CORROSION OF METALS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21512, 29 June 1935, Page 16

CORROSION OF METALS

high cost to world SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH INTO PREVENTION (rito:.t cun ovrs ronxrsi'o::tjr.::'i.) LONDON, June 1. Loss through the wastage of metals by corrosion costs the world many millions a year. A study of this problem forms an important section of the work of the Chem stiy Research Board, the report of which is now available. Requests from industry for information on special corrosion problems are increasing, and recently enquiries have been received from the building industry and manufacturers and users of pumps, fire appliances, and condenser tubes. What is known as the anodic oxidation process for aluminium, in which aluminium is protected from corrosion by an oxide film produced electrically was worked out under the department. This work has led to the discovery of a means for the colouring of aluminium which is now being taken up actively by industry. The protection of magnesium and its alloys, which, on account of their lightness, are very attractive to the aircraft, motor-boat, and automobile industries, is receiving attention, and means of protecting them against corrosion by seawater and motor fuels are being worked out.

Other problems dealt with have been the corrosion of locomotive boiler tubes and the rapid production of the green patina on copper sought after by architects and sculptors. The corrosion of zinc, purified iron and steel is also being investigated. Experiments have shown that corrosion films on polished mild steel surfaces may start spreading from thousands of spots per square centimetre, _