What is corrosion and how do we prevent it?

Corrosion results from the chemical interaction of a metal with its environment and may be uniform in nature or localised. Physical and chemical conditions of the environment influence both the rate and type of attack, the nature of corrosion products, the way in which metallic properties themselves are affected, and the corrosion control measures needed.

The Cost of Corrosion in the UK is estimated at over £10 billion a year (5% of GNP). This could be prevented easily by using suitable skills and techniques including Protective Coatings. The continued development of material technology and monitoring and control methods mean the potential for saving corrosion costs is higher today, and that for favourable applications very much greater savings are now achievable. Advances in materials technology, the continued development of material technology and monitoring and control methods mean the potential for saving corrosion costs is higher today, and that for favourable applications very much greater savings are now achievable. In some types of project, uncontrolled corrosion could amount to 30% of the total commitment of capital expenditure

Failure to control corrosion can lead to:

• Increased Costs.
• Reduced Safety.
• Negative Environmental Impact.

The technique of Protective Coatings has a growing position in the industry, giving the benefits of using solvent-free products in the workplace are a growing feature of the coatings industry’s output. 

Protective Coatings are the mainstay of corrosion prevention for materials not inherently corrosion resistant. This is a matter of economics. Paints and coatings are generally applied at low additional cost to the least expensive structural materials. Minimising the additional cost is an integral part of ensuring the economic viability of painting and coating as a corrosion control solution. 

Watch the short video clip below to see where we’d be without protective and other coatings: A World Without Coatings