WHITE RUSTWhen zinc or aluminum turns white, many people don't really know what causes this to happen. ‘This article tries to explain the phenomenon, What is White Rust? ‘The white rash that forms on galvanized steel and aluminum is often called "white rust. Like ‘ordinary rust, itis a form of corrosion. Corrosion is an attack on the metal, which originates from the surface. Different metals have different forms of corrosion. For example, ferrous metal wil ust brown, but ‘on aluminum and zine other forms of corrosion occur: zine oxide and aluminum oxide. In popular ‘speech, these forms of corrosion are both known as “white rust”. Corrosion on ferrous metal Ferrous metals corrode relatively quickly without protection. Hence, corrosion on ferrous metal is recognizable to everyone: rust, or iron oxidation. This corrosion occurs through a reaction with moisture and oxygen. The iron then acquires the familiar orange-brown rust color. Corrosion on stainless ste! MENU MATERIALS. safety ) documents materials ) (societies ) ( pipes flanges) fitings ) (valves bots) (gaskets ) (equipment specials ) (steel ) (steam‘varies, bul the more chromium the better the corrosion resistance of the slainless steel, When chromium comes into contact with oxygen a layer of chromium oxide is formed. This oxide layer Piping related Abbreviations protects the underlying stainless steel from further rusting. Butif the stainless steel becomes. ‘damaged or polluted the oxide layer is no longer fully protective. Without treatment of the ferrous metal, the rust gets worse and worse. The rest of the metal ‘dverisoments product is ‘eaten’ unti there is nothing left of it Can aluminum rust? ‘Aluminum is known as a non-rusting metal, but aluminum does experience corrosion. It corrodes even faster than ferrous metal. However, the corrosion on aluminum is actually beneficial tothe life of the material The aluminum surface reacts to external influences, such as moisture and oxygen. This creates an ‘oxide layer. This oxide layer functions completely differently from oxide (rust) on ferrous metals. It ccapsulates the aluminum forming a kind of shield against further attack. This form of corrosion does not ‘eat through the aluminum. The aluminum under the layer thus remains strong and Unaffected. If aluminum has matt white spots then we speak of "white rust ‘Aluminum with an artificially applied oxide layer is called anodized aluminum. Anodizing provides a {aster protection than a protective layer that occurs naturally Can zinc rust? O To protect cooson prone fal auch a tel hey af chan io shania The eel probes dipped na anetbeb of moten zn ater] MENU MATERIALS. nl covered wih‘moisture in the environment. Its best to expose hot-dip galvanized steel to ambient air After a few ‘weeks, 2 natural protective layer develops, just as with aluminum. With zinc, this is called a patina layer. Undesirable white corrosion spots on the zinc occur if water stands stl fora long time on the hot- ip galvanized object or iit is in a damp environment and has not been able to ventilate properly (air circulation). These spots are popularly called "white cust,” just Ike the corrosion on aluminum. When is white rust harmful? Especially aesth ally undesirable ‘White spots are often considered undesirable. After al, it doesn't look pretty. But real concems are Unnecessary when exposed to ambient air. The zine or aluminum underneath is no longer affected. Brown rust does affect the underlying material. Underneath the white rust, an oxide layer forms that protects the underlying metal. From an aesthetic point of view, white rust on the metal surface is undesirable. White rust under a powder coating or in extreme conditions So white rust doesn't seem like such a problem, but beware! If you have a product with a powder coating or wet paint, itis necessary to have the white rust treated. The white rust causes the coating to no longer adhere well to the metal surface. The coating is, as it were, pushed off the ‘metal surface: the coating peels off. For a metal product without a coating, the white rust is mainly an aesthetic inconvenience. But it can happen that a metal product is in an environment with so many corrosive influences that no MENU MATERIALS.Explore the World of Piping © Werner Séken 2008 - 2022 All rights reserved. wwn.wermac.org uses Google Analytics | must be old. | still belive in respect,