Sasha Viasasha

Sasha Viasasha is a professional writer with an eclectic background ranging across insurance, technology and science. She blogs on issues relating to business, culture and storytelling at Orlyus.com.

Articles by Sasha Viasasha

• Counting down the 10 most charismatic Porsches on film

  Monday, August 18, 2014

  ​They represent some of the most memorable characters on four wheels. They are the Porsches of Hollywood. Even if some of these are stunt cars that aren't quite Porsches on the inside, there is no substitute on the outside.

• Why gas analysts say the Appalachian is ‘biggest, baddest basin there is’

  Friday, June 13, 2014

  There is definitely something big hiding beneath the Appalachians, but it might not be what you'd expect. The Wall St. Journal reported last October that the Marcellus Shale region under Pennsylvania and West Virginia is producing more natural gas than all of Saudi Arabia. It's pumping out 12 billion cubic feet per day, six times the production rate of five years ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

• 5 must-track metrics for practice profitability

  Tuesday, May 13, 2014

  Collecting data is essential for analyzing practice revenue and determining what changes can be made to increase profitability. The secret is to collect the right data to successfully determine what needs to be changed to increase total profit.

• Corrosion on the International Space Station

  Tuesday, April 29, 2014

  ​Space: the final frontier — for corrosion engineering. Keeping individuals alive and functional on board the International Space Station (ISS) requires an incredibly complex system of life-support machinery and equipment monitoring.

• A growing problem: Stray current and light rail

  Tuesday, February 04, 2014

  As U.S. cities expand rapidly, light rail transit (LRT) projects are beginning to develop all around the country. At the same time, the problem of stray current from LRT lines is becoming a serious concern as people and transit systems vie for control of valuable downtown real estate.

• The impact of macrocells on underwater corrosion

  Tuesday, January 21, 2014

  ​Corrosion due to macrocells is a serious threat to certain types of structures, especially in the ocean. New developments have recently shed light on how macrocells form in hollow undersea structures and what engineers can do to mitigate their effects.

• How to mitigate risks in your supply chain

  Wednesday, January 08, 2014

  If there were no risks, there would be no rewards. Yet customers do not pay for explanations. They demand a steady supply of goods no matter what your individual risks are. Although risk is just part of the equation when it comes to logistics, successful companies are able to minimize risks by planning for the unexpected. From weather to world events, there is a great deal of volatility at every step along a complex supply chain. Here is a breakdown of how to identify those risks before they arise, how to assess their impact and ultimately how to overcome them.

• Titanium vs. tungsten: Which is the most resistant to corrosion?

  Wednesday, December 04, 2013

  Steel has ruled the world for two centuries because it's relatively cheap and tough, but there are times when steel is just not tough enough. Recently, a full variety of custom-designed alloys has come to light — original ceramic composites and nanofabricated materials, like carbon nanotubes, that have been engineered to withstand specific pressures or environments. However, when engineers need to deploy the overall strongest metal to handle a wide range of stressors and corrosive threats, there are only two serious contenders: titanium and tungsten.

• Stopping hydrogen embrittlement and preventing disaster

  Monday, November 18, 2013

  ​Water vapor makes up between 1-5 percent of air on average, delivering a one-two-three punch of oxidation, hydrogen blistering and embrittlement. Hydrogen embrittlement has proven itself particularly dangerous. Catastrophic structural failures that result from it have been at the root of the majority of the nautical and aerospace disasters over the past few decades.

• Which reference electrode for which environment?

  Tuesday, November 12, 2013

  ​Understanding the role of various reference electrodes is fundamental to performing electrochemical testing for corrosion. The reference electrode carries a fixed potential against which the working electrode in the surface being tested is measured. There are many choices in reference electrodes, though, and the environmental stressors are key in deciding which one to use.

• Is Mars rusted?

  Tuesday, October 22, 2013

  The simple answer is likely “yes,” but the most accurate answer is “no one knows.” The red hue of Mars comes from a fine layer of iron oxide that has gone through a transformation similar to rust, but in the absence of oxygen and water. What exactly that means is a matter of heated debate. We need to find the answer quickly, however, because there are at least 14 independent missions to Mars in development right now, and the closest repair shop will be 34 million miles away.

• The big news in corrosion prevention is very, very small

  Wednesday, October 16, 2013

  ​For decades, nanotechnology has held out a great deal of promise for preventing corrosion, along with a host of other wonders, but the practical applications have always been stalled by the high cost of production.

• Hollow-tube steel: An effective weapon in the war against corrosion

  Tuesday, October 01, 2013

  ​Perhaps the most villainous enemies of commercial building projects are the two most basic elements of our environment: air and water. In response, urban planners have deployed a material that has shown some promising results as an inhibitor to oxidation. Sites around the world, from France to Japan, have successfully used hollow-tube steel in construction projects, and some have lasted for decades in extremely corrosive environments.

• Preventing a BLEVE: 5 beliefs that are commonly misunderstood

  Wednesday, September 18, 2013

  ​Corrosion is relentless. Thanks to the second law of thermodynamics, things fall apart and the existence of oxygen in the air is enough cause for corrosion to set in. One of the biggest reasons for aboveground storage tank owners to get a handle on corrosion is that the weakened state of the tank builds uneven pressure, leading to a worst case scenario – the BLEVE.