Corrosion is a natural part of a metal’s life cycle. It’s common to see corrosion’s effects on the sides of buildings and bridges, on vehicles, and on pipes. While a little corrosion on metal is far from harmful, corrosion can become more than just an eyesore depending on the circumstances. What are the dangers of corrosion? Read on to find out.
Degradation of Structural Integrity
No one wants to live in a building that may go down in a bad storm any more than they want to drive on a bridge that might collapse. But corrosion to both metal and reinforced concrete can put structures at that risk.
Corrosion not only impacts the durability of these structures, but it also impacts its fatigue strength and ductility, which are factors that keep metal strong when met with outside stresses. This is especially important in areas with either strong winds, rains, or earthquakes (which, last time we checked, covers just about every area).
Machine Downtime
If a machine has a motor or engine, it’s at risk for corrosion whether it’s a weed whacker or bulldozer. This can cause a whole host of problems from blocking filters, reduced efficiency, to greater engine strain all around. Corrosion can also get into the threads of the machine, making life a whole lot harder for you if you ever try to do engine repairs.
Preventing corrosion on engines can be done by treating the surfaces. For example, magnesium engines may be treated with anti-corrosive gels or metal threads with a product like loctite threadlocker. Also, making sure that parts are stored in dry areas when possible will stop corrosion before it starts.
Fluid Contamination
Although one would think that the moisture inside metal pipes is the cause of corrosion, corrosion in pipes often comes from the outside, usually from the soil. Because of that, the first impacts of corrosion on metal are on the outside as well, such as degradation of the exterior, perforation, and lowered efficiency of hot water heaters.
Eventually, the dangers of corrosion can work their way inside, leaching toxic copper and lead into drinking water. And since we humans can only go for about three days without water before dying, that’s pretty significant.
