Corrosion lecture

THE CONSEQUENCES OF CORROSION
The consequences of corrosion are many and varied and the effects of these on the safe,
reliable and efficient operation of equipment or structures are often more serious than the
simple loss of a mass of metal. Failures of various kinds and the need for expensive
replacements may occur even though the amount of metal destroyed is quite small. Some of
the major harmful effects of corrosion can be summarised as follows:
1. Reduction of metal thickness leading to loss of mechanical strength and structural
failure or breakdown. When the metal is lost in localised zones so as to give a cracklike
structure, very considerable weakening may result from quite a small amount of
metal loss.
2. Hazards or injuries to people arising from structural failure or breakdown (e.g. bridges,
cars, aircraft).
3. Loss of time in availability of profile-making industrial equipment.
4. Reduced value of goods due to deterioration of appearance.
5. Contamination of fluids in vessels and pipes (e.g. beer goes cloudy when small
quantities of heavy metals are released by corrosion).
6. Perforation of vessels and pipes allowing escape of their contents and possible harm to