posted 01-13-2003 02:26 PM                  

------------------

GaryC@ProwlerOnline.com
Prowler Products by GaryE, formally Carlini

posted 01-13-2003 02:50 PM                  

No way will I be taking my cats on these roads before the first really good rain to wash all this away!

posted 01-13-2003 06:53 PM                  

(sorry )

posted 01-13-2003 07:36 PM                  

Aluminum has no effect from salt. My Hummer has an aluminum body. (The H1, not the fake H2 ). Hummers have been made since 1992 for civilians, and the bodies have no effect after being outside for even that long.

Salt and aluminum are a non-issue. In fact, aluminum is better with salt than with normal car materials since aluminum doesn't rust.

posted 01-14-2003 09:18 AM                  

On the other hand, it was 63 degrees one day last week, so the top went down.....It made my day!

posted 01-14-2003 01:28 PM                  

NJSilver,
I think it was Todd Cameron awhile back who said aluminum does in fact rust, you just can't see it. Personally I don't know. BTW, I get up to my hometown at Jersey shore every now and again. I see there's a Kat in Little Silver, Keyport and the Dymnioski's down in Manasquan/Brick. Maybe we could try a Shore cruise this year.

posted 01-15-2003 07:28 PM                  

quote:

---

CJ,
That photo's enough to keep me indoors 'til May.

---

Capital Cat.........the really crazy thing about it is that we really haven't had much snow. The most we had in one snowfall was about 4 inches.........which is long gone......but they sure dump the salt regardless. You'd never know which streets are asphalt.......they all look white!

posted 01-16-2003 07:55 AM                  

They are calling for 2 to 4" here and I want to get my baby out, get her home and covered up nice and snug before the big bad salt man comes.

posted 01-16-2003 08:32 AM                  

Found this on a cliff climbing site regarding sea salt corrosion on the bolts they climb on....
http://www.tradgirl.com/articles/devil.htm
"SCC in Aluminum?

After we determined that Stress Corrosion Cracking was affecting the bolts, we started wondering about SCC in aluminum carabiners and other gear. Unfortunately, aluminum is susceptible to SCC.
I had four carabiners (leaver-biners) that had been hanging over the ocean on Cayman Brac for 6 to 18 months. These were all tested to failure at Black Diamond and then sent to the UIAA for analysis. Although all broke near or above their rated strength, the one exposed the longest (18 months) broke due to SCC.

If you visit a sea side climbing area, wash your gear in fresh water when you get home. This includes all your nylon including the rope. If you live there or stay for several months, wash it every month to get the salt off."
http://www.ihpva.org/pipermail/trikes/2000q4/006295.html
"I have heard of aluminium and stainless steel used together in a derailleur
and the aluminium part flaked apart after long exposure to salted roads.
You are quite right Bob, aluminium exhibits passivity unless a more cathodic
dissimilar metal is situated close by.

Well that has been my experience.

Paul

----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Stuart <bobstuart@saltspring.com>
To: Trikes List <trikes@ihpva.org>
Sent: Sunday, 31 December 2000 5:09
Subject: Re: [trikes] corroding aluminum

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: zcom
> >>Aluminum will corrode in the presence of salt spray from the ocean.
> >It depends on the type of aluminum. Yes, bicycle components do tend to
> corrode, but I >have seen boats (commonly fish boat tenders) made of
> (apparently) bare aluminum, last >components anodized, solving virtually
> most of the problem, some expense, of course, >but there may be value
there
> for you. I have used this solution for some custom deck >parts made of
> common aluminum.
> >Michael Z
>
> The boats are made of a different alloy series than bike parts. Those are
> usually factory anodized.
>
> You can do anodizing at home, using common battery acid, (DANGER) a car
> battery, plastic tub, a few wires and some Aluminum foil for the cathode.
A
> voltage regulator is the easiest way to gain control over the rate - a
> nichrome heating element and alligator clips may do. An ammeter will tell
> you when the anodizing has built up and become a very good insulator.
> Colors are easy - add fabric dye! Confirm type needed.
>
> Steve Roberts got set up for this, then decided that for him it was easier
> to schmooze for a professional job with a sealing process added. They say
> this is a big bonus, but it turned most of his parts green, and some welds
> black.
>
> Corrosion is mostly occasioned by dissimilar metals. With steel, the
attack
> comes from the carbon alloyed with the iron. When salt water bridges
> between two metals, it makes a battery, and if the metal parts are not
> insulated from each other, there's a circuit. One metal will be eaten
away.
> A copper penny can make a neat hole in the bottom of an aluminum boat.
Most
> metals eat aluminum, few can touch Titanium or Graphite - which makes them
> very hard on adjacent aluminum. Any corroborating experience out there?
> This is still a black art on the docks - and even wood is not safe!
>
> Boater Bob Stuart
>
> Water corrodes;
> Salt water corrodes absolutely.
> Steve Roberts"
http://newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem99/chem99311.htm
"Question: Why does salt water make metals corrode faster?
j gordon

Answer:
Metals corrode because electrons are stolen from or donated to them by
other compounds in the neighborhood, typically other metals. When the
electrons are stolen or added, the metal atoms become charged and will
dissolve in the water. Naturally the process works better if the water
conducts electricity well so that the electrons can come from far away
sources as well as nearby. Salt water conducts better than fresh.
This is the simplest situation. Some metals form compounds with things
dissolved in the water, and this surface layer may protect them from
further reactions. People with boats, incidentally, often put
"sacrificial" pieces of aluminum near propellor shafts and suchlike because
aluminum tends to be eaten away in preference to iron. Also, in the
deep ocean bacteria eat iron and excrete it as rust.
christopher grayce"
http://www.saltawayproducts.com/PersonalWatercraftPage.htm
"Protect your aluminum castings and water jackets and stop your engine from corroding. (Yes, aluminum corrodes.)"

THIS IS A GOOD ONE.... http://www.clihouston.com/howmetals.htm
"How surface reactions alter a metal’s corrosion resistance can be seen in the example of four common construction metals - aluminum, lead, copper and iron. Aluminum ranks as a very active, or corrosion-prone, element in both the AMF Series and the Galvanic Series for seawater, yet it is prized for its low maintenance and slow corrosion rate. This is because aluminum forms a tightly adhering surface film of aluminum oxide when exposed to the air. Under most atmospheric conditions, the oxide protects the aluminum from further corrosion. An exception is found in seashore locations.

When exposed to damp, salty air, most aluminum alloys behave very actively. Sea salt (mostly sodium chloride) destabilizes the normally protective oxide film, leading the localized attack, or "pitting." The reaction is so strong that a thin-gauge aluminum sheet will show perforation after being immersed in warm salty water for only a short period of exposure. However, not all aluminum alloys react so strongly to salt air. Aluminum masts, for example, are very popular on sailboats, but the alloy found in most aluminum flashing, roofing and siding does not stand up to salt, and should not be used near the sea. Aluminum performs much better in industrial atmospheres, although the top choices there are lead and copper."
http://www.inovati.com/pages/products/coatingservices/kmreport/kmreport.html
"... magnesium begins corroding in less than 24 hours in an ASTM B117-95 Neutral Salt Spray test. "
http://www.docksidereports.com/washing_down.htm
"First, let me tell you about a few more bad things that salt can do to your boat. For example, did you know that salt can permanently stain window glass if you leave it on long enough? Yep, it can.

Salt actually has several negative effects on anything it comes in contact with. First, you already know that it is corrosive to metals. What you're less likely aware of is that it is also corrosive to boat finishes of all kinds, including gel coat. That's why the finish on your hull sides, which don't get much sun, also deteriorates as though it were getting the full dose of ultra violet. But when salt dries into crystals, it's also abrasive, just like sand.

Moreover, salt is hydroscopic. That means that salt is capable of condensing water out of the atmosphere when humidity is high. That's why they put salt on dusty roads to keep the dust down. The salt will also mix with dew at night to become salt water once again."
http://www.macdillthunderbolt.com/topstory1101.htm
"Story by Nick Stubbs
Thunderbolt staff writer

The KB-50 tanker parked at Memorial Park is a mammoth sentinel, greeting thousands each year who pass here as they enter and exit MacDill. Volunteers from the 6th Maintenance Squadron will spend 35 consecutive weekdays refinishing the vintage 1949 tanker, one of just two in the Air Force inventory.

The work will involve an estimated 2,800 man-hours. It began Thursday and will wrap up Dec. 16. About $7,000 will be spent on materials to sand, buff and polish the plane's facade. Acid rain and salt air have taken their toll on the plane, corroding and pitting its aluminum skin, said 2nd Lt. Jose Lasso of the 6th Maintenance Group fabrication flight. It will take a lot of elbow grease to get the old plane looking tip-top, he said.

Aluminum-skinned planes have it tough in Florida, and it is even worse with close proximity to salt water, such as in this case. While not in direct contact, the salt vapors invariably get into the air that surrounds the plane, just a few hundred feet from the edge of Tampa Bay."

AND THE FINAL WORD ON THIS FROM FAA..... http://www2.faa.gov/avr/afs/300/pdf/2f-ch6_1.pdf
"c. Elimination of any one of these conditions
will stop electrochemical corrosion. (See
figure 6-2.)
NOTE: Paint can mask the initial
stages of corrosion. Since corrosion
products occupy more volume than
the original metal, painted surfaces
hould be inspected often for irregularities
such as blisters, flakes, chips,
and lumps.
b. Most pure metals are not suitable for
aircraft construction and are used only in combination
with other metals to form alloys.
Most alloys are made up entirely of small
crystalline regions, called grains. Corrosion
can occur on surfaces of those regions which
are less resistant and also at boundaries between
regions, resulting in the formation of pits
and intergranular corrosion. Metals have a
wide range of corrosion resistance. The most
active metals, (those which lose electrons easily),
such as magnesium and aluminum,corrode easily. The most noble metals (those
which do not lose electrons easily), such as
gold and silver, do not corrode easily.
c. Corrosion is quickened by hightemperature
environments that accelerate
chemical reactions and increase the concentration
of water vapor in the air.
d. Electrolytes (electrically-conducting
solutions) form on surfaces when condensation,
salt spray, rain, or rinse water
accumulate. Dirt, salt, acidic gases, and engine
exhaust gases can dissolve on wet surfaces, increasing
the electrical conductivity of the electrolyte,
thereby increasing the rate of corrosion.
e. When some of the electrolyte on a
metal surface is partially confined, (such as
between faying surfaces or in a deep crevice)
the metal around this area corrodes more rapidly.
This type of corrosion is called an oxygen
concentration cell.

"b. Alkalies, as a group, are not as corrosive
as acids. Aluminum and magnesium alloys
are exceedingly prone to corrosive attack by
many alkaline solutions unless the solutions
contain a corrosion inhibitor. Substances particularly
corrosive to aluminum are washing
soda, potash (wood ashes), and lime (cement
dust)."
http://www.gim.bnl.gov/misc/envtest/dlcal/corrosion.html

"MATERIALS AND PROCESSES

This section lists several very useful materials that will make ones life easier.

Aluminum Notes: Always use 6061-T6 aluminum or better grade. Hard anodize is best for exposed equipment. Note hard anodize adds thickness, so holes and threads must allow for the process. Hard anodize is NOT conductive, so must be scraped away for a ground connection."