One of the main ways to protect steel against corrosion is by the galvanizing process. This process has been continuously developed and its first optimization was performed by the addition of Aluminum in the coating. As a result, Zn-5wt.%Al and 55wt.%Al-Zn coatings were developed. Recently, the search for increased corrosion resistance led to the development of zinc coating with the addition of magnesium and aluminum. In this work, a comparative study of the corrosion resistance of zinc coated steel and Zn-2wt.%Al-1wt.%Mg alloy coated steel was performed. Samples were exposed to immersion corrosion tests in 0.1 M NaCl electrolyte and were analyzed by using SEM, XDR and EIS. On zinc-coated steel, the steel substrate was attacked after 48 days of immersion, while on Zn-2wt.%Al-1wt.%Mg coated steel, the steel substrate showed corrosive process after 90-day of immersion. The corrosion product formed from Zn-2wt.%Al-1wt.%Mg coated steel is the main cause of its better corrosion resistance compared to zinc coated steel.

The influences of temperature and chloride content on the corrosion resistance of stainless steels (SS) in acid solution were investigated employing polarisation curves (PC) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Although the duplex SS presented a higher pitting resistance equivalent number than that of 316L SS, the PC for the duplex SS in solution containing 250 ppm chloride ions showed a surprisingly large positive hysteresis loop, suggesting that there was damage to the passive film caused by localised intergranular corrosion at 120^oC. In contrast, it was interesting to note that the 316L SS immersed in an acid solution containing 250 ppm chloride did not exhibit pitting corrosion. The oxides naturally formed on both steels at open circuit potential at 120^oC had double layer structures and their thicknesses were obtained from constant phase element calculations.

Rivers in the Amazon have among the greatest biodiversity in the world. The Xingu River, one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, has a length of 1640 km, draining 510,000 km² in one of the most protected regions on the planet. The Middle Xingu region in Brazil has been highly impacted by mining and livestock farming, leading to habitat fragmentation due to altered water quality. Therefore, comparing two rivers (the preserved Xingu River and the impacted Fresco River) and their confluence, the aims of the present study were to (1) assess the land uses in the hydrographic basin; (2) determine the water quality by measurements of turbidity, total solids, and metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, and Hg); (3) compare the zooplankton biodiversity; and (4) to evaluate the avoidance behavior of fish (Astyanax bimaculatus) when exposed to waters from the Xingu and Fresco Rivers. Zooplankton were grouped and counted down to the family level. For the analysis of fish avoidance, a multi-compartment system was used. The forest class predominated at the study locations, accounting for 57.6%, 60.8%, and 63.9% of the total area at P1XR, P2FR, and P3XFR, respectively, although since 1985, at the same points, the forest had been reduced by 31.3%, 25.7%, and 27.9%. The Xingu River presented almost 300% more invertebrate families than the Fresco River, and the fish population preferred its waters (>50%). The inputs from the Fresco River impacted the water quality of the Xingu River, leading to reductions in local invertebrate biodiversity and potential habitats for fish in a typical case of habitat fragmentation due to anthropic factors.