A Taste of the Wild West at AMPP 2023 in Denver!

April 18, 2023

The annual AMPP (formerly NACE and SSPC) corrosion and materials protection conference headed out to the Old West this year for several days of intensive networking and exploration of corrosion control technologies March 19th 23rd in Denver, Colorado. With attendance apparently continuing to grow after pandemic interruptions, it was a great time to get a fresh perspective on the industry, reconnect with many of you, our colleagues, and take some moments to enjoy a taste of the Wild West!

On the technical side, the menu of interesting lectures was so abundant that there was not enough time to take everything in. Members of our lab enjoyed learning about everything from electrochemical techniques, to CUI, to H2S, to new raw materials and trends that will be helpful in ongoing Cortec® R&D. A highlight of the technical talks was Dr. Behzad Bavarian’s presentation of research on using Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors and Surface Applied Corrosion Inhibitors to minimize deterioration of concrete in environments at high risk for Microbiologically Induced Corrosion (MIC), a common problem in sewer systems. Also of note was the role of Cliff Cracauer (Cortec® EVP Sales & Marketing) as chair of the “Corrosion Inhibitor Application on Metallic Surfaces” symposium. Further representing Cortec’s technical contribution, a session of the SC-13 Corrosion Monitoring and Measurement Committee shared about progress on updates to the NACE TM-0208 VIA test standard, a project that Cortec® Laboratory Manager Pavlo Solntsev has been helping the committee with over the last year.

It was great to see many familiar faces, including Khalil Abed, General Manager of Cortec® Middle East, who is a newly elected member of the AMPP Board of Directors. We also had many great conversations at the booth about current projects and some exciting leads for future endeavors. It was especially heartwarming to see those who stopped by for their annual visit to the booth—one Cortec® fan is a military veteran who is a satisfied user of Cortec® preservation materials and comes every year to get his new VpCI® Emitter supply for his gun case!

This year, a special treat for the Cortec® family and a few guests was an intimate dining experience with Wild West flavor at the Buckhorn Exchange restaurant. This historic establishment is the oldest restaurant in Denver, started in 1893 by Henry H. “Shorty Scout” Zietz, a friend of “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Chief Sitting Bull. A museum in its own right, the Buckhorn Exchange boasts 500 wild game mounts, a 125-piece gun collection, and other artifacts displayed throughout. Guests over the last 130 years have included four presidents, Hollywood legends, and astronauts—not to mention the many railroaders, miners, gamblers, and businessmen who ate and drank there in early days. Many dishes on the menu remain the same, and Cortec’s team enjoyed choosing from an exotic selection of elk, buffalo, and wild meats not typically encountered in everyday dining!

Next year, we will be reuniting March 3rd-7th in New Orleans for AMPP 2024, when we look forward to celebrating a special milestone of Boris’s 50th anniversary with the legacy NACE organization! Mark your calendar now to join us!

Keywords: AMPP, Cortec at AMPP, Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors, Surface Applied Corrosion Inhibitors, microbiologically induced corrosion, common problem in sewer systems, corrosion inhibitor, Cortec Middle East, preservation materials, Buckhorn Exchange Restaurant

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