I conduct research on the corrosion and corrosion protection of steels and non-ferrous metals, with the aim of improving the long-term reliability of metallic materials used in social infrastructure. In particular, I study the corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete using electrochemical techniques, focusing on how factors such as oxygen reduction, chloride ions, pH, oxide films, and corrosion products influence corrosion behavior.

One of the core technologies in my research is a unique high-oxygen reaction acceleration technique. In this method, metal specimens or mortar specimens containing embedded steel are placed in a pressure-resistant gas chamber and exposed to high-pressure oxygen. This increases the dissolved oxygen concentration near the metal surface and accelerates the oxygen reduction reaction, which often controls the overall corrosion rate. As a result, corrosion phenomena that would normally require months or years under conventional conditions can be reproduced within days to weeks. Using this technique, I have quantitatively evaluated the effects of concrete cover thickness, moisture conditions, chloride ions, pH, and oxide films on the corrosion of reinforcing steel. I have also shown that defects in the mill scale formed on reinforcing steel can act as initiation sites for corrosion.

This high-oxygen reaction acceleration technique is also being extended to the evaluation and development of corrosion-resistant materials and surface treatments. I am conducting performance evaluations of a novel corrosion-resistant reinforcing steel developed at NIMS, including comparisons with conventional steels and analyses of its corrosion mechanisms, with the aim of practical implementation. In addition, by taking advantage of the fact that the formation of protective films can be controlled by oxygen reduction, I am developing an accelerated process for producing corrosion-resistant zinc surfaces that exhibit more than ten times the corrosion resistance of bare zinc.

In addition to these studies, I investigate hydrogen ingress and hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels, aluminum alloys, and magnesium alloys. My research includes analyses of hydrogen entry associated with corrosion and wear, as well as the development of an electrochemical hydrogen permeation method using organic solvents that can be applied to highly corrosion-prone light metals. Through these approaches, I aim to clarify how oxide films and surface conditions affect hydrogen ingress and embrittlement behavior.