The industrial and manufacturing sector loses about $17.6 million annually due to corrosion. It’s on everything, including kitchen knives, truck wheel wells, etc.
One major problem is corrosion.
Metals undergo corrosion when they react with environmental natural elements to produce oxides, hydroxides, or sulphides. Iron oxide is the most frequent cause of corrosion in manufacturing components.
Luckily, you may prevent the corrosion issue without moving your company to a drier climate. Your tools won’t rust if you use one of the many available products or treatments.
Let’s take a look at them.
What is corrosion?
Environmental factors can naturally cause a refined metal to change into its oxide, hydroxide, through a process known as corrosion.
The most prevalent and alarming type of corrosion in engineering is the electrochemical oxidation of the metal. It occurs when a metal reacts with an oxidant like oxygen or sulphates.
It is a process in which iron rusts.
Certain metals corrode when exposed to airborne moisture alone. Meanwhile, other metals only corrode when exposed to other, more aggressive chemicals.
An orange hue and a granular texture are common indicators of corroded metal.
Protect from the Natural Elements
Corrosion occurs from exposure to natural elements like water and air. Machine components should be protected in a climate-controlled environment. This process is especially true in harsh industrial settings like drilling sludge and soil.
Implementing this solution may only be feasible in some working environments.
Use an anti-corrosion coating.
By covering the metal’s surface, you can stop it from rusting. Due to coating, air, moisture, and other corrosive elements cannot directly contact the metal.
After some time, coatings may be applied again to preserve the part’s condition.
Primers or paints are an easy and affordable approach to stop corrosion. They can be required for aesthetic reasons. Industrial powder coating on the metal’s surface can also form a plastic protection layer, such as nylon, epoxy, etc.
Adding black or hard chrome plating to particular metals is better.
Use Thermal Spray
Thermal spray is an economical solution for preventing corrosion. Which also delays wear and erosion damage in machine components. It can be applied to budget-friendly components.
It enhances their performance. Despite its cost, thermal spray can also repair damaged surfaces. It can be used as a protective coating on new components or a repair solution for previous ones.
Use Cathodic Protection
Cathodic protection provides defence. The active sites on the metal surface are transformed into passive by supplying electrons from another source. They are preventing corrosion.
Usually, this is accomplished by attaching galvanic anodes to the surface or next to it. Anode metals may be zinc, magnesium, or aluminium.
Although cathodic protection is adequate, anodes wear out and require frequent inspections or replacements. It can increase maintenance expenses.
They are only sometimes successful in high-resistance settings. Periodically, add weight to the associated structure.