NACE Expo / Corrosion 2014
I’ll be heading off to Texas next week for CORROSION 2014. More than 6,000 corrosion professionals from around the world will convene in San Antonio to obtain information that is invaluable to their professions and share knowledge with their peers. NACE Expo at CORROSION 2014 will feature more than 380 companies displaying the latest in corrosion control products and services, which makes CORROSION 2014 the largest corrosion exhibition in the world.
The technical program and forums will address a wide range of corrosion topics, including corrosion management across all industries, corrosion issues related to carbon capture and storage, direct assessment techniques, and managing corrosion with polymers. According to my colleague, Don Mears, who is an expert oil and gas consultant, you should make sure you attend the Refining meetings. There are usually great discussions about problems in mechanical integrity involving every processing unit in the refinery. Don is a certified PMI trainer and offers training in Guidelines and Application Procedures for API RP 578, so I would take his advice.
I’m looking forward to talking with attendees who include handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzers in their best practices. These days, simply relying on spot testing of parts and subassemblies is too risky and totally unacceptable. Inspectors must confirm the integrity of process piping, valves, and reaction vessels, as well as rods and wire strands, finished welds and weld beads, bolts, rivets, and other fasteners.
For petroleum and petrochemical refining facilities, the emphasis on safety and accident prevention has never been greater — increased public scrutiny, stepped-up industrial safety regulations, and more stringent OSHA oversight and fines demand 100% positive material testing of all critical materials. This means that positive material identification (PMI) in alloys used throughout the physical plant is no longer a choice, but a necessity.
Because of these concerns, NACE has planned the conference to ensure attendees get the opportunity to learn the latest in regulations and standards impacting the corrosion industry. A Department of Transportation forum will cover specification and inspection issues, common problems on painting projects and how they can be handled, structural repairs, and more. The annual Corrosion and Punishment Forum provides insight into the legal side of corrosion control and the critical importance of complying with regulations. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Forum will present updates on rulemaking and give government and operator perspectives on regulations.
If all that legal talk starts to get overwhelming, just step out in the evening and explore the River Walk, a public park lined with restaurants, hotels, and attractions. It even offers a riverboat ride. Restaurants are plentiful in San Antonio and I look for the ones that serve beef ribs, which are a treat for us Northerners (since pork ribs are the usual fare in my locale). Don, however, is a native Texan and thinks you should try as many restaurants as you can because “The food here is the best in the World.”
If you get to spend an extra day in the area, you might want to visit the Alamo, a Spanish mission which is now an historic landmark and a memorial to those that played a role in the settlement of the U.S. Southwest. You can remember the Alamo… as long as you don’t forget to visit Booth 1924 and see the latest in XRF technology while you’re at the show.
Here’s a floor plan to help map out your visit to the exhibit area. Please stop by our booth and let me know if you see any BBQ sauce on my shirt.
Show Details
CORROSION 2014/NACE Expo
March 9-13, 2014
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
Booth 1924
San Antonio, Texas
http://events.nace.org/conferences/c2014/welcome.asp
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