Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice with me. Your insights into corrosion and materials are incredibly helpful, and I appreciate the detailed guidance you've provided. It's encouraging to hear that you started as a Mechanical Engineer as well and found a passion through years of experience and training. Your suggestions on on-the-job training and seeking mentorship are particularly helpful, and I will prioritize engaging with experienced professionals.
Thank you again for your support and encouragement. I look forward to continuing to grow my knowledge in this field.
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Original Message:
Sent: 01-29-2025 09:57 PM
From: Sreekar Parimi
Subject: Aspiring Corrosion Engineer: A Young Mechanical Engineer's Journey
Hi Troy,
I am also a Mechanical Engineer by degree and was in a similar situation early in my career. I later transitioned into Materials and corrosion through years of experience and training. Will share few things that might help.
Corrosion is a fascinating, highly interdisciplinary and complex. Of course all engineering disciplines are that. But compared to ME, this is more like complex chemistry with innumerable variables. I found out in early days, that has very few simple models derived from first principles. Even among those few, they are not as universally reliable and accepted as we tend to see in ME discipline. Not like PV or beam calculations or FEA analysis of specific parts. For same reason, it needs lots of experience, data and guidance. This makes it very challenging and fun.
The first good news is that you started discovering your interests early in career and second good news is you joined the right place, AMPP. Following are list of things you can do.
Formal: Academic training is not widely available. A&M, UoH and a few others offer something close to that. Even within industry, most courses are Corrosion fundamental courses. There isn't a single platform with multi-level training to my knowledge. I found the NACE Fundamentals of Corrosion course to be a great starter. Then look for a course that aims to impart skills directly relevant to your business line. Like MR0175 Course or paint selection or corrosion modeling of pipelines. I personally prefer the instructed led in-person courses instead of online ones…you get to meet the instructors and peer group.
Informal training: Keep learning fundamentals from NACE, ASM corrosion reference books. There is a wealth of information there for a lifetime. As a starter reference I recommend ASM Corrosion Vol 13. The old red book is fine since it's easy and cheap to acquire. New ones are broken into 3 volumes. If you can afford them through company or on your own, that's great. But its not necessary. I also like Fontana's Corrosion engineering book for basics. The little black book. It's wonderful to read and I carried it for few years to get a handle on modern corrosion theories. Overtime, you might have your own little library collection. I spent a good amount out of pocket money on this. But they were totally worth it. Apart from that, read AMPP-NACE Technical reports, recommended practices, standards relevant to your applications. They have a direct utility in your work. Then , there are many corrosion and materials magazines. Pick the ones that suits your industry and business line. Subscribe to corrosion journal and read with a critical mind. Engage with authors if you can.
On the Job training: Start with something from your work and explore those topics. That way, you can learn better by applying your formal or informal training. Your work on MR0175 excel sheets is a good example. Keep doing that. From there on, take up as many corrosion, material problems that you can in your work. If there is a material selection study or a corrosion analysis done by your firm or any sub contractor, expose yourself and see if you can engage. I put in a ton of hours picking up problems that no one wants to solve or knows how to solve. At one point, I was the Isolation gasket expert , then became insulation engineer, then a bolt coating expert. Not a complete expert, but something you know more than anyone else in the neighborhood. Through same process you could become a local sour service expert if you put enough time and effort into it. That can bring you more visibility and a recognition within your firm for that expertise. Be aware of limits of knowledge as it evolves and seek help.
Mentors: This is the single most important thing. Find mentor(s). Preferably in your own company or else outside or both. Preferably for Corrosion discipline. If not, may be a Principal process or Materials Engineer or a welding engineer who knows something about corrosion, environmental cracking. It takes months to years before all that effort begins to pay off. You still have to cross the Dunning-Kruger illusion of expertise at some point, where we might make some mistakes. So in early years, make sure your decisions get reviewed by experienced engineers. I asked a Principle welding engineer to teach me welding, materials in my second year of work. Went to see him for 2 years on weekly basis. There are always great people like that willing to teach. Only way to find out is to ask.
Participate: AMPP committees and Technical groups. Attend, participate, Volunteer in these. It's awesome to witness the industry experts debating the details. Listen , ask, absorb. In early years, you probably won't understand lot of these discussions. But over the years, the haze clears. Raise hand if there is call for volunteers. No age limits. Since all the attendees are volunteers, most of them are very encouraging and will help when you ask. The expertise you will see in these interactions is incredible.
Certifications: See Corrosion credentials from AMPP and how to accrue those. If you plan, they are good milestones on this journey.
Write and Publish: Writing is a great way to test the limits of our understanding. Write to the audience next to you, then your team, then your division and keep expanding the horizon. Teach when you can. That's another great way to keep ourselves clear-minded.
PE exam: This is debatable. PE exam does not exist for corrosion. But PE for material science includes corrosion. Whether you want to be corrosion alone or not, materials knowledge is indispensable for corrosion applications. The exam is rigorous and so is the preparation for passing it. So, its worth the training. But one can target alternative goals instead of spending time on this one. Explore and decide for yourself.
Seek relevant positions: Your ME background is always a strength. Once you put in enough time (couple of years), try to make your luck by seeking positions within or outside that require corrosion expertise or material decisions on daily basis. I can think of Quality engineer (NDE, paint), Corrosion and material testing labs (a great place to learn it hands on), Metallurgical groups, welding engineer etc. If possible, apprentice even earlier.
The list can go on. The short version is continuous learning from all forms and engaging with experts at all levels. Then find a title a role that requires you to use the skills.
Wish you good luck in your efforts.
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Sreekar Parimi
Houston TX
Original Message:
Sent: 01-28-2025 10:55 AM
From: Troy Bowen
Subject: Aspiring Corrosion Engineer: A Young Mechanical Engineer's Journey
Background on Me and My Aspirations to Become a Corrosion Engineer
My name is Troy Bowen, and I am a 24-year-old Mechanical Engineer working in the Oil & Gas Industry. I want to share my personal journey and seek advice on the next steps to advance my career.
I interned at LDIS, Tetra Tech as a Mechanical Drafter for two years while completing my Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Colorado Boulder. After earning my degree, I was promoted to a full-time Mechanical Engineer at LDIS. Recently, I developed an Excel tool based on NACE standards to determine if the service through piping and equipment is sour and if NACE material is required. Users simply input the gas composition, system pressure, and temperature, and the tool automatically calculates the pH level, partial pressures of H₂S and CO₂, whether the service is wet or dry, and if saturated water is present. It then generates a report that guides users through material selection for carbon steel (CS) and stainless steel (SS). I also created a selection tree guide for both CS and SS to help users choose the ideal material for their specific situation.
I developed this tool out of personal interest, which sparked my passion for corrosion engineering. I've reviewed numerous NACE codes and standards extensively. At 24 years old, I aspire to become a corrosion engineer and am curious about the steps I need to take to achieve this goal. Do I need more experience, or are there steps I can take right now to reach my objective?
Troy Bowen
Mechanical Engineer
5620 Ward Road Suite 200, Arvada, CO 80002
Phone: 720-431-7486
