Almost $200 billion is used for fixing and preventing the damage done by corrosion each year in the United States. The process of corrosion costs important money and resources. Iron and steel are the most important resources that corrode. About 20% of the steel and iron produced in the United States is used to repair bridges or pipelines that have suffered from the effects of corrosion. Corrosion occurs when metals, through chemical reactions, are broken down (“Corrosion,” 2008, paras. 1-2). The process of corrosion is caused by certain factors, can be sped up or slowed down by different conditions, and can be prevented is several ways.
The process of corrosion is caused by certain factors. Corrosion most often takes place on metals. It is …show more content…
Although contact with water and oxygen are surely the most common causes of corrosion, there are many other factors that can affect it. Many substances in the atmosphere and in the earth can cause corrosion. The environment surrounding materials can play a huge role on their corrosion. A faster rate of corrosion can take place in highly industrialized areas. Manufacturing areas have high levels of nitrogen and sulfur pollutants in the atmosphere. When the compounds are combined with the dampness in the air, they create extremely corrosive acids. The acids generally speed up the process of corrosion. This can be disastrous for vehicles and structures in the surrounding area which can be necessary for business to run smoothly (“Corrosion,” 2011, para. 4). The article “Corrosion” (2008) in the Gale Encyclopedia of Science states, “In general, both oxygen and water are necessary for corrosion to occur. For this reason, corrosion occurs much more slowly in desert climates that are drier” (para 4). Deserts lack moisture, which is one of the main things that speed up the process corrosion. The oxygen needed is still present but because of the lack of moisture, corrosion occurs at a much slower rate. The presence of salts or acids can also speed up the rate of corrosion. These two elements really encourage the chemical processes which take place during corrosion. Weather plays a major role on corrosion as well. Winters are really rough for materials susceptible to corrosion because of the perfect conditions created by the season. Materials are exposed to a lot of water due to all of the snow covering the ground. Salt is often used on roads to melt ice and keep the roads safer to drive on. However, the combination of the salt on roads and the water molecules from snow can be very destructive to materials which are susceptible to corrosion (“Corrosion,” 2008, para.
The process of corrosion is caused by certain factors. Corrosion most often takes place on metals. It is …show more content…
Although contact with water and oxygen are surely the most common causes of corrosion, there are many other factors that can affect it. Many substances in the atmosphere and in the earth can cause corrosion. The environment surrounding materials can play a huge role on their corrosion. A faster rate of corrosion can take place in highly industrialized areas. Manufacturing areas have high levels of nitrogen and sulfur pollutants in the atmosphere. When the compounds are combined with the dampness in the air, they create extremely corrosive acids. The acids generally speed up the process of corrosion. This can be disastrous for vehicles and structures in the surrounding area which can be necessary for business to run smoothly (“Corrosion,” 2011, para. 4). The article “Corrosion” (2008) in the Gale Encyclopedia of Science states, “In general, both oxygen and water are necessary for corrosion to occur. For this reason, corrosion occurs much more slowly in desert climates that are drier” (para 4). Deserts lack moisture, which is one of the main things that speed up the process corrosion. The oxygen needed is still present but because of the lack of moisture, corrosion occurs at a much slower rate. The presence of salts or acids can also speed up the rate of corrosion. These two elements really encourage the chemical processes which take place during corrosion. Weather plays a major role on corrosion as well. Winters are really rough for materials susceptible to corrosion because of the perfect conditions created by the season. Materials are exposed to a lot of water due to all of the snow covering the ground. Salt is often used on roads to melt ice and keep the roads safer to drive on. However, the combination of the salt on roads and the water molecules from snow can be very destructive to materials which are susceptible to corrosion (“Corrosion,” 2008, para.