A considerable amount of metalworking takes place in the presence of water. If you fail to use the right corrosion inhibitor additives, you could have some serious corrosion issues on your hands. Corrosion inhibitor additives protect metal surfaces and reduce staining by building a barrier of film.
How Corrosion Inhibitor Additives Work
Corrosion inhibitor additives eliminate or reduce internal corrosion by neutralizing acids. They form a protective barrier of chemicals, which effectively repels moisture from the surfaces of the metal with which you are working. Some corrosion inhibitor additives are specific to protecting specific metals.
This means that a number of different corrosion inhibitor additives may be included in an oil. This type of additive is quite common in practically every type of grease and oil on the current market. Metal deactivators are also a type of corrosion inhibitor.
Types of Corrosion Inhibitor Additives
Corrosion inhibitor additives are considered to be the first line of defense against corrosion for metals that are exposed to damaging environments. The different types of corrosion inhibitors include:
- Anodic inhibitors form a protective oxide film on the metal surface, causing a large anodic shift to reduce corrosion potential.
- Cathodic inhibitors slow the cathodic reaction and impede the diffusion of reducing species on the metal surface.
- Mixed inhibitors are compounds that form films to reduce both the anodic and cathodic reactions.
- Volatile corrosion inhibitors are compounds that are transported within a closed environment to the corrosion site. Keep in mind that this type of corrosion inhibitor additive should only be used under the close supervision of a professional.
