Chasing Some Demons The first Part of a multi-Part Series Introduction: Tonsai/Railay is where stainless-steel anchors go to die. So, this is where it all began. Actually, I tell a lie, it began elsewhere, but, as far as notoriety within the climbing community is concerned, our story begins many years ago on the tropical beaches […]
Hmm! it appears we have A4 (316) SS failing on a sulphate crag? It’s time to measure stuff. Many thanks to Simon Alden for the sample and photographs. This story comes from the sea cliffs of Malta. Whilst I don’t have significant geochemical sampling for Malta, I have every reason to believe the Mediterranean location […]
Occasionally we see evidence for the diffusional path of hydrogen. Many thanks to Luis Fernandes Silva for the photos and sample. I was skimming through some photos that Luis sent me a few years ago when one in particular, from Sesimbra del Drento, caught my eye. This crag is a high-sulphate, sea cliff where the […]
The sulphate cliffs of Cabo da Roca demolish stainless steel. This fixed hanger is an exception. Many thanks to Luis Fernandes Silva for the sample. To date, the main thrust of this blog has been to attribute the extreme corrosivity of sulphate crags to the action of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB). It has been observed […]
Origin of Sulphur The sixth part of a multi-part series Introduction: It has been my observation that, almost without exception, highly corrosive sea cliffs are associated with very high levels of sulphate, either coating the rock surface, or oozing from the groundwater. Further to this fact is the observation that, in almost all cases, an […]
An example of an SS anchor chain exhibiting marked resistance to SRB attack Many thanks to Luis Fernandes Silva for the sample. On previous occasions I have reported on the sulphate-rich sea cliffs of Cabo da Roca. They are notorious for the aggressive corrosion of low grade austenitic stainless steels such as 304 (A2). Sulphate […]
Hydrogen Embrittlement THE FIFTH PART OF A MULTI-PART SERIES In conducting this work I have been greatly assisted by Luis Fernandes Silva and Rui Rosado who have provided multiple samples and photos for analysis. Luis has spent a great deal of time measuring spot-sulphate levels, and the pH profiles of the bolts that he has […]
Since the last post, events have overtaken your host that mean the already slow rate of posting is going to be even slower. Some three months ago I demonstrated my long held thesis that old climbers simply don’t see height as a hazard, and I took a long fall off an easy un-roped section I […]
We Find SRB Deep Inside the Bolt The fourth part of a multi-part series In conducting this work I have been greatly assisted by Luis Fernandes Silva and Rui Rosado who have provided multiple samples and photos for analysis. Luis has spent a great deal of time measuring spot-sulphate levels, and the pH profiles of […]
We Observe Brittle Fracture The third part of a multi-part series In conducting this work I have been greatly assisted by Luis Fernandes Silva and Rui Rosado who have provided multiple samples and photos for analysis. Luis has spent a great deal of time measuring spot-sulphate levels, and the pH profiles of bolts he has […]