Application of the Algorithm of Invention (TRIZ) in Science, Engineering, and Management of Corrosion

Corrosion is perhaps the only professional topic that has three dimensions in science, engineering and management: corrosion science can be thought to be resting mainly on electrochemistry, corrosion engineering rests on methods for treatment of it via methods such as physical methods (e.g. coating), chemical methods (e.g. corrosion inhibitors, biocides), electrical methods (cathodic/anodic protection), physical methods (PIGing), design modification methods, materials selection/upgrade methods and corrosion prediction methods (corrosion prediction algorithms/softwares). On the other hand, while main components of corrosion management are still open to discussion, it can be said that important factors in corrosion management—in addition to corrosion engineering elements—are economic and management contributions. TRIZ is the abbreviation of the Russian term “теория решения изобретательских задач” that can be translated as “The theory of inventive problem solving”. TRIZ has 40 principles to assist inventors to find new ways for invention. In order for corrosion science, corrosion engineering and corrosion management are able to make adjustment with ever-changing, corrosion-related problems in the world. Undoubtedly there is for innovation that can be categorically performed via TRIZ. During its more than 70 years of splendid past in systematic dealing with problems and finding solutions, TRIZ has proved that it is the most trustable way to avoid serendipity. Given various scenarios that are of importance for corrosion specialists (academia) and professionals (industry), finding the most feasible and most practical solutions can be efficiently achieved by applying TRIZ. In this paper, after a short introduction about what TRIZ is and how its methodology works, the ways by which TRIZ can assist with corrosion engineering, corrosion science and corrosion management will be discussed. This paper, to the best of our knowledge, is the first-ever attempt to link solution finding in the field of corrosion with TRIZ to suggest a more fruitful, direct-to-the-point solutions to existing research and development of the existing schemes. This way, via application of an algorithm whose usefulness has been practised over decades, it is expected to lower the costs of projects for both corrosion specialists and corrosion professionals as well as increasing the effectiveness of the solutions found for various corrosion processes from MIC and CUI to atmospheric corrosion and the like.