Galvanic corrosion

Description

Chemical corrosion induced by an electrical current. Galvanic corrosion will occur when two metals of different electrochemical potential, such as Zinc and Iron, come in contact with each other in the presence of water or high humidity. The electrochemical difference causes electrons to flow from one metal to the other. The less noble metal, in this case zinc, is eaten away. This is the reason zinc is used as a sacrificial coating to galvanize Steel.

Synonyms and Related Terms

dissimilar metal corrosion

Authority

• Website address 1 Comment: AMOL reCollections Glossary - http://amol.org.au/recollections/7/g/htm

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Materials Testing." Encyclopædia Britannica. 9 Sept. 2004 .

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996