Graham Wood. 6 February 1934—4 November 2016

Abstract

Graham Wood was a world-leading corrosion scientist who bridged both the aqueous (electrochemical) corrosion and high-temperature oxidation branches of the subject. His analytical predictions of depletion and enrichment profiles in substrate and scale during preferential oxidation have long been confirmed in practice. He also demonstrated that transient oxides can be vital solid lubricants in oxidative friction and wear processes. He elucidated ionic transport in amorphous anodic films, leading to precise models of pore initiation, development and closure, thus allowing the strict design of anodic films for practical application. He set up, and headed, the Corrosion and Protection Centre at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and was instrumental in initiating the Corrosion and Protection Centre Industrial Service, which, respectively, became the world's largest academic centre on the study of materials degradation and the world's largest corrosion consulting organization. While keeping active in research, he held increasingly senior administrative roles, where he established a specialist graduate school and helped prepare UMIST to full independence from the Victoria University of Manchester.