We are interested in studying the degradation of materials for different applications including, oil and gas industry, nuclear facilities, reinforced concrete, stent corrosion fatigue and other forms of corrosion. Our long-term goal is to identify and characterize the scientific mechanisms specific to our principal areas of research.
Welcome to the UTSA Corrosion Research Laboratory!
The UTSA Corrosion Research Laboratory is led by Prof. Brendy C. Rincon Troconis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Our research focuses on material degradation, specifically on environmentally assisted cracking, atmospheric corrosion, corrosion in harsh environments, localized corrosion, and corrosion in reinforced concrete.
Our research laboratory is located in the BioScience and Engineering building (BSE 0.216A) at UTSA’s main campus. We welcome new project ideas, collaborators, and student volunteers, so please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We are interested in studying the degradation of materials for different applications including, oil and gas industry, nuclear facilities, reinforced concrete, stent corrosion fatigue and other forms of corrosion. Our long-term goal is to identify and characterize the scientific mechanisms specific to our principal areas of research.
Research Capabilities
Electrochemical/Mechanical/Spectroscopy/Microstructural testing for a wide range of corrosion related topics, such as Stress Corrosion Cracking, Atmospheric Corrosion, Passivation, Coating Adhesion, Pitting, and others.
— Andrew Carnegie
Prof. Brendy Rincon Troconis is an Assistant Professor at the Mechanical Engineering Department, as well as an adjunct professor in the Civil and Engineering Department at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She earned her B.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering with Summa Cum Laude honors from Universidad del Zulia in Venezuela and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from the Ohio State University while working at the Fontana Corrosion Center. Prior to joining UTSA, she was a Research Associate at the Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering at the University of Virginia. Her research has been funded by NACE International, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Southwest Research Institute, Office of Naval Research, Chemetall BASF, Twin Hawks Inc., among others. Her work has focused on the area of aqueous corrosion, including stress corrosion cracking; hydrogen embrittlement; coating adhesion; localized corrosion; atmospheric corrosion; corrosion inhibitors; and corrosion in reinforced concrete. Her work has been published in recognized journals such as Corrosion, Materials Science & Engineering: A, Scientific Reports, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, Progress in Organic Coatings, Surface and Coatings Technology, and others. Prof. Rincon is also a wife and mother to three beautiful children (2, 3, and 6 year old).
Oladis Troconis de Rincón, Ph.DDr. Oladis Troconis de Rincón works since 1972 at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Zulia (LUZ), in Venezuela, where she was Founder and Former Director of the Centro de Estudios de Corrosión and currently continues as an Advisor. She is a Chemical Engineer and has a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Oklahoma University in the USA, is a Doctor in Fundamental and Applied Electrochemistry from the Universidad de los Andes in Venezuela and received a “Doctor Honoris Causa” from the Universidad del Zulia. |
Tasnia Fatima is currently a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at University of Texas at San Antonio. She completed her master’s from University of Texas at San Antonio in Spring 2015. Her past research field was aerospace engineering. She had been Teaching Assistant of Engineering Graphics and Design for two years where she used to teach Solid works to the undergrad students. She also designed parts in solid works for research purpose. Recently working under a project funded by Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Her research is related to atmospheric corrosion of stainless steel 316L. She also has experience with electrochemical testing and fatigue crack growth rate testing according to ASTM E647 standard. She has hands-on experience with MTS machine, Optical profilometer, Optical Microscope, Rockwell Hardness Tester, Potentiostat and so on. Her plans include looking for opportunities to find an internship where she will have industrial experience related to her research; learn more and enhance her skill as an engineer.
Nayab Ali began her academic career at Texas A&M University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences in Fall 2008. After completing her Bachelor’s degree she went on to pursue a graduate certificate in Applied Statistics from Texas A&M University in 2016, an Associate of Applied Science in Heating, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Technology from Austin Community College in 2018, and a second Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at San Antonio in Fall 2021. The following semester she joined the UTSA Corrosion Lab and is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Mechanics and Materials. Her current work involves the Twin Hawk project on metal coatings. Her interests are in applying corrosion to in the fields of Biomedical Sciences and HVAC.
I am an international student from Nepal. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from UTSA in May 2020. I want to use my engineering education in product development, the automotive/aerospace industries, or robotics after graduation.
Jorge Escribano is a Mexican foreign student pursuing a PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he previously received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. His current research focuses on corrosion in reinforced concrete, particularly the effectiveness of a green organic inhibitor in different types of steel rebar. His study involves conducting aqueous electrochemical experiments on steel rebars and analyzing the corrosion behavior of specimens of reinforced mortar under the same conditions. Jorge is enthusiastic in remaining in academia, becoming a professor, and enhancing the quality of education in his field of study. Still, he anticipates working in a structural firm to minimize the industry’s corrosion risks.
He is a Colombian chemical engineer (UNAL-Colombia) with an M.Sc in Material Science and Engineering (UNAM-México). He is currently enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. program at UTSA. His current work is understanding hydrogen embrittlement and the diffusional mechanisms of hydrogen through additive manufactured alloys. Additionally, he researches statistical methods and data analysis for corrosion experiments, corrosion health monitoring, and electrochemical and material characterization techniques.
Originally from Venezuela and with a background in Mechanical Engineering, he continued his education through studies at a higher level by pursuing an M.Sc. in Corrosion at Centro de Estudios de Corrosión (Corrosion Studies Center) at Universidad del Zulia in Venezuela, where he had the opportunity to take a wide range of engineering courses, all of which led him to develop a deeper interest on the principles associated with the interactions between engineering materials and the environment. Similarly, he was involved in a research project on the evaluation of Cathodic Protection efficiency under non-conventional coatings that enable the polarization of a structure when coating adhesion is lost in the presence of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria.
Asfia Tanjim Totini has completed her masters in Mechanical Engineering from University of Texas at San Antonio in Spring 2020. She was a Graduate Research Assistant in Corrosion Lab and worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in materials Lab at the same time. Her research topic was based on corrosion modeling of aerospace material. Specifically, she worked on corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement of ZnNi coated High Strength Steel 4340 under Atmospheric and Immersion Conditions.
Vangelina Osteguin is a biomedical engineer enroute to earn her master’s in mechanical engineering. Her past research experience as a biomedical engineer encompassed experimental mechanics, vascular biomechanics, and cardiovascular medical devices. Her current reseach has taken a turn into the corrosion sector, where she aims to understand how intergranular corrsion is affected by cyclic corrosive environments, which is a joint effort with Southwest Research Institute. Her interest in the medical field still stands with her plan to combine her new corrosion and material experience into improving the materials used for medical devices.
My name is Loreto J Dacio. I am a Master of Science in Civil Engineering student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, at which I have also completed my undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at in December of 2019. I am also an Engineer-in-Training in the state of Texas. My focus of study is on structural engineering and my research involves reinforced concrete corrosion mitigation through the use of an organic green corrosion inhibitor.
