![\"oxidation\"](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/oxidation.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe diagram above is not comprehensive, but it showcases many forms of oxidation. If you follow the top path on the diagram, you see this: Oxidation \u2192 Corrosion \u2192 Rust. There are other types of oxidation and other types of corrosion but for the purposes of this article, we are focusing on the relationship between oxidation, rust, and corrosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The oxygen that our bodies require to function is highly reactive and combines with many metals and nonmetals to form substances called oxides \u2014 and the reaction that occurs is oxidation. In more technical chemistry terminology, an oxidation reaction is simply the loss of electrons from one substance to oxygen atoms. This process is technically called an oxidation-reduction reaction or a redox reaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many examples of redox (oxidation) reactions in nature, like combustion. Here\u2019s an example equation that represents the combustion of methane, which forms carbon dioxide and water:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this reaction, the methane (CH4) loses electrons and the O2 bonds with the C atom to form carbon dioxide gas. The electrons lost by the methane are transferred to the oxygen atoms and form water vapor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Metals have a tendency to form a natural oxide layer on their surface when exposed to air. This oxidation doesn\u2019t occur as a chemical attack and doesn’t require any electrolytic solution to progress. It\u2019s a weak, naturally occurring, protecting layer of metal oxide. For example, magnesium reacts with air surrounding it and forms a black oxide layer with the following reaction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Temperature or water can accelerate the reaction of oxides on the surface of a metal, because they act as a catalyst. Once this reaction becomes aggressive enough, it changes to corrosion and degradation to the material occurs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, magnesium turnings are used in fluxless vacuum brazing as a gettering agent \u2014 which means the magnesium gathers oxygen atoms left behind when the vacuum is pulled, or oxygen atoms that leave the metal as it heats up. This oxidation of the magnesium turnings results in corrosion of the magnesium, so the turnings can only be used once. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, not all oxidation becomes corrosion. For example, aluminum, my favorite metal. It\u2019s strong and lightweight, shiny, durable, and easy to work with. It also has a naturally occurring oxide layer that protects it from corrosion. Freshly machined or etched aluminum, when exposed to oxygen in the atmosphere, naturally forms an oxide layer. This layer grows exponentially before naturally stopping when the oxide layer is about 4 Angstroms (0.0000004mm) thick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The naturally occurring, protective aluminum oxide layer also self-heals. You read that right \u2014 if you take an abrasive and rub the surface of aluminum, you will likely remove some or all of the oxide layer, but you can reform it by simply exposing the bare aluminum to oxygen in the air. Pretty cool, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what else you should know about the aluminum oxide layer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For corrosion to occur, there must be a chemical reaction that causes deterioration of a metal by an external agent. This deterioration may be caused by oxidation, galvanic contact of dissimilar metals, or microorganisms. The most heavily studied form of corrosion is the electrochemical corrosion of metals, in which the oxidation process M \u2192 M+ + e\u2013 is facilitated by the presence of a suitable electron acceptor \u2014 called a depolarizer in corrosion science. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The electrochemical corrosion of metal is an area of focus due to the financial issues it causes. In the USA alone, over $137 billion is spent annually dealing with the repercussions of corrosion in the infrastructure, utilities, transportation, manufacturing, and government industries. It\u2019s estimated that five tons of steel in the world corrode every few seconds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rust is used to describe the process of iron corrosion, so if a metal alloy doesn\u2019t contain iron, it can\u2019t rust. The byproduct of the corrosion of iron (rusting) is iron oxide, as shown by the following chemical formula:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The formation of rust (FeOH – iron oxide) requires the presence of water and oxygen, and rust is permanent. You cannot reverse the reaction of rust, but you can remove rust from a surface and there are methods to prevent further rusting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key to prevent rusting of ferrous metals is to protect the iron atoms from exposure to oxygen and water or water vapor. For it to work, the protection must be adhered to the surface of the ferrous metal, so surface preparation is key to ensuring sufficient protection. Here are some methods to prevent rusting: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you know the basics of oxidation, corrosion and rust, you can design even better metal CNC machined parts<\/a> \u2014 and Fictiv can deliver the parts you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fictiv is your operating system for custom manufacturing that makes part procurement faster, easier, and more efficient. Our manufacturing partners have incredibly skilled machinists and finishing experts who can deliver quality parts at incredible speeds \u2014 whether you need precision anodized aluminum components or passivated, galvanized or electroplated steel parts to be protected from corrosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Create an account<\/a> and upload your design to see what our instant quote process, design for manufacturability feedback<\/a>, and intelligent platform<\/a> can do for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It really grinds my gears when people use the word rust incorrectly. I spent years working as a metallurgist and design engineer analyzing material samples for failure. I love chemistry and have an obsession with relaying factual information. That\u2019s why I dream of the day when all humans understand the difference between corrosion, oxidation, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":12046,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","fictiv_role":[],"fictiv_topic":[186],"fictiv_industry":[],"fictiv_manufacturing_process":[],"coauthors":[168,148],"class_list":["post-12044","cpt_blog","type-cpt_blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fictiv_topic-engineering-design"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Oxidized-metal.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat is Oxidation? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"forms](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/forms-carbon-dioxide-and-water.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Magnesium](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/forms-a-black-oxide.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAluminum Oxide Layer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"the](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Statue-of-Liberty.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat is Corrosion? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is Rust?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/a-rusty-wrench.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"corrosion](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/chemical-formula.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"corrosion](\"https:\/\/www.fictiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/chemical-formula-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to Prevent Rust<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Fictiv – Sourcing Simplified<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n