Brendy C. Rincon Troconis
NACE international is pleased to announce it is awarding a seed grant of $30,000 for a research project by Brendy C. Rincon Troconis of The University of Texas at San Antonio’s (UTSA) Department of Mechanical Engineering. Troconis’ proposal, “Effect of Passive Film Composition on the Electrochemical Behavior and Cracking of Corrosion Resistant Alloys Utilizing Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy,” seeks to resolve issues caused by the unique conditions of downhole applications in oil wells. Currently there is a lack of understanding relating to surface film composition and corrosion (including environmentally assisted cracking).
The grant is funded by NACE International and is intended to encourage university researchers new to the field of corrosion to study the corrosion of engineering materials. This year, seventeen proposals were received and reviewed by the Research Seed Grant Task Group, which ultimately recommended that the funding be awarded to Troconis.
“We received many exceptional proposals, but Troconis’ proposal stood out because it offered a novel approach to solve a critical problem faced by the oil and gas industry,” said David Kolman, Chair of the NACE International Seed Grant Committee. “The scientific aspect, coupled with her exceptional background and promise of future growth, resulted in the Committee’s unanimous nomination of this exciting proposal.”
“Controlling corrosion in downhole applications is essential to avoid catastrophic failures that can jeopardize the ecosystem, interrupt production, create a loss of control of a well and result in fines,” says Troconis. “Under the extreme conditions of a downhole environment, material selection is a top priority for the successful operation of the well, while minimizing safety risks.”
This grant will enable the first stage of this research project which will be the first research project to be performed at the first corrosion laboratory at UTSA. The successful completion of the first research stage is vital to defining safe operating conditions and will be the seed to attract additional financial support from industry. Furthermore, this understanding may provide insight into the development of corrosion resistant alloys and material selection for anodic stress corrosion cracking mitigation in downhole application.
Founded in 1943, NACE International, The Corrosion Society, serves 36,000 members in 130 countries. Based in Houston, Texas, with offices in the U.S., China, Malaysia, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, and a training center in Dubai, the organization serves all industries impacted by corrosion and provides the most specified technical training and certification programs, conferences, industry standards, reports, and publications focused on corrosion prevention and mitigation. For information on the NACE International Research Committee go to: http://www.nace.org/Committees/Research-Committee