How to avoid corrosion

In order to avoid corrosion

1. Slow down or stop the movement of electrons

• Coat the surface with a non-conducting medium such as paint, lacquer or oil
• Reduce the conductivity of the solution in contact with the metal an extreme case being to keep it dry. Wash away conductive pollutants regularly.
• Apply a current to the material (see cathodic protection).

2. Slow down or stop oxygen from reaching the surface. Difficult to do completely but coatings can help.
3.Prevent the metal from giving up electrons by using a more corrosion resistant metal higher in the electrochemical series. Use a sacrificial coating which gives up its electrons more easily than the metal being protected. Apply cathodic protection. Use inhibitors.
4.Select a metal that forms an oxide that is protective and stops the reaction.

Read more about Corrosion