​Glossary of Terms for All Things Corrosion Related

To help you better understand corrosion and maintenance terms, please refer to definitions below.

Acetic acid bacteria:
(AAB) are bacteria that derive their energy from the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid during fermentation.

Acetobacter:
Acetobacter: is a genus of acetic acid bacteria characterized by the ability to convert ethanol to acetic acid in the presence of oxygen

Carbon Steel:
Carbon steel is a ferrous alloy with 0.05 to 2.0% carbon, and is known for its high tensile strength. It can be hardened to heat treatment, and is fairly ductile. Depending on the carbon content, carbon steel has been classified into three broad types. As the carbon content increases, the strength increases, but the ductility reduces. However, carbon steel is susceptible to rusting.

Low-carbon Steel:
Also known as mild steel, it is the most commonly used ferrous metal.
It Contains about 0.05 to 0.30% carbon and the rest is iron.
It is malleable and ductile, and bends easily.
It is used in the manufacture of nuts, screws, bolts, girders and other general metal products.

Medium-carbon Steel:
It contains about 0.30 to 0.60% carbon.
It is relatively harder and less ductile than low-carbon steel.
It is used in the manufacture of car components like axles, gears and crankshafts.

High-carbon Steel:
It contains 0.60 to 0.99% carbon, and may also contain small amounts of manganese, silicon, and copper.
It is the strongest and hardest of all carbon steels.
It is used to make blades, springs, and high-strength wires.

Tool Steel:
Also known as tool and die steel, it is specifically used for making machine parts, metal cutting tools and dies, as well as molds used for injection molding.
It contains 0.7 to 1.5% carbon, as well as molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, and other metals.
It is resistant to heat, abrasion, and corrosion, unlike other carbon steels.

Stainless Steel:
Also known as corrosion-resistant steel, it is an alloy of iron, nickel, and chromium.
The important property of stainless steel is its high resistance to corrosion owing to the presence of chromium.
It is tough and resistant to stains, hence, called stainless steel.
This steel can be welded, machined and shaped easily depending on the type of steel.
It is commonly used in kitchen cutlery and cookware, axles, desks, nails, medical instruments, kitchen draining boards, pipes, etc.

Cast Iron:
Cast iron, another commonly used ferrous metal, is made up of 2.1 to 4% carbon, 1 to 3% silicon, and 89 to 94% iron.
It is strong but brittle, and has a high comprehensive strength.
It is resistant to oxidation and corrosion.
It can be classified into different varieties like gray cast iron, white cast iron, malleable cast iron, and ductile cast iron.
Cast iron can be bronze-welded or arc-welded, and hardened or machined.
Cast iron is normally used in the manufacture of heavy crushing machinery, machine tool parts, brake drums, car cylinder blocks, machine handles, gear wheels, plumbing material, as well as several household items.


Wrought Iron:
Wrought iron has a very low carbon content of 0.10 to 0.25%.
It is strong and tough, yet fibrous and ductile.
It is no longer produced commercially, and has been replaced by mild steel.
It was used to make ornamental gates, farm and garden equipment, railings, nails, wires, etc.





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Corona:
A corona discharge is an electrical discharge
brought on by the ionization of a fluid surrounding a conductor that is electrically energized

Corrosion / Rust: 
Corrosion is the gradual destruction of materials, (usually metals), by chemical reaction with its environment.

Dielectric Grease:
Dielectric grease is a non-conductive grease that's designed to seal out moisture and prevent corrosion on electrical connectors.

Flash Rust:
Flash Rusting is corrosion on steel surfaces resulting from moisture or water. Often this corrosion will bleed though
coatings causing problems.

Galling:
Galling is a form of wear caused by adhesion between sliding surfaces.
This act can happen on electrical connectors if they are not properly lubricated and or moisture is allowed to settle.

Fretting Corrosion:  
Corrosion caused by wearing away, disturbing or eroding surfaces:

Galvanic corrosion:
Also called ' dissimilar metal corrosion' or wrongly 'electrolysis') refers to corrosion damage induced when two dissimilar materials are coupled in a corrosive electrolyte.  This type of corrosion frequently occurs with fasteners in the marine industry.

Hydrophobic:
The resistance to avoid wetting, keep water molecules away and doesn’t allow penetration.

Iron Oxide:
Iron oxides are chemical compounds composed of iron and oxygen.  Common rust is a form of Iron Oxide.

Lubricant: 
Is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces.

Non Conducting:
Will not transfer electricity.

Pitting Corrosion: 
Is a form of extremely localized corrosion that leads to the creation of small holes in the metal.
 
Surface Static Electricity:
Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material.

Non flammable:
Not easily ignited and not burning.

Microbiologic Influenced Corrosion:
Also called bacterial corrosion, bio-corrosion, (MIC), is corrosion caused or promoted by microorganisms, usually. It can apply to both metals and non-metallic materials. Often starts out as a slime, then traps water and turns into corrosion.
 
Oxidation:
Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in oxidation state by a
molecule, atom, or ion. Rust is composed of iron oxides. 

Sulfuric Acid:
A dense, colorless, oily, corrosive liquid inorganic compound. It is also an oxidizing and dehydrating agent and chars many organic materials.

Surface Static Electricity:
Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material.

Flash Rust:
Flash rust appears when iron ore particles interact with moisture on the surface of metal. Sometimes, however, flash rust bleeds through the protective coating applied to a metal -- usually within hours of applying the coating -- because there was a thin layer of moisture on the metal before the application of the coating.

Soda Blasting:
Soda Blasting is a process in which sodium bicarbonate is applied against a surface using compressed air. The soda explodes on impact thus helping break down coatings or debris to be removed.  The soda is softer than traditional sand thus a favorite for sensitive substrates.


Sources:
Wikipedia, Webster’s Dictionary, Ehow, Corrosion Doctors, Corrosion Pro, NWGLDE

 

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