5 Best Practices to Prevent Corrosion

Corrosion is an undesirable chemical reaction that causes rusting of metals when they are exposed to moisture and oxygen. Metal corrosion accounts for heavy financial losses for the industrial sectors dealing with manufacturing, chemicals, oils, and metals. Corrosion results in unprecedented downtime, impacting the overall productivity and profitability. It is also a major cause of other issues like equipment failure, safety hazards, non-saleable rusted parts, and other inconveniences.

According to a survey conducted by NACE – an organisation dedicated to reducing the impact of corrosion on the Indian industrial sector – the combined losses faced by the most vulnerable industries including infrastructure, utility services, production, manufacturing, defense and nuclear were reported to be in the tune of ₹ 1,07,250  crores. Thus, it is necessary to have a reasonable understanding of corrosion prevention methods to detect, reduce, and delay the impact of corrosion on machinery. Here are 5 best practices for metal corrosion prevention:

1) Corrosion protection by coating

Coating the vulnerable metal is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to prevent corrosion. Before applying the corrosion preventive coating, all impurities such as fat and corrosion are removed from the metal. The surface of the metal is prepared through brushing, polishing, blasting, or blotting. The most common metal coatings applied to protect against corrosion are paint and varnish. This layer acts as a barrier to prevent rusting.

2) Cathodic protection

Corrosion is an electrochemical process. The principle of cathodic protection is to connect an external anode to the metal to be protected and to pass a DC between them so that the metal becomes cathodic and does not corrode. The active sites on the metal surface that are vulnerable to rusting are converted to passive sites by providing electrons from another source.  The simplest method to provide cathodic protection to metal is by connecting the metal to another easily corroded metal to act as the anode of the electrochemical cell.

3) Structural measures

Structural measures entail selecting materials possessing properties that reduce the likelihood of corrosion. Metals like aluminum and stainless steel are corrosion-resistant materials. Depending on the application, metals like these can be used to reduce the need for additional corrosion protection.

4) Environmental control

The process of corrosion occurs due to the metal coming in contact with natural elements. To reduce the risk of corrosion, one can ensure that machinery is safeguarded from unnecessary exposure and protected in a climate-controlled environment. This method of rust prevention is challenging since most industrial machinery is operated in a harsh environment.

5) Maintenance

Frequent maintenance is necessary to keep metal components rust-free. Eradicating the external materials that can accelerate the corrosion process can extend the machinery’s life. Creating a regular maintenance schedule with a planned downtime is instrumental for effective maintenance while simultaneously maintaining productivity levels.

Conclusion

Corrosion is destructive for a business as it deteriorates the integrity of the metal and can result in unprecedented downtime, increased operational costs, and cut into profits. It is essential to have effective rust prevention measures as they are an excellent way to avoid corrosion. Castrol is among the most reputed manufacturers of rust-preventive oils. Their formulations are proven to prevent corrosion and increase machine longevity.