Environment quality, clean energy and worldwide water scarcity have been established today as central disciplines in modern science, engineering and technology. The innovative desalination technology of saline water (SW) contributes to alleviate these problems by producing fresh water from SW, mainly seawater and brackish water. Desalination plants (DPs) have a high level of corrosion risk as they handle and process aggressive SW under severe operating conditions, which include filtration, heat exchange, distillation, evaporation, agitation and circulation and high flow velocities, often turbulent. These SW, that is, sea, brackish and brines, cause localized corrosion such as pitting, crevice, galvanic and stress corrosion. In addition, biological fouling and mineral scaling are frequent nuisances that alter the equipment surface performance and induce corrosion. Two main technologies are used to obtain potable water and a brine for disposal: thermal evaporation and membrane separation, called reverse osmosis. The main way to minimize corrosion is the correct selection of corrosion-resistant materials for the fabrication of DP equipment, structures, installations and machinery. To protect the DP materials, industrial paints, polymeric coatings and rubber linings compatible with the DP fluids are applied. Cathodic protection with sacrificial anodic metals and/or impressed direct electrical current and corrosion inhibitors are supplied.

Concrete is a composite material, composed of cement, sand, gravel and water, reinforced with steel bars or mesh. It is used for the construction of infrastructure assets such as airports, dams, ports, bridges and road ways. Polymer concrete is a relative new material containing a thermosetting resin (instead of water) displaying improved mechanical strength, low permeability, greater corrosion resistance and higher durability. It is employed for new construction and old concrete reparation in the chemical, food, fertilizer, mine and civil industries. Polymer concrete pipe specimens, reinforced with glass-fibers were prepared and exposed in a salt spray (fog) chamber, operating with a NaCl solution, following ASTM standard B-117-11. The deterioration effects were assessed by testing the physical and mechanical properties, before and after the exposure in the spray chamber, in accordance with standard ASTM D3039-2013. Corrosion resistance was evaluated applying ASTM standard C876-2013. The result of this work are presented, illustrated and discussed.