Abstract
The XXII International Materials Research Congress (IMRC) 2013 was held during August in one of the most pleasant and beautiful places of Mexico, situated in the tropical, luxurious Yucatan Peninsula. It was jointly promoted and organised by the Sociedad Mexicana de Materiales (MRS-Mexico) and the Materials Research Society (MRS-USA).
The annual meeting provides a forum to assess advances in the vast field of materials science, technology and engineering. The event has become a tradition for thousands of fundamental and applied researchers and peers from industry as well as graduate and postgraduate students who fly in from all over the world.
Presentation of the National and International NACE Awards of a ‘Distinguished Career’ to Drs. B. Valdez and L. Veleva, for their contribution to Corrosion research in environments and industry. Cancun, Mexico, 2013.
IMRC 2013 consisted of eight main themes: nanoscience and technology; biomaterials; materials characterisation; materials for environmental applications, magnetic and electronic materials and a general session devoted to cultural heritage and academy-industry relationship. These were divided into 31 smaller symposia.
Several plenary lectures were presented by leading scientists, as follows:
Nanostructured graphene: Ballistic transport and semiconducting graphene, Professor Walter De Heer, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
Chiral molecules as new material for spintronics, Professor Ron Naaman, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.
Nanostructure of a high-permeability, hydrogen-selective inorganic membrane, Professor Shigeo Ted Oyama, Japan.
Materials challenges for advanced magnetic storage and memory applications, Professor Eric Fullerton, University of California at San Diego, USA.
Layer-by-layer growth, excitonic properties and coupling of subnanometric quantum wells of II-VI semiconductors, Professor Isaac Hernandez-Calderón, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Mexico.
Several professional societies, sponsors and exhibitors involved in the congress offered an exciting multidisciplinary stage for exchange of ideas and information with colleagues from different orientations and origins.
The NACE corrosion and metallurgy symposium (6B) was organised by Jorge Canto Ibañez (Corrosion y Proteccion Ingenieria,Mexico), Armando Ahumada Vargas (Pemex-Petroquimica, Mexico), Francisco Javier Rodriguez (Facultad de Quimica, UNAM ,Mexico) and Jose G. Chacon Nava (Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, Mexico), all well-known corrosion experts from research institutions and industrial enterprises. This symposium was supported by Dr. Lorenzo Martinez Gomez, Past Director, Latin America Region, NACE International.
In this active symposium, the principles and practice of corrosion science and engineering were discussed, with the emphasis on the interaction of the chemical, physical, metallurgical and mechanical properties of the materials and their relationship with the corrosive, natural and man-made environments involved. Topics covered included: interaction between corrosion and pollution, corrosion at high temperatures, environmental and industrial corrosion, performance of engineering materials, corrosion in waters and energy generation, materials and corrosion in oil and natural gas industry, tropical atmosphere corrosion, green and conventional corrosion inhibitors, coating for corrosion protection, all issues addressing the growing corrosion problems.
The NACE corrosion symposium comprised a program of 42 oral presentations and 61 illustrated posters, during two days of intense activity. Many contributions presented an assessment of a current problem and a proposed solution. Some of the most original and exciting topics included:
SCC assessment of steel in ethanol-gasoline blends, G. Pedraza, J. Achmen, J. Cabral, J. Chacon, Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados.
Corrosion of structural metals in tropical atmospheres, J. Calan, J. Reyes, F. Corvo, T. Perez, R. Galvan, Centro de Investigacion en Corrosion.
Problems and solutions for cathodic protection in water, J. Canto, L. Martinez, H. Rivera, L. Martinez G., Corrosion y Proteccion Ingenieria.
Corrosion inhibitors for steel in seawater under flow conditions, Y. Uscanga, B. Trejo, R. Orozco, A. Contreras, R. Galvan, Unidad Anticorrosion, Universidad Veracruzana.
Water pipelines vs. blood vessels: Corrosion and biodeterioration, M. Schorr, B. Valdez, E. Valdez, A. Eliezer, N. Lotan, M. Carrillo, University of Baja California, Mexico.
Within the framework of the corrosion symposium, Dr. Benjamin Valdez and Dr. Lucien Veleva received the NACE National and International Awards respectively, for their individual ‘Distinguished Career’ and her institutional contribution to the field of corrosion science and technology, for the benefit of the Nation, the Society and the Industry.
Dr. Benjamin Valdez is the director of the Institute of Engineering, University of Baja California, is a member of the Editorial Board of Corrosion Engineering, Science and Technology. His activities include corrosion research, consultancy and corrosion control in industrial facilities and natural environments. Dr. Lucien Veleva is a research professor at the Center for Investigation and Advanced Study (CINVESTAV), at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. In 2012 she received the ‘Francis LaQue Memorial Award from ASTM International and was honored for her outstanding contributions in the field of corrosion science and engineering and for leadership expertise. She was nominated Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Baja California in 2011. Se is an active member of several NACE, ASTM and ISO Committess.
Their invited plenary lectures were entitled:
Corrosion in the industry: infrastructure and processes, by B. Valdez.
Biofouling of steel in seawater, by L. Veleva.
They were followed with great interest by the attending corrosion professionals and postgraduate students.
This conference provided an important tool for developing national and international collaboration between corrosion scientists and practitioners. This is the leading scientific event in Latin America focused exclusively on materials science, technology and engineering. More info on the conference and its content can be found at www.mrs-mexico.org.mx A CD containing the full papers delivered at Symposium 6B, has been produced (ISBN 978-607-8272-13-6) and all the papers’ abstracts can be downloaded from the website.