16th April.

Uzma Anjum (DNV) will oversee the branch’s online events
and webinars.

Other committee roles include:

• Ali Oskuie (Worley): Committee Secretary

•Louis Ramdall (Premtech): Coordinator for in-person events

•Ben Knight (Premtech): Social media and digital communications

The committee will also benefit from the continued support of Bill Whittaker, former Midlands Chair, whose experience will help guide strategic decisions.

DNV Facility Visit

Screenshot

Coinciding with the 2025 AGM, the committee and guests participated in a technical visit to DNV’s Loughborough facility. Attendees from both academia and industry took part in the event, gaining valuable insights into DNV’s operations in the field of failure and root cause analysis. The Midlands branch extends its appreciation to DNV for hosting both the visit and the AGM.

Attendees participated in a guided tour of the facility, where they observed firsthand the sophisticated techniques and methodologies used in root cause and failure investigations.
The lab showcased a variety of real-world case studies, including failures in gas pipelines and components from the energy sector. These samples illustrated the complexity of determining failure causes, which often involve a blend of technical, managerial, and communication-related factors.

The visit also included a series of technical presentations, highlighting DNV’s multidisciplinary approach to integrity management across the renewable, hydrocarbon, and electricity sectors. The sessions offered deeper insights into how engineering expertise, forensic analysis, and risk assessment converge to support industry resilience and safety.

The ICorr Midlands committee extends its sincere appreciation to DNV, especially Uzma Anjum and Kathryn Thomas, for their generous hospitality and for making the event a rich learning experience for all. Events like this reinforce the importance of cross-sector collaboration and knowledge sharing in the evolving field of corrosion and asset integrity.

Webinar on AI Application in Corrosion Management

The branch hosted a well-attended webinar titled “AI-Powered Digital Corrosion Inspection and Coating Survey”, presented by Kashif Salim (Abyss Solutions). This session explored Abyss Solutions’ advanced system, which integrates high-precision data collection tools—such as 3D scanning—with AI algorithms to assess and prioritise corrosion risks, particularly in offshore piping systems. The topic resonated with online attendees, generating many audience questions and highlighting the growing importance of digital tools in asset integrity management.

This was the second webinar on the application of the AI in corrosion management. The Midlands branch plans to continue offering webinars on high-interest topics and will soon release its annual webinar calendar.

Further Contacts

www.linkedin.com/posts/icorr-midlands_corrosion-materialsscience-engineering-activity-7312949751820267520-FSzp/ and see the ICorr Events Calendar at: www.icorr.org/events/

Interested members can also subscribe to the branch’s YouTube channel to access recordings of past webinars at:
www.youtube.com/@ICORRMidlands

All event slide packs are available in the Midlands Branch web page at: Midlands Branch – Institute of Corrosion under Local Technical Programme.

For all other inquiries and membership / sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Branch Chair
Dr. Prafull Sharma at: midlandschair@icorr.org