Meet Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, FASM, FASM

Dr. Zamanzadeh is a materials specialist with over 25 years of practical experience in the fields of failure analysis, corrosion engineering and protective coatings. He has worked with many different materials groups to determine the root cause of failure in materials related industries including:

• Electric Power
• Telecommunication
• Commericial Aircraft
• Oil & Gas
• Pipeline
• Shipping
• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Medical
   

Before becoming the Manager of the Materials Division of PSI in 1987, Dr. Zee functioned as the Senior Materials Specialist.  In 1993 he established Matco Associates, a consulting and testing firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The company was recently purchased by Valmont Industries and now goes under the name of Matco Services Incorporated. 

Dr. Zamanzadeh’s degrees include a B.S. and M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering as well as a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Pennsylvania State University.  He joined NIOC as a research fellow upon completion of his doctoral work in 1980.    In 1985 he joined Carnegie Mellon University in the capacity of a Post Doctoral Research Associate under a grant from IBM. 

Dr. Zamanzadeh is the recipient of the following awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the advancement of materials and corrosion engineering:

• Fellow Award - National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) 2008
• Fellow Award - American Society of Materials (ASM) 2007
• Colonel George C. Cox Award - Appalachian Underground Corrosion Short Course 2010
• Entrepreneur of the Year Award - American Society of Materials (ASM) 2004
• Outstanding Service Award - National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) 1996 

His certifications include the following NACE Certifications:

• NACE Certified Materials Selection/Design Specialist
• NACE Certified Coating Specialist
• NACE Certified Cathodic Protection Specialist
• NACE Certified Corrosion Specialist

Dr. Zamanzadeh is the past trustee of NACE (National Association of Corrosion Engineers), Pittsburgh Chapter, and the Chairman for ASM International, Pittsburgh Chapter.  Dr. Zamanzadeh has lectured and taught frequently on coatings, metallic and non-metallic materials including PVC pipes, failure analysis (fracture mechanics), coatings and materials selection for universities (University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State) technical societies (NACE, AFS, ASM and ASTM).  He has organized and lectured many annual seminars on metallic and non-metallic coatings, failure analysis methodology, materials characterization, and paint and coatings.  In addition, Dr. Zamanzadeh has been an invited speaker for EPRI’s (Electrical Power Research Industry) Corrosion and Degradation Conference, and has been an invited speaker at West Virginia University for the Appalachian Underground Short Course for the past several years. 

Over the past several years, Dr. Zamanzadeh has undertaken a number of long term research projects under different grants.  They are as follows: the development and evaluation of powder coatings for corrosion applications, new environmentally friendly coatings for construction and commercial applications, electrochemical corrosion evaluation of implants, applications of coatings to increase fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance in natural environments; brazing and welding of metallic materials; characterization of construction materials using surface techniques; hot dip coating processes; surface segregation due to gas absorption in binary materials using AES; rubber lined carbon steel piping; novel accelerated tests for reliability/corrosion studies in powdered coated materials; and the development of new protective coatings for non-ferrous alloys.

Present Position:

Director of Matco Services, Inc., a leading, independent materials and corrosion engineering firm specializing in failure analysis, materials testing, cathodic protection, paint and coating analysis, R&D, the methods that are used to determine the root cause and mode of failure.  Often times, his efforts enabled the advancement of a product line that had become out-dated or a the resolution of a complex materials issue.  Examples of the work Dr. Zee has accomplished in the past years include:

• Follansbee Steel - Dr. Zee developed a product that replaced their lead containing alloy coating for architectural products (TCS(Pb/Sn)) with an environmentally friendly and improved product TCSII (Zn/Sn).
• US Airways - Dr. Zee has worked extensively to identify and resolve complex materials failures. I the area of dendritic growth, which causes short circuits in electronic components, he has solved numerous avionic failures in both Airbus and Boeing Aircraft. In addition, his analysis and identification of a serious galvanic corrosion problem within an interior wall saved US Airways approximately 10 million dollars in repair costs.
• Timet - Dr. Zee developed the “MATCO Bath ”, an important finishing process for titanium strip and 21S alloy that is used in the aerospace industry. He aslo developed methods to reduce or ultimately eliminate the generation of NOX, a noxious and hazardous gas emitted during the finishing process of titanium alloys.
• The Environmental Protection Agency - Dr. Zee developed the criteria for the assessment and protection of stainless steel components used in underground gasoline storage facilities in gas stations. This bench mark study resulted in guidelines that were incorporated by the EPA as standards to adhere to.
• Intri-Plex Technologies - Dr. Zee developed a high damping stainless steel for computer hard drives that increases damping capacity by 25%. This is a non-magnetic, corrosion-resistant alloy.
• Valmont Industries - Dr. Zee developed innovative corrosion monitoring and investigative techniques for high mass utility poles. This method enables the client to assess whether a structure should be repaired or replaced. He has also provided product and process improvements for enhanced corrosion protection of their product.
• Aerospace Projects - General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce engines. 
• Training Programs - Carnegie Mellon, Pitt University and University of Akron ) on failure analysis and metallurgical investigations, and the establishment of three annual courses at the Appalachian Underground Corrosion Short Course Program held at West Virginia University.  He also teaches the following courses at Matco Services on an on-going basis.

Technical & Scientific Achievements:

1. Main investigator and developer of new alloy coating (US and European patent) that replaced Terne (Pb/Sn). The new alloy coating (TCSII) is environmentally safe and is corrosion resistant in salt environments. The alloy is applied by hot dip process at Follansbee Steel.

2. Main investigator in the process development (patented) for the application of this alloy coating (TCSII) on copper and stainless steel panels used for roofing and siding. The coated panels are widely used across North America and exported to other countries such as Japan and England

3. Determination of hydrogen diffusion of cadmium plated steel and the development of mathematical modeling for hydrogen diffusion through composite materials (DMZ Model).

4. Developed innovative corrosion monitoring and investigation techniques for utility and traffic poles. Provided product and process improvements for enhanced corrosion protection of client’s products.

With a customer base boasting over 6000 clients, including some of the world's largest companies in the United States and beyond, Matco Services has now become one of the only firms dedicated to resolving the often times complex materials engineeing concern for a large variety of industry.  Some oof Matco's better known clientele include: Alcoa, Allegheny Power, Amtrak, BF Goodrich, Babcock & Wilcox, Bechtel Bettis, Bombardier, Calgon Corporation, Campbells Soup, Carboline, Certainteed, All Clad Metals, Columbia Gas, Consol Energy, DBT America, Delphi Electronics and Safety, Dynamet, Equitable Gas, Eveready Batteries, First Energy, Follansbee Steel, GE Aircraft Engine, GE Consumer & Industrial, GE Energy Commercial Transformer, GE Energy Gas Turbines, GE Global Research, GE Transportation, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Honda, Honeywell, IBM, Intel Corp., KTA Tator, Marconi Communications, Military Sealift Command, Mine Safety and Health Administration, NASA Lewis Research Center, New York Power, North Coast Gas, Orion Power, Pennsylvania Water Company, Port Authority, PPG Industries, Revere Copper, Rite Aid Pharmacy, Siemens Westinghouse, Sony, State of Maine Dept. of Transportation, The Techs, Timet, US Army Corp of Engineers, US Coast Guard, US Dept. of Labor, US Postal Service, Union Tank Car, Unisys, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Nevada Mines, University of New Orleans, US Customs, US Airways, US Steel, Valmont, Verizon, WD-40, Weirton Steel, Winner Steel and Washington DC Metro.