FAQ: The Science and History of Oil Spills

Interesting information about oil spills in a FAQ format at livescience.com.

Opposing Group Says Nuclear Reactor Design Has Corrosion Risks

An anti-nuclear coalition says design flaws in Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor could allow radiation leaks during an accident, and it is calling on federal authorities to suspend licensing and loan guarantees for plants that use it.

The AP1000 Oversight Group (PDF, 12k), made up of 11 environmental organizations, released a report (PDF, 4.46M) Wednesday detailing what it calls a serious safety issue that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not addressed on the AP1000 reactor.

The report contends Westinghouse designed the reactor without a corrosion-proof backup to protect against leaks from the containment vessel. In a reactor accident, the reactor’s safety systems would allow any radioactive material that had leaked over time to be released into the air and spread to nearby populated areas, the group contends.

From the Charlotte Business Journal (links added).

PHMSA Cased Pipe Workshop – April 28, 2010 - Baltimore, MD

PHMSA is holding a Workshop on the newly developed Guidelines for Integrity Assessment of Cased Pipe (PDF, 752k) at the Sheraton Inner Harbor, 300 South Charles Street, Baltimore, MD on April 28, 2010. The workshop focus will be for the public, pipeline operators, trade associations, and others to address ideas and concerns with successfully using External Corrosion Direct Assessment integrity evaluation methods and use of other technologies to assess pipelines in casings located within High Consequence Areas. The workshop is intended to discuss the PHMSA guidance "Guidelines for Integrity Assessment of Cased Pipe in Gas Transmission Pipelines" and related FAQs. The latest guidelines and FAQs are available online here.

More information on the workshop here. Register for free here.

See previous posts on casings and ECDA here and here.

Flash Rust

The SSPC/JPCL are sponsoring a free webinar on Applying Coatings over Flash Rust in a Marine Environment here. The webinar will be presented by Pete Ault of Elzly Technologies and will describe a study in which coatings were applied over varying degrees of flash rust and then inspected periodically for 6 years. The performance of coatings over light, moderate, and heavy flash rust will be presented and discussed.

Participation in the webinar is free, but for those who wish to receive continuing education credits from SSPC, a test is available after the webinar. Cost of the test service is $25. All participants, however, will receive a free certificate of completion.

Some examples of flash rust here. Flash rust can be a problem with ultra-high pressure water blasting but also with other surface preparation methods, such as sand blasting with salt contamination (such as in a marine environment).

The Corrosive Properties of Coca-Cola

1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl . . . Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean.
4. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
5. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
6. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
7. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
8. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
9. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, And run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FYI:
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. It's pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.
2. To carry Coca Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly Corrosive materials.
3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years! Drink up! No joke. Think what coke and other soft drinks do to your teeth on a daily basis. A tooth will dissolve in a cup of coke in 24-48 hours.

For more discussion, see here.

p.s. Today is the first day in April