An honest description of myths and truths regarding this important phenomenon called "CORROSION".

1. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
Corrosion is a natural phenomenon and so is inevitable and we have to live with it.
The problems begin with the lack of basic knowledge that, in our opinion, begins in schools, where
in many institutions, some renowned, this science is neglected. Students will not receive a solid
foundation for once understanding the subject, acting with the right tools and solving, or even
preventing corrosion from occurring.
Let us try to elucidate some of the points that we identified during our 40-year professional
trajectory, working in this area, and we consider that there are many distortions, some basic, with
respect to the aspects of the phenomenon called: "CORROSION“
CORROSION DEFINITION :
Here we started to have some points that deserve some comments.
The overwhelming majority of the books that deal with the subject, even of renowned and very
competent writers researchers and scientists, begin their works with the definition of corrosion
which in principle is correct as to the sequential logic of the work.
What we find is something like:
"CORROSION IS THE DESTRUCTION (SOME USING DETERIORATION) OF A MATERIAL, GENERALLY
METALLIC, BY INTERACTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT “

2. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
A FACT:
The Corrosion is a process through a chemical and
or an electrochemical reaction that results in the
transformation of the metals of the products into
their oxides, hydroxides and other corrosion
products, which result in the deterioration of the
products and therefore the use is compromised.
We understand that this definition, while not
wrong, presents corrosion as too much and only
negative.

3. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
"WHY DO SOME AIRCRAFT FALL IN ACCIDENTS?"
The answers, after some time, in an audience of hundreds of scientists and researchers, many with
much knowledge and experience were as I remember:
 Mechanical failure;
 For the lack of maintenance;
 Due to lack of fuel - Lamentable the case, that many must remember, of the team of Chapecó
with many dead and mutilated;
 Human error - also here I remember the classic case of the commander, who will not mention the
name, who was listening a Brazil soccer match by airplane radio, and directed the route to 270
degrees instead of 27 degrees, that was the correct one, and in the flight that was nocturnal fell
without fuel in the Amazon without knowing where it was;
 Due to extremely adverse climatic conditions like storms, tornadoes, blizzards and etc;
In addition to others on the same line.
In one of the best conferences I've attended in the past, the speaker started with a question:

4. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
The speaker's aswer disappointed and left many ashamed as he said:
I'M SORRY, BUT ALL THE ANSWERS ARE WRONG!
AND CONCLUDED: “AN AIRCRAFT FALL DUE TO A NATURAL LAW, THE GRAVITY LAW! “
THE NATURE STATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT STAIS ON THE SOIL, ITS STATE OF LOW ENERGY. SO "ALL" THE CITED
CONDITIONS, AND OTHERS, SHOULD OCCUR PERFECT, OR ELSE THE AIRCRAFT WILL FATALLY RETURN TO THE GROUND.
Following this same reasoning we will affirm, then, that the "LAW OF GRAVITY IS MALEFIC!“
BRIDGES, BUILDINGS AND OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS ALSO FALL, SO LET'S BLAME THE LAW OF GRAVITY FOR THAT!
CURIOSITY:
I heard that some not very educated governor asked a parliamentarian for the reason for the fall of an
overpass. The precise answer he received was: "Doctor fell by the gravity's law force!". The governor then
said indignantly: "And what is the assembly waiting to repeal this damn law?"
I believe that this event marked my life and made me see many phenomena, among them the corrosion
with other eyes and I understood it to be fair to put this written to my contacts and friends...
CORROSION, LIKE GRAVITY, IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON AND WILL ALWAYS OCCUR!
CORROSION MAY NOT BE ELIMINATED BUT ONLY BE DELAYED OR CONTROLLED!
Therefore, to be fair, we must give the correct definition without "SENTIMENTALISMS“
WE AGREED: DESTRUCTION AND DETERIORATION ARE STRONG WORDS OF A VERY NEGATIVE
PHENOMENON, RIGHT?

5. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
United States - GDP, US Dollar Current:
3
We already posted another article dealing with corrosion costs, so we will not go into deep details.
We just put some information that is relevant in this context.
In an estimated calculation, it was concluded that what is spent on average annually in countries with corrosion:
maintenance, recovery of structures, buildings and etc, is approximately 3.5% of GDP - Gross Domestic Product.
Note: The "corrosion costs" values of are astronomical and something around 650 Million US $ / Year.
But we want to draw attention is what can be avoided with the use of the known techniques, I will repeat,
because this is important, If we use the already known, developed and correct solutions then, "25% of this
cost could be avoided ! “

6. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
Brazil - GDP, US Dollar Current:
Brasil - PIB, dólares correntes
3,000
2 500
2,000
1.500
1,000
tf* ^ tf* fP1 ooo%oo'aoj
Billion U.S. dollars
Source: TheGlobalEconomy com, O Banco Mundial
Economia possível: 17 Milhões US$ Custo:70 Milhões
Look at the situation in our country:
Therefore, what is "possible economy" is what is spent by the lack of adequate knowledge of the
professionals, in the design and development of products, facilities, bridges, viaducts, roads and so on.
Note that the value of the economy in the USA is enough to pay "10 times the cost of Brazil's annual
corrosion", whose data are above.

7. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
But understanding the phenomenon as natural and therefore inevitable leads
us to an important question: Is there nothing good where it can be used?
THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING AND INTENSE: YES!
There are many positive aspects that if the phenomenon of corrosion did not
exist the humanity would suffer greatly.
Thus the definitions found are incomplete and, in our understanding,
"pejorative and unjust", as the corrosion contributes very positively to humanity
as we will see next:
 Those with a little more age, like me, should remember how they got the
matches in the old cars - cranks were used manually! Today, thanks to the
evolution, there are batteries and we just have to turn the key and the cars
leave, right? The batteries generate electricity by the corrosion.
What great evolution isn’ it?

8. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
 Looking at these aspects we can give many more examples of electronic equipments that use batteries,
where corrosion is what produces the energy: Cell phones whose batteries last for days or weeks,
watches, home phones, notebooks, tablets, ordinary radios and communicators, among many others.
 We can not state categorically that man would not reach the moon without batteries, but it would
certainly be necessary to find other forms of energy storage, which could take more time
"Corrosion helped the man to conquer the moon!“
 The electro copper refining which is the process used to produce the copper with high purity required
for the electronics industry also occurs through corrosion.
 LEACHING: Most of the world's bauxite extraction (approximately 85%) is used as raw material for the
manufacture of aluminum by chemical leaching. Subsequently, most of the alumina produced in this
refinement process is used as the raw material for the production of metallic aluminum by the
electrolytic reduction of alumina. Bauxite is the most commonly used raw material for the production
of alumina on a commercial scale. Other raw materials, such as coal tailings and shale oil, offer
additional potential sources of alumina. LEACHING, therefore, is the process that uses corrosion to
"CLEAR" bauxite, an ore rich in aluminum, precisely for the production of this important metal in the
industry.

9. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
OTHER FACTS AND POSITIVE EXAMPLES:
 The metallographic analysis of the metallic materials is made using
electrochemical attacks which is a selective corrosion process, plus a positive
aspect;
 Metal coatings through electrolytic processes or electroplating that bring
enormous benefits to the entire industry would also not exist, because in
fact these processes are corrosion in the opposite direction; All
electrochemical coating processes (chroming, zinc plating, nickel plating,
etc.) would be impossible because they all start from the metal in the
ionized state, that is, from the previously corroded metal.

10. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
Even our lives and health also depends on corrosion. For example as
shown below, some symptoms of this fact, in the case of lack of iron in
the bloodstream:
Iron is an essential mineral for health and its lack generates anemia.
Iron is also necessary for the production of red blood cells (hemoglobin), the conversion of sugar into
energy, production of enzymes (vital role in the production of new cells, amino acids, hormones and
neurotransmitters), efficient functioning of the immune system, physical and mental growth,
especially in children, and in pregnancy.
The symptoms of iron deficiency in the body are:
1) Extreme fatigue, frequent sleep or discouragement;
2) Difficulty learning or being attentive;
3) Pale or inner skin of the eyelids without color;
4) Lack of appetite, changes in taste or tongue;
5) Frequent infections due to low immunity;

11. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
 CORROSION IS A NATURAL PHENOMENA AND, FOR THAT, IT CAN NOT BE
CONSIDERED BENEFICIAL OR MALFIC.
CONCLUSIONS:
 WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS NOT WORRING ABOUT FIGHT AGAINST THE
CORROSION, BUT RATHER ON SEEKING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ITS
PHENOMENON.
 UNDERSTAND THE CORROSION AND ITS MECHANISMS BETTER IS THE
STARTING POINT TO LIVING WITH IT, ENJOYING ITS BENEFITS AND
AVOIDING TECHNICALLY ALL ITS DAMAGES.

12. MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF THE CORROSION PHENOMENON
 COMPANY: Sciencetec&Corrtec – Engineering
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 TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Aloysio de Aguiar
 PHONES: 55 19 997 901 632 / 55 19 3325 9123
 E-Mail: aaloysio@uol.com.br ; aloysio@stct.com.br
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