Corrosion Models

Quantitative models are necessary for probabilistic assessment because they provide vital insights into cause-effect relationships needed for BN. Beyond the cause-effect relationships, models are needed for any probabilistic assessment of the time evolution of failure. The models may be empirical or mechanistic, but all models are simplifications of actual phenomena—hence the basis for regarding all models as “wrong”. However, useful models enable us to extrapolate from one set of conditions to another. This chapter provides a brief overview of corrosion process, different modes of corrosion, and various corrosion models. The purpose of this chapter is to familiarize the reader with corrosion concepts, without being comprehensive. The reader is referred to references listed at the end of this chapter for detailed descriptions of corrosion processes and models.