Corrosion and Rusting: The Electrochemistry Behind It, and How It Is Stopped
Electrochemistry · Class 12 Corrosion and Rusting: The Electrochemistry Behind It, and How It Is Stopped Rusting is a short-circuited galvanic cell on the surface of the metal — which is why the cure is electrochemical, not just a coat of paint. Class 12 · Physical Chemistry · Concept The short answer: Iron rusts because a drop of water on its surface completes a tiny galvanic cell. Iron oxidises at one spot, dissolved oxygen is reduced at another, and the two products meet in solution to precipitate hydrated iron(III) oxide. Everything that slows corrosion works by breaking one part of…