HOW TO PREVENT CORROSION ON FASTENERS

When you install a fastener, you want & expect that fastener to stand the test of time. For projects large & small, fasteners serve as the glue that holds together various pieces to create a structure or object that has integrity. But there's one enemy that can threaten that integrity & the strength of metal fasteners: corrosion. In this blog by fasteners manufacturer in Canada, we will look at why corrosion occurs & how to prevent corrosion on fasteners of all kinds.

More specifically, electrochemical corrosion — better known as “rust” — can reduce a fastener’s strength & render it useless. Thankfully, for construction professionals & others who use metal fasteners for projects, choosing the right materials & taking the right action can help reduce the possibility of corrosion & increase the chances that a structure remains strong over the long-term.

If corrosion occurs, it demands action. You can’t just wish it away & hope for the best. That’s why you must either do something to prevent corrosion or do something to fix the problem should it occur.

WHY CORROSION OCCURS

In simplest terms, corrosion happens when metal’s inherent properties begin to degrade. Metals have different types of electric potential, though. And when two metals interact with water, which is an electrolyte, a galvanic cell is created & an electric current begins to flow between the two metals. This low-energy galvanic flow begins to degrade one of the metals: the one with the higher electric potential, to be specific. To understand in detail why corrosion occurs contact fasteners dealers in Canada.

The higher-potential metals are known as “anodes,” & the anode metal’s atoms actually lose electrons to the lower-potential metal, known as the “cathode” metal. This transmission of electrons creates what we think of as rust in the higher-potential metal.

The farther apart two metals are on the electric potential spectrum, the more easily the higher-potential metal will corrode. For example, zinc, galvanized steel & magnesium are high on the potential spectrum, while silver, gold, zirconium, platinum & titanium are low on the potential spectrum.

It’s easy to see how fasteners corrode. If a fastener is made of a high-potential metal & installed in a low-potential metal, the possibility of corrosion is high — unless measures are taken to prevent rust & other corrosion from appearing.

HOW TO PREVENT CORROSION

The good news is that we have the information & technology to prevent corrosion, or at least limit its effects. The first step you should take is to use insulation, coatings or paint to seal fasteners that are a different metal than the substantial they will be installed into. These dielectric coatings can help limit the occurrence of rust & other corrosion. Fasteners supplier in Canada will explain in detail how to prevent corrosion on fasteners

Also, be sure to install fasteners in a way that delivers continuous pressure. When the weight a fastener bears is continually changing, the continuous changes can help accelerate the appearance of corrosion.

Finally, be strategic about the materials you choose to use in manufacturing & construction. The flow of electricity & the rate of corrosion is greater when flowing from a smaller object to a larger area. For that purpose, you wouldn’t want to use zinc screws to fasten together stainless materials. If you did, the large gap in electric potential would quickly damage the zinc screws, which would then weaken whatever you had built or constructed.

Instead, choose to use fasteners that are similar in electric potential to the resources they are fastening together. This will reduce the flow of electricity, which will then reduce the rate of corrosion. Fasteners exporter in Canada exports a high quality of fasteners in the world.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CORROSION

Corrosion can occur in different places & can look different, depending on the circumstances. Here’s a look at different types of corrosion you should be watching for:

·         Galvanic Corrosion: This is the type of corrosion described above. It occurs when two different types of metal are joined, & electricity flows from one to the other, leaving behind corrosion.

·         Uniform Corrosion: This occurs across the full surface area of a fastener when it’s not correctly coated or plated.

·         Crevice Corrosion: Crevice corrosion appears in small gaps & openings in your fasteners that are not ventilated as they should be.

·         Pitting Corrosion: Pitting corrosion is when small holes appear in a fastener, so minute that they are hard to detect. Pitting corrosion is most likely to happen in noble materials like nickel & chromium, but can be prevented by keeping surfaces clean.

·         Intergranular Corrosion: Ever wonder why welders rapidly plunge parts into water to cool them down? This is done to stop intergranular corrosion, which happens in stainless steel when it reaches very high temperatures. This happens during welding & hot forming.