If you aren't yet attuned to this specific aspect of life on Earth, owning an Atlantic-facing beach house on the Florida coast will teach you that lesson real quick.
The Global Cost of Corrosion
141–150 of 251 posts
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
>This is an important issue. People keep talking about recycling, but much more important than recycling is just being able to use a thing for longer before you are even thinking about recycling it. Reduce, reuse, recycle. In that order
Well perhaps "retain" should be added. Making something last longer isn't quite "reduce" or "reuse".
And repair. Repairing always uses fewer resources than making new.
While I personally and professionally select use repairable items in lieu of non-repairable ones, I believe that this is not entirely a personal issue. Another r-word to add should be regulation. Without some degree of enforcement, the present set of incentives will continue to worsen the situation.
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
Perhaps we should add, "Reconsider" as in, "Reconsider purchasing the item, when it's not needed, or a better alternative exists".
Is there a difference between "reconsider" and "reduce"?
"Reduce" would imply "Do less of" while "reconsider" would imply "Maybe something else fits better". Instead of reducing your usage of plastic bags, reconsider if maybe paper bags works as well?
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are these world-changing inventions we look back on and marvel at. The Haber–Bosch process, the Bessemer process, rubber vulcanization, etc. My dream is one for stainless steel. Come up with either a different alloy or an improved process to make corrosion-proof metal from abundant iron. I can't imagine the leap forward if a chunk of stainless cost nearly the same as mild steel. (And didn't have weird failure m…
There's a lot to be said for stainless steel. But look at the price of chromium.
Right. I guess a replacement alloy would be the best bet. No matter how cheap your improved process is, the input costs are still there.
Or an improved process for extracting and refining chromium itself. Aside from cost, I think it’s a dirty process as well?
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
that's a poor example of "modern". I've seen tools/parts that have been lying around wrapped in oiled paper since the 1930s, without a hint of rust.
The parts lying in oil paper were probably also covered in oil or more likely grease. Oil paper by itself does little to prevent rust. There are costs associated with covering parts with grease. You have to apply it everywhere, for many applications, you have to remove it before actually using the part, etc. The product I linked automatically emits a chemical which clings to the metal and creates a microscopic protec…
Inhibitor paper is old tech though, was already around in 1970s.
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#146This is an important issue. People keep talking about recycling, but much more important than recycling is just being able to use a thing for longer before you are even thinking about recycling it. Japanese automakers did the world a great favor when in the 80s and 90s they made much longer lasting cars and made longevity and resale value an important consideration in the purchasing decision. They did this mostly by…
Porsche started galvanizing their bodies in the 1970s, VW started in the 1980s, Japan only started galvanizing their bodies in export markets, in response to the germans, and only recently (last 15 years) have been galvanizing all their bodies domestic and import.
>have been galvanizing all their bodies domestic and import.
This is because there's basically no market for used cars older than 5 years in Japan
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.picknbuy24.com/amp/column_1...
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
That may well be so, Japanese cars had an absolutely terrible reputation for being rustbuckets in the 70's so they had to do something about it. Given the number of them that were manufactured the fact that they are so rare today is as far as I know uniquely due to the rust problem.
Mazdas are still rustbuckets today.
Mazda mostly sorted out their rust issues by the 2010s depending on model. A couple decades late, but they're pretty good now.
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#148Sounds like a startup idea/thesis?
For the spin-off of a university's material science department, sure.
But it's not like it's an obscure problem that nobody does anything about, lots of companies, universities and governments spend a lot of effort and money on finding better ways to deal with it.
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
or just option+0, because degree is like a little 0 I guess?
Ha! I had been thinking Option-K like Kelvin (also a unit of temperature--but ironically one that isn't properly a "degree". Maybe that should have been a hint!) Option-zero has a tiny underbar for me, which I think is in Bulgarian(?) abbreviations.
º U+00BA MASCULINE ORDINAL INDICATOR, I guess?
Re: The Global Cost of Corrosion
#150Why aren't bridges and ships made out of stainless steel? Is it too expensive, or not as strong as regular steel?
Yes and yes. Stainless is expensive. It's stronger than some types of steel but not as strong as others. It's also difficult to weld. Plus, it's not 100% corrosion resistant - it only offers partial protection.
more difficult than most steel, but still easier to weld than aluminum... also less rust resistant than aluminum... I'm not sure what my point is.