2005 F.N. Speller Award Lecture: Atmospheric corrosion - Research, testing, and standardization

The atmosphere forms the most widespread corrosive environment. Corrosion protection and damage caused by atmospheric corrosion are important burdens on society's economic life. The Czech specialists have actively participated in solving theoretical and engineering problems of atmospheric corrosion and protection against it over the last 50 years. Results from these studies are summarized, with special attention being paid to the presentation of goals and the results of worldwide modem international programs. The International Standardization Organization (ISO) technical committee "Corrosion of Metals and Alloys" was active in developing standards for atmospheric corrosion testing and atmospheric corrosivity classification. An approach to define these standards and the use of information on corrosivity of the atmosphere for selection of materials and protective measures is presented.