With an annual use of almost 47 million metric tons aluminium is the second most commonly applied metal in the world. The main reasons for the continued growth of aluminium use are its ratio of strength to density, the conductivity, its barrier properties, the excellent corrosion resistance and the recyclability. Aluminium?Its lightweight performance delivers great benefit in transportation applications such as aerospace, cars, ships, trains and buses and helps to increase fuel economy, reduce emissions and improve driving performance. Another significant advantage of aluminium is its corrosion resistance which is valuable for products used in architecture, construction, civil engineering, transport, for heat exchangers and many other applications.
About the Author
Michael Schutze, born 1952, studied materials sciences at the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg from 1972 to 1978, then joined the Karl Winnacker Institute of the DECHEMA as a research associate. He received his doctorate in engineering sciences from the RWTH (Technical University) in Aachen in 1983, completed his habilitation in 1991, becoming a member of the external teaching staff of the RWTH. Since 1998, he holds a professorship there. In 1996, he was appointed director of the Karl Winnacker Institute. He is recipient of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Prize, the Rahmel-Schwenk medal and the Cavallaro medal, past Chairman of the Gordon Research Conference on Corrosion, editor of the journal Materials and Corrosion, Past - President of the European Federation of Corrosion, Past-President of the World Corrosion Organization and Chairman of the Working Party Corrosion by Hot Gases and Combustion Products of the European Federation of Corrosion.
Dietrich Wieser, born 1957, studied nonferrous metallurgy at the University of Leoben and joined the Research & Development Center of VAWaluminium AG (VAW) in Bonn in 1985. He received his doctorate in engineering sciences from the Technical University of Clausthal in 1992. At VAW and Norsk Hydro ASA he has been responsible for the corrosion laboratory. Topics were: corrosion behavior, corrosion testing and corrosion protection of aluminium and aluminium materials. Since 2005 he is with Alcoa, currently in the position of a Director Business Development for Ground Transportation in Europe. He is member of the advisory board of the journal Materials Science and Engineering Technology and chairman of the working group Corrosion and Corrosion Protection of Aluminium and Magnesium in the GfKORR (Gesellschaft fur Korrosionsschutz e.V.) and its sub-groups Galvanic Corrosion and Corrosion Testing/Corrosion Investigations for Magnesium Materials.
Roman Bender, born 1971, studied chemistry at the Justus Liebig Universtity of Gie?en from 1992 to 1997. After he received his diploma he joined the Karl Winnacker Institute of the DECHEMA in Frankfurt (Main) as a research associate. Since 2000 he is head of the group materials and corrosion at the DECHEMA and editor in chief of the worlds largest corrosion data collection the DECHEMA Werkstofftabelle and the Corrosion Handbook. In 2001 he received his doctorate in natural sciences from the Technical University of Aachen (RWTH Aachen). He became chief executive officer of the GfKORR in Frankfurt (Main) - The Society for Corrosion Protection - in 2008.
