Corrosion studies on the USS Arizona with application to a Japanese midget submarine

Abstract

Over the last 40 years, there has been a discernible increase in the number of scholars who have focused their research on early industrial organizations, a field of study that has come to be known as Archaeotechnology. Archaeologists have conducted fieldwork geared to the study of ancient technologies in a cultural context and have drawn on the laboratory analyses developed by materials scientists as one portion of their interpretive program. Papers for this department are solicited and/or reviewed by Michael Notis, a professor and director of the Archaeometallurgy Laboratory (www.Lehigh.edu/~inarcmet) at Lehigh University. The assessment of corrosion on the USS Arizona included the pioneering development of a minimum-impact costeffective technique to determine the corrosion rate of steel-hulled shipwrecks in seawater. The technique, with potential application worldwide, is illustrated in this paper with the application to a World War II Japanese midget submarine submerged in deep waters off the Oahu, Hawaii, coast.

Corrosion Rate Trajectories of Concreted Iron and Steel Shipwrecks and Structures in Seawater—The Weins Number

“…Significance of the ratio in marine corrosion of concreted Fe and steel was first revealed by comparison of the directly measured in situ corrosion rate on the USS Arizona submerged in shallow seawater and the Japanese Midget Submarine sunk by the USS Ward on December 7, 1941, submerged in 1,300 ft (400 m) of water. [6][7] Corrosion rate calculations were based upon in situ measurements and concretion analysis comparable to the Arizona. The ratio of the Arizona corrosion rate, when divided by a theoretical rate calculated from oxygen available at the metal surface, was nearly 20 times greater than the corresponding ratio of the midget submarine.…”

Balancing Historic Preservation, Science, and the Environment in Underwater Cultural Heritage Site Management: Long-Term Management Strategies for the Sunken Battleship USSArizona

“…It also directly measured corrosion rate by sampling Arizona's hull steel and measuring the amount of steel lost since the vessel sank. Finally, the corrosion study developed a novel way to analyse the concretion covering Arizona's hull as a minimum-impact way to predict corrosion rates in locations where we cannot directly measure steel loss (Johnson et al, 2006a;2006b;Russell et al, 2006;Wilson et al, 2007). Corrosion rates determined by the project corrosion study were the most important elements in the FEM for accurately predicting structural deterioration sequence and rate.…”

“…UNL researchers developed fi gure 6 Cross-section of USS Arizona's midship at frame 75 showing hull coupon locations. Graphic: NPS-SRC an alternative methodology for use on USS Arizona, known as Concretion Equivalent Corrosion Rate (CECR), which has proven itself in this and other applications to be a minimum-impact approach for assessing corrosion rate (Johnson et al, 2006a;2006b;Russell et al, 2006;Wilson et al, 2007). Rather than directly measuring hull steel, the CECR methodology measures chemical characteristics of the hull concretion (specifi c weight per unit area of concretion (density × thickness) and total iron in concretion in weight per cent (%Fe)), and from that derives estimated corrosion rate in a particular location.…”

“…We designed the ongoing project to be multi-year, interdisciplinary, and cumulative, with each aspect of the study contributing to basic research required to make informed management decisions for Arizona's long-term preservation (Murphy & Russell, 2008;Russell et al, 2004). The project was also designed to be a model for underwater cultural heritage site management internationally, specifi cally for historic ferrous vessels leaking contaminants into the environment, and to produce results directly applicable to the preservation and management of historical iron and steel vessels worldwide (e.g., Jeffery, 2004;Wilson et al, 2007). Although this project is focused on addressing management concerns and collecting data necessary to make informed management decisions regarding USS Arizona, we planned and conducted the research project within an archaeological framework and in the broader context of the archaeology of the Pearl Harbor attack (Delgado, 1992;Gould, 2000: 290-98;Lenihan, 1989b;Rodgers et al, 1998).…”

Investigating archaeological site formation processes on the battleship USS Arizona using finite element analysis

“…In addition, we intended the project to serve as a model for interdisciplinary, science-based management of underwater cultural heritage that has direct application for studying historical iron and steel vessels worldwide (e.g. Wilson et al, 2007).…”