who we are

We have created a market-tested, trade secret-protected technology that has helped numerous companies, large and small, over our two decades of experience.

Pair O Docs® Professionals L.L.C. was founded by Dr. Steve Tait and Dr. Susan Tait—both have Ph.D.'s—hence the name Pair O Docs®.

We are an engineering research, testing and consulting company whose anti-corrosion technology services include a) electrochemical corrosion testing, b) corrosion inhibitor development for corrosion prevention and control, c) consulting on failures associated with corrosion, and d) our Elements of Spray Package (Aerosol) corrosion short course, plus a primer on spray package corrosion.

Our office and laboratories are located in the High Point office park in Madison, Wisconsin.

Our Services

 

Electrochemical corrosion testing

Corrosion can be detected and measured with sensitive electronic instruments long before the corrosion can be seen under a microscope. Thus, electrochemical corrosion testing—when used with the appropriate protocols and models—provides accelerated results. Accelerated results allow faster-to-market product introductions at a significantly lower risk than the corresponding risk for conventional storage stability tests.

The Pair O Docs® Professionals state-of-the-art electrochemical corrosion laboratory has the capability for both small and large projects. Our Beaker-to-Boxcar programs provide a cost effective way to obtain a large number of corrosion test results for new and derivative products.

We conduct corrosion tests on:

  •    • All types of spray and aerosol packaging
  •         - Liquid product phase corrosion
  •         - Vapor phase corrosion
  •         - Aerosol valve corrosion
  •         - Laminated bags attached to aerosol valves
  •         - Plastic bottles with pumps and trigger sprayers
  •    • Packaging fabricated from laminated metal foils, such as toothpaste tubes
  •    • Food and beverage packaging
  •    • Chemical processing equipment, transfer piping, storage tanks, pumps, etc.
  •    • A wide range of coated and uncoated metals and metal alloys


      We developed a unique and proprietary advanced electrochemical test protocol for measuring and predicting coated metal pitting corrosion in liquids and vapors.


     
     

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    Corrosion Inhibitor development

    Corrosion inhibitors are often a cost effective way to transform corrosive formulas into a non-corrosive version of the formula. Dr. Steve Tait is certified by NACE International as a Corrosion Specialist, specializing in corrosion inhibitors. Pair O Docs® can help your develop a corrosion inhibitor in several ways, we could:

  •    1. Develop a corrosion inhibitor for you
  •    2. Screen potential inhibitors developed by your R&D personnel
  •    3. Optimize the inhibitor concentration range for your inhibitor or the one we develop for you


     
     

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    Investigating failures associated with corrosion

    Uncoated and coated metal failures are often associated with coating and metal corrosion. Dr. Steve Tait has decades of experience determining the root cause for metal and coated metal failures associated with corrosion. His past investigations include corrosion failures of:

  •    • Aerosol, food and pharmaceutical products using metal and laminated metal foil packaging
  •    • Chemical processing equipment
  •    • Painted metals
  •    • Coated metals and uncoated metals in a wide range of service environments


     
     

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    Elements of Spray Package short course

    Our signature Elements of Spray Package Corrosion course is taught at company locations. The course can be either taught in 1 1/2 days or 1 very long day. It is designed for all personnel who are involved with spray package (aerosol container) corrosion issues. Please contact Dr. Steve Tait at either mailto:rustdr@pairodocspro.com, or at 608-831-2076 if you would like to have this course taught at your facility.


     
     

     

    Primer on spray package corrosion

    A copy of our primer on Spray Package corrosion is also available on request. Please contact Steve if you would like a copy (We apologize, but copies will only be sent to company email addresses and not to Gmail or yahoo etc. addresses).


     
     

     

    Our Facility

    Pair O Docs® offices and laboratories are located in our 3,000 square foot facility at the High Point Office Park.

    Our laboratories include a state-of-the-art electrochemical corrosion testing laboratory. Our facility is dedicated to:

  •    • Corrosion testing for Clients
  •    • Corrosion consulting
  •    • Investigating failures involving corrosion
  •    • Research and development of electrochemical corrosion testing methods
  •    • Research and development on corrosion inhibitors


     
     


     
     

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    Our Beaker-to-Boxcar program

    • Beaker

      Your products are important. And in an ever-changing market, you need to get them to your consumers as quickly and as safely as possible.

    • Testing

      With the Pair O Docs® Professional proprietary Electrochemical Corrosion Testing Technology, you can save money and time through shorter testing periods.

    • Detection

      If problematic corrosion occurs during your testing period, you can initiate the Pair O Docs® Professionals proprietary Corrosion Inhibitor Process.

    • Inhibitor

      This resource can be implemented corporate-wide, and allows you to develop any product in metal packaging, to market, ensuring less waste and loss.

    • Scalable

      Numerous case studies in the market have provided us with proven results. Results that you, too, can use for your company’s corrosion testing needs.

    • Boxcar

      Don’t be left behind by outdated testing methods. Choose to take your company’s product testing needs to the next level with Pair O Docs® Professionals.

     

     

    Frequently asked questions

    What types of spray package (aerosol) corrosion are detected with Pair O Docs® electrochemical tests?

    Pair O Docs® unique and proprietary electrochemical protocols and test cells are able to detect and measure a) liquid phase corrosion, b) vapor phase corrosion, c) crevice corrosion, and d) interfacial corrosion. Our state-of-the-art instruments can detect corrosion long before it can be seen with a microscope. In addition, our proprietary models are able to distinguish between general corrosion and pitting corrosion in all areas of spray packages.

     

    How long is a spray package corrosion test?

    Testing on uncoated metals typically requires up to 35 days of testing. Testing on coated metals typically requires up to 95 days of testing.

     

    What is the hourly cost for electrochemical corrosion testing on spray packaging?

    We don't have an hourly rate for Pair O Docs® electrochemical corrosion tests because each test is a packaged project, designed to let the Client know a) if the product is corrosive to the chosen spray package, b) what type of corrosion is expected, c) what is the expected package service lifetime, and d) what is the risk. The cost for a project depends on a) the desired statistical confidence (statistical risk) in the test results, b) the chemical composition of the formula, c) the type of propellant, d) the ratio of propellant to product, and e) the type of spray package, such as aerosol, lined or unlined, bag attached to an aerosol valve, laminate foil tube, etc.. Please contact Steve to discuss your spray package corrosion testing needs.

     

    What is Pair O Docs® correlation between predictions from our electrochemical tests and actual spray package corrosion?

    Pair O Docs® has made over 800 direct comparisons between predictions from our electrochemical tests with actual metal/uncoated metal corrosion. Our aggregate correlation exceeds 99% between predicted corrosion and actual corrosion for both uncoated and coated metals.

     

    What materials are needed for a spray package corrosion test?

    A corrosion test on spray packaging requires the following materials a) new spray packages, b) new aerosol valves for aerosol containers, c) formula concentrate(s), d) non-LPG propellants, such as DME e) fill weight percentages for the propellant and formula concentrate and d) safety data information for each formula. The amounts of each material is provided when we are engaged for the project.

     

    Does Pair O Docs® provide expert witness services for litigation?

    Dr. Steve Tait is available for select expert witness projects. He provides consulting expert services and testifying expert services for select Clients. Expert services typically include a) review of all the complaint documents, b) physical and chemical analyses as needed, c) research d) reports and e) depositions/testifying. Please contact Steve if your are interested in our expert witness services.

     

     

    Our Team

    Biography for Susan Whitworth Tait, Ph.D.

    Dr. Susan Tait is the Executive Director and chief financial officer of Pair O Docs® Professionals L.L.C. She has a bachelor's degree in physics; a masters degree in administration and a Ph.D. in continuing professional education. Sue also provides lab support and research design plus coordinates the Pair O Docs® Elements of Spray Package Corrosion short course.

     

    Biography for William Stephen Tait, Ph.D.

    Dr. Steve Tait is the Chief Science Officer and Principal Consultant for Pair O Docs® Professionals L.L.C. Steve has a bachelor's degree in chemistry; a masters degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in materials engineering. His unique combination of experience and academic degrees provides a broad knowledge background for his and research in anti-corrosion technology and electrochemical corrosion testing.

    He has over 40 years of experience with all aspects of anti-corrosion technology, and investigating failure of metal structures associated with corrosion. Steve developed numerous corrosion prevention and control programs for food and aerosol containers, vacuum-deposited coatings on glass, consumer electrical appliances, chemical processing equipment and chemical reactors, gas refinery cooling towers, and both commercial and consumer transportation vehicle coatings.

    He is an industry leader in electrochemical corrosion testing and reliability engineering for consumer products packaging. He holds 8 U.S. and foreign patents on corrosion measurement instruments; aerosol container crevice test fixtures and corrosion inhibitors. He is the inventor of the Tait Cell, GEN2, GEN3and GEN4 Multi-cells; plus the new FlexiCell test cell technology. All these cells are used for predictive electrochemical corrosion testing.

    Steve developed and managed a world-class corrosion research and testing laboratory while at S. C. Johnson. This laboratory included two satellite laboratories in Europe and China. Test results from these labs allowed low risk rapid introduction of new products. Earlier at Petrolite Corporation (a specialty chemical manufacturer for the petrochemical industry) he developed corrosion prevention and control programs for the petrochemical industry.

    Steve is an accomplished author. He wrote the textbook on electrochemical corrosion testing--over 3,000 copies of this book were sold worldwide to industries, universities, libraries and government laboratories. He current writes Corrosion Corner--a monthly column about spray package corrosion--in the Spray Technology and Marketing magazine. He has authored and presented over 100 technical papers, seminars and book Chapters. His teaching experience spans 40+ years and includes traditional university classes and continuing professional education short courses. Dr. Tait was also a full adjunct professor for the University of Wisconsin from 2000 through 2003.

    He is certified by NACE International as a Corrosion Specialist. He is one of 17 corrosion specialists worldwide who specialize in corrosion inhibitor development. He is a member of NACE International, the Electrochemical Society and ASM International.

    Please contact Dr. Steve Tait at 608 831 2076 or rustdr@pairodocspro.com to discuss your company’s corrosion testing and/or consulting needs.

     

     

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