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Rudolph G. BuchheitDepartment Chair, ProfessorPh. D., University of Virginia, 1991 Tel. (614) 292-6085 Office: 548B MacQuigg Labs
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Dr. Buchheit's technical interests are in the area of corrosion and corrosion control. His work has spanned the range from basic research to engineering application and focuses in two core areas: corrosion protection by coatings and metallurgical factors in localized corrosion and environment-assisted cracking.
His research in corrosion protection has focused on environmentally friendly corrosion protection and his group has developed a range of chromate free conversion coating chemistries and coating pigments based on the use of inorganic ion exchange compounds. The use of ion exchange compound pigments also leads to novel forms of sensing and environment awareness in coatings.
Research in the area of metallurgical factors in localized corrosion has focused on corrosion of microstructurally complex aluminum alloys. He and his students have conducted detailed examinations of the electrochemical characteristics of various Al-based intermetallic compounds. Results from these studies have contributed to the understanding of the role of local electrochemistry as determined by microstructural elements in Al alloys to understand phenomena including coating formation during surface finishing and stress corrosion cracking. This work has also been applied to the development of models for predicting corrosion damage accumulation in high performance aluminum alloys.
Current research projects include:
- Development of empirical models for corrosion damage accumulation in aluminum alloys.
- Alloy chemistry-corrosion properties relationships in Ni-Cr-Mo alloys.
- Localized corrosion and stress corrosion cracking in emerging Al-Li alloys.
- Triggered inhibitor release from coatings based on the biopolymer chitosan.
- Development of inorganic ion exchange compound pigments for corrosion resistant coatings.
- Use of transient techniques for in situ corrosion sensing in coatings.
The figure below shows the electrochemical microcell in the Fontana Corrosion Center that is used to study alloy electrochemistry at small length scales. The cell is a small glass capillary drawn to a few micrometers in diameter. This is mounted on the objective carousel of an optical microscope, which enables precise positioning. Using this approach we have been able to characterize the electrochemical behavior or precipitate phases, grain boundaries, heat affected zones in weldments, and solidification dendrites in cast alloys.
An example of polarization curves for constituent phases in aluminum alloy 2024-T3 (Al-4.4Cu-1.5Mg-0.6Mn) are shown below. The polarization responses of these phases reveal the diverse electrochemical nature of this alloy and aid in interpreting corrosion mechanisms and damage accumulation processes.
A major thrust in the research group involves exploration of the use of ion exchange compounds as pigments in organic coatings for storage and release of a range of corrosion inhibitors for protection of underlying substrates. The use of synthetic ion exchange compounds such as hydrotalcites and bentonites allows for the use of a broad range of corrosion inhibitors and enables “designer” corrosion protection. The use of these compounds also leads to the ability to sense remotely the uptake of water, which is important for barrier-type coatings.
Dr. Buchheit joined the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories in 1990 and joined the faculty in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 1997 as Associate Professor. He was promoted to Professor in 2003, and currently serves as Chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Ohio State. Dr. Buchheit has authored over 80 refereed publications, 13 patents and patent applications, and authored or edited 18 book chapters and proceedings volumes and given over 40 invited and keynote lectures and seminars.
He currently serves on the editorial boards for Corrosion journal, and Corrosion Engineering Science and Technology. He is a lecturer in short courses for professionals at Penn State University (corrosion), and the University of Mississippi (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), and is an active member of TMS, ACS, MRS, NACE, where he serves as Chair of the Research Committee, and The Electrochemical Society, where he serves as a member of the Corrosion Division Executive Committee. He is also an ABET evaluator for materials science and metallurgical materials programs.
