Just thought I'd post some recent observations of corrosion in my current workplace..I'm a welder by trade and have worked in shipbuilding,ship repair,rig repair and small fabrication workshops.,not an expert by any means but in my current job I've kept an interesting eye on the corrosion taking place around my work.I work in a leisure centre which has wave pools,flumes(water slides) and general pools for casual swimming etc..it's a 3 year old site with stainless steel fittings,structural steel supports(beams,large diameter pipework supports,you name it..very similar to what you will see in most buildings, factories etc) The corrosion taking place with certain components are what I'd describe as extremely rapid compared to what I've witnessed in my previous profession,this is purely down to what can only be the high chlorine content in the air,combined with high humidity temperatures and a generally wet environment...various components /fittings are for corroding at differing speeds ,some not at all and hopefully this thread will be of interest to anyone who is interested in diy rust prevention...what I've noticed is as follows..
Stainless steel nuts and bolts( not immersed in water) rusted badly..to the stage that they would be classed as defective
Mild steel stairwells (painted) showing signs of bubbling..with areas of handrails showing excessive corrosion and heavy separation and flaking that would take at least a decade in what I'd call "normal conditions"
Stainless steel panels and fixtures and fittings -excessive surface rust and heavy pitting(belief was a sub standard grade of stainless was used or not treated right at start of construction)
Galvanised large diameter threaded bar used to hold beams and pipework -no corrosion and no sign of reaction to the environment
Galvanised threaded bar which has been cut on site and treated with etch primer- no corrosion
Galvanised threaded bar which has been cut on site with no etch primer-surface corrosion at place of cut
Aluminium fixtures and fittings -showing signs of heavy oxidation which is powdery and falling off..no protective oxide layer staying on preventing further oxidation..the aluminium gives the appearance of being in situ for decades.
Green copper oxide showing in and around electrical switches..again accelerated corrosion
I'm sure you will agree this high chlorinated atmosphere is accelerating corrosion ,my aim is to discretely place small mild steel plates with different types of paints and undercoats to see what methods offer best protection,my reasons being if protection against corrosion is achieved in this atmosphere then it will be more than suitable for diy applications..so far as I've stated galvanised steel seems to offer best resistance provided its static and undamaged.
I intend to use cheap paints that some of us diyers only have access to(hopefully no high performance rust inhibitors or high cost brands will be used)
I may also add that there is no preventative maintenance in place to deal with these levels of corrosion.
Stainless steel nuts and bolts( not immersed in water) rusted badly..to the stage that they would be classed as defective
Mild steel stairwells (painted) showing signs of bubbling..with areas of handrails showing excessive corrosion and heavy separation and flaking that would take at least a decade in what I'd call "normal conditions"
Stainless steel panels and fixtures and fittings -excessive surface rust and heavy pitting(belief was a sub standard grade of stainless was used or not treated right at start of construction)
Galvanised large diameter threaded bar used to hold beams and pipework -no corrosion and no sign of reaction to the environment
Galvanised threaded bar which has been cut on site and treated with etch primer- no corrosion
Galvanised threaded bar which has been cut on site with no etch primer-surface corrosion at place of cut
Aluminium fixtures and fittings -showing signs of heavy oxidation which is powdery and falling off..no protective oxide layer staying on preventing further oxidation..the aluminium gives the appearance of being in situ for decades.
Green copper oxide showing in and around electrical switches..again accelerated corrosion
I'm sure you will agree this high chlorinated atmosphere is accelerating corrosion ,my aim is to discretely place small mild steel plates with different types of paints and undercoats to see what methods offer best protection,my reasons being if protection against corrosion is achieved in this atmosphere then it will be more than suitable for diy applications..so far as I've stated galvanised steel seems to offer best resistance provided its static and undamaged.
I intend to use cheap paints that some of us diyers only have access to(hopefully no high performance rust inhibitors or high cost brands will be used)
I may also add that there is no preventative maintenance in place to deal with these levels of corrosion.
