Engineering professors receive PHMSA grants for pipeline corrosion research

Dr. Scott Lillard and Dr. Qixin Zhou, faculty members in the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering at The University of Akron (UA), have received grants from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Their research projects support PHMSA's mission to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives.

“Both awards from PHMSA not only underscore the strong research contributions within our department, but also emphasize the significance of corrosion science and engineering in both scientific and industrial domains,” said Dr. Jie Zheng, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering.

Lillard received $461,000 from PHMSA and an additional $70,000 commitment from their industrial partner, BP America, for his project titled “Rhamnolipid: a Bio-based, Ecologically Friendly, Corrosion Inhibitor and SRB Biocide for Crude Pipelines.”

This research is focused on utilizing rhamnolipids, a natural substance produced by bacteria, specifically Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to safeguard crude oil pipelines from corrosion and harmful bacteria. The project aims to: 1) Identify the optimal concentration of rhamnolipid required to prevent corrosion and mitigate harmful bacteria in water resembling oil field conditions, 2) Compare the efficacy of different rhamnolipid structures (mono vs. di) and assess the potential benefits of a combination of both, 3) Investigate how rhamnolipids interact with the oily components of pipelines and their impact on corrosion prevention, and 4) Confirm research findings by conducting measurements on actual crude oil samples.

"I am grateful to PHMSA for their support and could not be more pleased about collaborating on this project with my two colleagues Dr. Luke Ju and Dr. Bi-min Zhang Newby. I am also grateful for the support of our industrial collaborator, BP America,” said Lillard. “There are more than 190,000 miles of liquid petroleum pipelines here in the United States and being able to contribute to PHMSA's mission is one of the reasons I enjoy being a corrosion engineer.”

Zhou’s PHMSA project is titled “A Novel Reliability-Based Approach for Assessing Pipeline Cathodic Protection Systems in External Corrosion Management,” with a total award amount of $735,723.

This research project introduces an innovative, reliability-focused approach to evaluate the effectiveness of cathodic protection in managing external corrosion in pipelines. The project involves integrating various critical pipeline data to create probabilistic models for corrosion prediction and corrosion management. As a co-principal investigator (co-PI) of this project, Zhou is collaborating with the PI at Marquette University. The research team will also partner with pipeline companies to integrate field databases and industrial practical expertise into the proposed research.

“I am very excited to know this collaborative project is funded by PHMSA,” remarked Zhou. “Understanding pipeline corrosion is essential for pipeline integrity through effective corrosion management.”

Lillard is a professor and Carboline Chair in Corrosion in the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering. He has served as an editor or co-editor of four peer-reviewed journals, most recently as associate editor for the Journal of the Electrochemical Society (Corrosion TIA). He is also a Fellow of NACE International. His research is in the area of environmental degradation with emphasis on crevice corrosion, transport processes in localized corrosion, galvanic corrosion, corrosion of buried pipelines, corrosion and environmental fracture in nuclear reactors and hydrogen effects in metals.

Zhou is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering at UA. She has extensive research experience in coating development, coating characterization, and corrosion analysis. Her research focuses on sustainable coatings, functional coatings, and simulation and monitoring of pipeline corrosion.

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• Explore our programs in Chemical, Biomolecular and Corrosion Engineering at UA.
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Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or cboyd@uakron.edu.