Aluminum is all around us! It’s in cars, airplanes, roofs, transformers, conductors, nuts, bolts, and kitchen appliances. Aluminum accounts for about 8% of all elements in our planet’s crust– it’s ubiquitous. And people love using it… it’s strong, low weight, ductility and rust resistance is awesome. Does it sound like it’s almost perfect? Kind of– but then there’s the little issue of corrosion, which can and does sometimes happen with aluminum.
Rust vs Corrosion
Okay, so aluminum doesn’t degrade due to oxidation caused by iron and oxygen. It doesn’t contain iron, so it’s protected from rust. Are rust and corrosion the same thing? No. Corrosion is best defined as chemically triggered degeneration of metal thanks to environmental elements, whereas rust involves a specific type of corrosion where iron oxidizes from exposure to oxygen. Aluminum doesn’t rust but it can corrode.
How to Protect Aluminum
So– how can you protect aluminum from corrosion? Ideally, store it in a climate-controlled environment where there’s not too much moisture. You don’t want to trigger a chemical reaction in aluminum if you don’t have to, right? Keep aluminum where it’s not exposed to things like rain or humidity if possible. Also, you can clear coat aluminum for protection against corrosion. An invisible clear coat acts as a nice shield against the environment.
Need aluminum? Eagle Alloys sells aluminum 4047 and 4032 silicon brazing alloy in a variety of forms. Eagle Alloys sells castings, forgings, billets, foil, fin, coil, ribbon, strip, sheet, plate, wire, rod, bar, tubing, rings, blanks, and custom sizes. A wide variety of sizes are available from stock with same or next day shipping. If Eagle Alloys does not have your exact requirement in stock, you can still expect competitive pricing with short lead times.
Eagle Alloys Corporation is an ISO Certified Corporation and has been in business for nearly four decades.
Do you have questions about aluminum? Call Eagle Alloys at 800-237-9012 or email sales@eaglealloys.com.
