Corrosion Monitoring Solution: The Novel New Ultra-Sensitive Corrosion Sensor

Ultra-Sensitive Corrosion Monitoring Solution Corrosion Sensors

from iButtonLink and Jointly Developed with IBM Research
                                

Corrosion rates are identified by an electrical resistance to the thin film on the corrosion wafer. Corrosion sensors are used to evaluate the rate of corrosion, since this is a vital factor in predicting critical moments in an application's lifetime. Current corrosion sensor solutions produce corrosion rate data in 30-day intervals, which results in a lack of insight about real-time corrosion rate and the impact on electronics.

iButtonLink and IBM Research, through a joint development agreement, have produced an ultra-sensitive corrosion sensor for monitoring real-time corrosion data. Corrosion coupons have small metal wafers with a precision thinness of 1.5µm (micrometers). 10-minute measurements produce a real-time corrosion rate accuracy of 1Å (angstroms) per day -- an accuracy produced by no other corrosion monitoring solution on the market today. The 1.5µm thickness of the metal wafer gives coupons an expected lifetime of up to seven years at a corrosion rate of 300Å per month. iButtonLink corrosion coupons are easily replaceable, ensuring low-maintenance and increased application uptime.

Real-Time Corrosion Insight

Corrosion, as an invisible threat, is a potential problem that often remains unnoticed. Gaining real-time insight about the impact of your environment’s corrosion rate allows you to be confident that equipment is safe in the environment you created. As environments are constantly changing, monitoring corrosion data in real-time is a key factor that no corrosion-monitoring solution has achieved until now. Access to real-time monitoring of the impact of corrosion allows users to plan and prepare for critical moments in an application's lifetime.

IBM Research Case Study

IBM Research completed a case study at a South American data center located near a heavily traveled roadway. The results were predictable and astounding, and all performed within a handful of hours rather than the industry standard of 30 days. 

Insight

This data center was experiencing an increase in its electronic hardware failures. At that time, industry standard 30-day corrosion coupon samples could not accurately find the problem. A need to monitor changes in real-time would benefit the data center operators as it could adjust applications and hardware to reduce corrosion decay in its products. 

Faster Insight Access

The Corrosion Monitoring Solution has ultra-sensitive corrosion coupons that allow monitoring in real-time, which showed that rush-hour traffic caused an increase of corrosive elements in the outside air used to cool the facility. Monitoring these effects in real-time allowed the data center to know exactly when outside air could be used for cooling and when instead to utilize filtered air systems. Current industry standard solutions would only show that kind of data after it was too late. 

A Full Sensing Solution

Silver and Copper Corrosion Rate Sensors

 Copper Corrosion Wafer                                                          Silver Corrosion Wafer

Corrosion Monitoring Solution corrosion coupons use copper and silver wafers, which are the most commonly used metals inside electronics and are the most vulnerable to corrosion damage. The corrosion coupons are constantly measuring and monitoring the changing levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide (SO2 and NO2), which directly influence the rate of decay in electronics.

Interchangeable and Replaceable

Corrosion Monitoring Solution corrosion coupon wafers are placed into a Corrosion Monitoring Base. As corrosion rates vary, so will the lifetime of the corrosion coupons. A seven-year lifetime is expected for Corrosion Monitoring Solution corrosion sensors in a 300Å per month corrosion rate environment. With this in mind, Corrosion Monitoring Solution coupons are easily replaceable by removing the top four screws and carefully replacing the coupon within top panel of the corrosion base. 

Additional iButtonLink Sensors

Differences in temperature, humidity, airflow, and other environmental elements, such as ozone, all contribute to the rate of corrosion. Additional iButtonLink sensors provide the advanced knowledge needed to discover the full effect of corrosive elements in the user's environment.

iButtonLink currently provides temperature; humiditytemperature and airflow; temperature and AC current; temperature and DC current; and temperature and light sensors that can be coupled with the Corrosion Monitoring Solution. iButtonLink also can provide customized sensor solutions. For questions on how we can best fit your sensing needs, please contact sales@iButtonLink.com

Wired and Wireless Sensor Network Options Fit for any Need

The Corrosion Monitoring Solution is available in both wired and wireless options. The corrosion sensors will work in tandem with both options. 

Wired Sensor Networks

Wired sensors provide a network that will remain consistently reliable after installation.

Shown below is a simple example of a wired corrosion network connecting the sensors to a LinkHub-E using a SS-Corrosion Base. The LinkHub-E then connects to a computer directly through the Ethernet port or through the LAN. 

A LinkHub-S also can be used to connect the sensors to the SS-Corrosion Base. The Link-Hub-S connects to a computer through a serial port (or serial port adaptor), 

Wireless Sensor Networks

iButtonLink wireless networks come equipped with BlueMote™ sensors, which have been hailed as a “novel wireless sensing platform” by IBM Research. BlueMotes™ use a low-power WirelessHART transmitter, allowing them to run on standard AA cell replaceable batteries with an estimated lifetime of five years. The wireless network has a single access point, allowing flexibility in network design and easily movable nodes that will not interrupt the network activity. Sensor networks can be customized to fit various facility spaces. 

Below is a simple wireless network with an iButtonLink RJ-45 Corrosion Base connected to a BlueMote™. For more information on what sensor options users can put on the BlueMote™ please visit our Wireless Collection

            

iButtonLink Sensors and IBM Research Software from iButtonLink

iButtonLink, through a technology licensing agreement with IBM Research, has released the software that calculates the algorithms in an innovative solution developed by IBM Research.  This software is called Measurement and Management Technology (MMT). MMT provides users with a 3D floor-to-ceiling view of a facility space, including environmental factors such as humidity, corrosion, hot spots and others that could be disrupting applications. 

Complete Solution

MMT brings insight to critical moments in an application's lifetime from corrosion decay. This allows planning for potential application downtime. While some downtime in a facility is expected, knowing when and how to prepare for downtime is beneficial. MMT can help users effectively monitor and manage facilities, keeping applications running in harmony. 

To discover how our Corrosion Monitoring Solution can work for you, contact sales@iButtonLink.com or call iButtonLink at 262-662-4029.