The Dangers Of And Treatment For Rust Pitting

By Marie Hayes


Steel is among the most important implements in construction work. Most structures and equipment would not at all be viable without it. However, this material is also very much vulnerable to an insidious problem, corrosion. One particular type of it that is particularly dreaded is rust pitting.

The formation of this blight may be something that can be seen as natural or a mere matter of course. In some cases, we continue not to mind them at all. We continue to use our equipment as is, or else go inside buildings and structures with rusted beams and structural framework. After all, the problem is only seemingly aesthetic.

This specific kind of oxidation is among the most dangerous of its kind. This is because it evinces a seemingly small effect at face value, which would lead owners, operators, and inept engineers to deem it as negligible and not worthy of attention. Deep down, however, the deep structures of the metal are already eaten away and greatly damaged.

Essentially, rust is the cause, while pitting is the effect. The two are even used synonymously with each other, or else treated the same. What should be kept in mind, though, is the difference in severity between the two. As said, these blights may be treated as something akin to a mere matter of course. Pits, however, should not be taken lightly, and should be fixed as soon as one affirms its existence.

All implements, structures, and supporting frameworks have been carefully engineered prior to their installation. Therefore, the loss of mass and thickness can result to significant problems. The metal fatigue caused by the loss of beam mass and some such will go on to a gradual degeneration that may result to a catastrophic breakdown later.

A great many problems can result from this specialized kind of rust. Even a little millimeter sized crevice is able to actuate circumstances that is seemingly blown out or proportion. There have been cases in point when a little hole or pit caused a great explosion that destroyed miles of paved roads. That is because gasoline seeped out of the piping and accumulated in the outside and in between spaces. It was thereafter discovered that the cause of these immense casualties was a single point of leakage, formed by the corrosion of the steel gasoline pipe.

Bridges are also susceptible to this kind of gradual damage. This is also as dangerous, especially since the damage occurs under the surface and therefore is not altogether noticeable. One will perhaps only notice it after the disastrous breakdown or snapping of the said structure due to stress corrosion cracking. Really, though, the best course of action is to use quality metal and protective coating right off the bat. Also, it is nifty to examine perforations, no matter how little and negligible they may seem.

The treatment plan should take to account the type of crevice that has formed. For example, there are pits that are deep and narrow and conversely, the ones that are shallow and wide. Different shapes may result, for example, elliptical, or different conditions, like subsurface. It would also do to plot the trajectory of the rust, such that if it is heading horizontally or vertically, since that points out to subsurface areas that may already have incipient damage.

Pitting is indeed a tricky and insidious problem. This points to the importance of effectively preventing it. Therefore, one should be forward thinking enough, right from the construction phase. The materials chosen must evince some form of resistance to corrosive factors inherent in the environment where it will be built or installed. It must also ably control occurrences like high pH or chloride concentration, as well as regulate its inside temperature. There should also be regulations in its anode and cathode properties, and only high quality and well reputed alloys should be utilized.




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