Ford Tests Vehicles for Long-Term Corrosion Resistance

In North America, the Ford Motor Company has started checking and testing their vehicles for long-term corrosion and rust resistance. This is done in the hot and dry climate of Arizona. Aside from this feat, the company is also testing their vehicles for the mentioned resistance not only in hot climates but also for a cold one.

Jeffrey Helms is the manager of the Materials and Development Release in the Ford Global Paint Engineering department. He says about corrosion, ?There isn?t much corrosion below freezing. Actually, the worst thing you can do your vehicle in the winter is to park it in your garage. When it warms up, the ice turns to water and carries road salt into various nooks and crannies where it starts to go to work on the vehicle?s coating if it is not properly protected.?

The entire testing is done at the Ford Motor Company?s Arizona Proving Ground (APG). The process of testing and checking is done through a more effective way of distributing the salt in and around the vehicle?s exterior. What the testing center actually uses is a high pressure salt spray. Helms states, ?Every so often, as part of our overall vehicle durability testing at APG, a car or a truck is driven into a special chamber where it is exposed to salt spray. With an accelerated test schedule, we can simulate years of customer use in just a few months.?

Of course, the tests that the APG uses are laboratory methods that have been sanctioned by the Society of Automotive Engineers. These methods are facilitated so as to be able to analyze the corrosion protection of individual components of these Ford vehicles.

As zealous as Ford is in continually upgrading its products to suit every client needs, Ford Parts Online is always looking for superior and quality workmanship for its product lines. Only the finest Ford auto parts like Ford LTD II parts are in stock at their collection.

How to Clean Rust From Motorcycle?

What do you do when you see your bike getting rust after the winter?

There is no doubt that bikers are mad about their bikes and hardly want to get down from it. It will not be an exaggeration if I say that a true biker's dream is to keep on biking. And most of the time seasonal changes cannot hamper their dream to keep on biking. And the end result is lots of rust in the bike.

I know what you are thinking - important parts of the bike are created with aluminum and steel to protect it from rust as much as possible and more importantly to keep the bike light. If you ask any seasoned biker you would definitely come to know that, no matter how well the bike is built, rust is unavoidable. You will have to fight with rust and live with rust

Does this mean that bikers have nothing to do but watch the bike being tearing down by rusts? Not exactly; good bikers and those who love their bike a lot, take every possible measure to save their bike from rusts and clean every reachable area for a proper cleaning.

But, irrespective of their meticulous approach to keep their bike healthy in an economical way, a lot of bikers find it impossible to keep things clean and rust free. They have tried every possible way to keep the bike rust free but they agree that it is an impossible task to make it rust free forever; all you can do is to clean the rust whenever necessary.

In most of the cases, for a deep cleaning, the bikers depend on hose and car washing detergent. But they are not enough to fight with rust And to add to the rust problem, soaps often remain stuck with the bike and causes more harm to attract rust If you are using car washing detergent, you must be careful to properly clean the bike and make sure that it does not have any detergent residue. Some bikers use and recommend wax to keep the exterior away from rust But this is too a temporary measure and not very effective in the long run.

You would also get a lot of rust cleaning products in the market. And some of them are really good to clean the rust properly. They are necessary to clean rust from those places where you cannot reach. For example, how would you clean the rust deep inside the oil tank?

In such situations, these liquid rust removers are very effective. All you need to do is to dip the tank into the solution or put the solution into the tank and they will work to clean the rust They are just perfect to clean rust in the easiest way and most of them do not leave any residue that may reproduce rust in washed area.

However, while selecting one of these rust removers, you must be extra careful. Most of the rust removers are acid based and they have the potential to cause harm to your bike; especially in those parts where you have mixed material (steel and rubber or plastic).

Thus it is always recommended to use organic solutions or organic rust removal products to keep in the safer side. There are some great quality cleaners available in the market that can effectively remove rust from metal items. All you need to do is to select the best one for you.

Whichever rust cleaner you select, do not forget to read follow the user manual or instructions provided in the cleaner carefully.

Do you want to know more about rust removers or tips to remove rust from metal? Click on the links for more information.

How to Clean Rust From Metal Elements?

Have you got rust in your chrome bumper? Do you want to try any specific brand of cold drinks to clean rust from chrome?
There are so many rumors all over the world (wherever that specific brand of cold drink is available) about that specific brand, that it does not matter any more if it has a cleaning quality or not. It has got a name for itself.

Anyways, there are lots of ways that people employ to remove rust from chrome body - for example, car bumper, bicycle, etc. If some people are happy with the use of regular chrome polish, some people are happy with steel wool to remove rust from chrome. Most of them have their own reasons to show.

So, what is your take at this point? If you are not sure what people really try to clean chrome parts, let's take a look at the following paragraphs. Apart from giving you some real life ideas, it may also help you to decide what you need to do.

Chrome polish and rag: This is one of the most popular ways to clean rust from chrome products. However, it is often used in less expensive products of daily wear and tear. For example this is used to clean rust from car bumpers or bicycles. And it is used when the amount of rust is not too high or when they have not damaged the metal a lot. However, you would need to polish the chrome well after cleaning it. Some people do not like the idea as it is sometimes too laborious and the output is not always very exciting.

Naval Jelly: Some people would use it to clean rust from chrome elements and some people are against it for their own reasons. However, it does not suit every metal and may cause harm.

WD 40: People sometimes use it to clean rust from iron products like cast iron. You would need to hose the cast iron product with WD 40 and leave things as it is for around 10 to 15 minutes. After that you would need to hose it again and scrub the metal with steel wool with more amount of WD 40 to clean it properly. However, after cleaning you would need to work hard to dry the metal element or it may get rust again.

Steal Wool: A lot of people will agree that steel wool is just the perfect thing to remove rust from any metal surface. They would manage and time and strength to rub the rust until it is clean. The best steel wool is that of #000000 grade (if you can find it in a local store). However, you would need to polish the metal well after rust removal.

Aluminum Foil: Some people use aluminum foil to clean rust from metal surface. However, you would need to polish the metal well after removing rust from the metal. For example, if you are using aluminum foil to remove rust from a chrome surface you would need to apply chrome polish after removing rust.

Organic rust removers: These are some of the best rust removal products that most of the people use to remove rust from metal. This is effective and mild and at the same time you do not need to work hard physically to clean rust - no scrubbing required. However, it is always recommended that you should select some organic rust remover so that it does not harm your skin or other elements.

So what are you using to clean rust from metal next time?

What would you like to use - organic rust remover or other rust removal products?

How to Remove Rust From Bolts and Screws!

Are you stuck in rusted bolts and screws and have tried all your strength to open it up but failed in every attempt? Don't worry, this is a very common story and almost everyone has been across such a situation at some point of time in his or her life.

Especially if those bolts and screws are left open in moisture for long, they will grow rust very soon. And once they get rusted it is often very tough to unscrew if not impossible. For example screws and bolts in car parts, boats or even lawn mowers often get rusted as they are almost always open to moisture. And the biggest problem is, it is tough to keep them away from moisture. The problem becomes more intense once rust gets into the threads or when rust eats up the metal head of the screw making it difficult to grip with a screwdriver.

Sometimes you can just throw away those rusted screws and blots but in many cases you need to restore the existing one as it is impossible to find a replacement for a lot of screws in local hardware stores. In these situations it becomes crucial that you can clean up those screws and bolts properly so that you can reuse them after cleaning.

People try different things in similar situation to remove rust and open those screws and other metal bodies. Some of them are effective and some of them do not have any proven record. Here are some common ways that people use to effectively remove rust:

The most common solution is using penetrating oil bought from local hardware store. All you need to do in this situation is to pore a few drops of penetration oil on the screw, keep things as it is for a few moments and than use screwdriver to open it. If necessary you may even need to use a narrow chisel and a hammer to move the rusted screw inside. If the condition is too poor, you may even need to leave those screws in penetration oil overnight - it should loosen up by the morning. Though this is a heavily used process to remove rust, it is not very effective.

Some people prefer using hydrogen peroxide on rusted screws and bolts. They pour some hydrogen peroxide on the screws and bolts and leave them as it is. After a while you would need to use a hard brush and clean the rust from the screw. You may also need to use some oil after cleaning the rust on it so that the screw comes out easily. It is always better to avoid Hydrogen peroxide as it often leaves some residual elements on the spot.

Another common and effective solution is using rust cleaner. You would easily find a lot of good quality rust removers in some local stores or you can even order them online. Good quality rust cleaners do not require scrubbing and brushing - all you need to do is to dip the rusted metal into the cleaner. However, it is always recommended to buy some organic rust cleaners so that you can use in for other things too.

If you want to do that in harder way, try using some fine grade sand paper and sand out all rust from the screws and bolts. However, do not forget to use some lubricant before reusing them.

There are lots of other ways people employ to remove rust from metal items. All you need to do is to find out the best solution to your problem. Whatever process you select, make sure that it is effective to remove rust from metal items of any kind so that you can use it in different ways.

People try different rust removers to remove rust from metal - what is your way?

What is the Best Rust Treatment?

Rust is a big problem for any house in wet weather. You can try every possible way but it is almost impossible to keep your home rust free. And the best solution is to clean up rust as early as possible.

And it is not about metal items alone - rusts can pile up in concrete foundations, patios or even in sidewalks. And if you have light colors in the wall (that we normally have in outdoors), rust looks awfully bad and an eyesore. A small patch of rust is enough to kill the beauty of your home.

The problem is high in those areas where water pipes run beside concrete walls. And if you use well water to spray in the garden, there are high probabilities that concrete in the surrounding areas or metal items will gather rust in no time. In these situations the best thing you can do is to be careful while spraying water in the garden and use a good quality spray nozzle to be careful. But if once things start getting rusts, it normally comes back unless you remove the water source completely from the rusted metal or concrete.

But what would you do to keep the place clean and rust free?

People have different methods and apply different solutions to remove rust from metal particles and concrete walls. Here are some of the most common ways for rust treatment:

The most common first step is to brush out remaining paint from the rusted surface and surrounding area. You can use some good quality wire brush to clean the place. When the place is clean from rusts, you can use some good quality metal primer and rust resistant paint on the top. This is a good solution to keep your metal furniture away from rust for a long time. You can redo the process whenever there is some rust in metal items or concrete walls.

Some people would try lemon juice to keep the concrete wall or metal furniture free from rusts. They take it as a natural solution to rust problems. In this situation all you need to do is to apply some lemon juice on the rusted area and leave them as it is for half an hour depending on the quality and condition of rusted area. Later on, you would need to scrub the rusted area with a good quality brush and wash out the rust with enough water. However, in some cases, lemon juice makes the wall discolored or leaves some stains behind no matter how well you rinse the place. This method is handy but not effective for all occasions and for all surfaces.

Some people even recommend vinegar to clean rust stain from concrete wall or metal items. It follows the same process as lemon juice.

However, most widely used solution is that of using rust removal solutions to clean rust easily and effectively. They are easy to apply and you do not need to scrub the place for proper rust treatment. These are cheap and you can use them in any surface. However, if you want to use these rust removal solutions, try to find out an organic one. The organic solutions are non acidic and does not harm the surroundings. For example if you use acid based cleaners (both lemon and vinegar are acid based cleaners) they may harm plants in the adjacent areas or may react with the metal and leave a lasting stain on them.

So which rust products are you using next time to clean rust from metal furniture or concrete wall?

Rust is a big problem but with the right rust products, proper rust treatment is not a problem.

Anti Rust - Corrosion - Corrosion Protection

Rust is permeable to air and water which allows for the corrosion of the metal even after a rust surface layer has formed. Aluminium corrosion is not the same as the corrosion of steel or iron. In aluminium corrosion, aluminium oxide is formed on the aluminium surface which forms a protective, corrosion resistant coating. This process is known as passivation.

More modern coatings that is used for anti rust purposes will add aluminium to the coating as zinc-alume, aluminium will migrate to cover scratches and which in turn provides protection for longer.

There are several other methods available to anti corrosion purposes and prevent the formation of rust, colloquially termed rust proofing or anti rust.

* Cathodic protection is one method in which the iron is made as a cathode in a battery formed whenever water contacts the iron and also a sacrificial anode made from something with a more negative electrode potential, commonly zinc or magnesium. The electrode itself doesn't react in water, but only to provide electrons to prevent the iron rusting.

* Bluing is a technique that can provide limited resistance to rusting for small steel items, such as firearms; for it to be successful, water-displacing oil must be rubbed onto the blued steel.

* Corrosion control is done using a coating to isolate the metal from the environment, such as paint. Large structures such as ships and modern automobiles, often have a wax-based product (slushing oil) injected into these sections. This contains rust inhibiting chemicals as well as forming a barrier. Covering steel with concrete provides protection to steel by the high pH environment at the steel-concrete interface. However, if concrete covered steel does corrode, the rust formed can cause the concrete to fall apart. This creates structural problems.

To prevent rust corrosion on automobiles, they should be kept cleaned and waxed. The underbody should be sprayed to make sure it is free of dirt and debris that could trap moisture. After a car is washed, it is best to let it sit in the sun for a few hours to let it air dry. In winter, or in salty conditions, cars should be washed more regularly as salt (sodium chloride) can accelerate the rusting process.

Metal Corrosion - How Do You Choose The Right Preventive Coating?

We define metal corrosion as chemical (or electrochemical) reactions occurring between the metal and the environment, which causes a negative impact on the metal's surface properties.

So, what's the secret to making corrosion resistant coatings work? Easy, really. Once you understand the types of metal corrosion and their contributing properties.

Fretting-- visible through pits, grooves, or debris relating to oxidation, occurring at the asperities or "peaks" of contact surfaces. An example is vibration, which is the result of load in the presence of repeated relative motion.

Galvanic-- seen by pits, holes, or oxidation products, is the result of localized corrosion between two dissimilar metals. Here, one metal corrodes faster than it would alone, while the second metal corrodes slower than it would alone. Often, this type of corrosion is confused with coupled metals exhibiting increased corrosion based on differences in their electromotive force potentials.

Uniform-- manifested by uniform, measurable material loss over a larger surface area, which continues until failure.

Pitting-- is a localized form of corrosion. Often difficult to detect, this type is considered more dangerous to design against. Pitting corrosion is initiated by local chemical or mechanical damage of protective oxide films or non-metallic inclusions, theoretically forming a "battery" between an abnormal anode or cathode site.

Other forms of it such as Intergranular, Exfoliation, Stress Corrosion, and Hydrogen Embrittlement, can also result in localized cracking, severe loss in ductility, and increased residual tensile stresses. Failure, here, is typically catastrophic.

Now that you recognize the corrosion mechanisms, what are the best protective coatings?

Look at the environment. Consider temperature, chemical or atmospheric condition, time of exposure. Is the contact intermittent or continuous? Are the corrosives in liquid or vapor form?

You see, it's not just about finding a non-reactive coating. It is about creating a barrier. And that means eliminating surface porosity. Typically, the thicker the coating, the better the permeation strength and better its performance. This will be true for any coating choice. So, how do you choose the right corrosion preventive coating? Easy. Once you understand your actual mechanism for metal corrosion.

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Metal Corrosion

William Gunnar, a degreed scientist, researcher, engineer, and friend, has helped thousands of 'best of class' product designers and equipment manufacturers -- for nearly 20 years now -- surface engineer with coatings for success.

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