Point/Counterpoint:: Corrosion By Masquitos Davis in Meta Tue Aug 04, 2015 at 05:49:28 PM EST Tags: (all tags)
	POINT: Corrosion can be defined as the deterioration of materials by chemical processes. Of these, the most important by far is electrochemical corrosion of metals, in which the oxidation process M → M+ + e- is facilitated by the presence of a suitable electron acceptor, sometimes referred to in corrosion science as a depolarizer.

In a sense, corrosion can be viewed as the spontaneous return of metals to their ores; the huge quantities of energy that were consumed in mining, refining, and manufacturing metals into useful objects is dissipated by a variety of different routes. The economic aspects of corrosion are far greater than most people realize; according to a 2001 report, the cost of corrosion in the U.S. alone was $276 billion per year. Of this, about $121 billion was spent to control corrosion, leaving the difference of $155 billion as the net loss to the economy. Utilities, especially drinking water and sewer systems, suffer the largest economic impact, with motor vehicles and transportation being a close second. The special characteristic of most corrosion processes is that the oxidation and reduction steps occur at separate locations on the metal. This is possible because metals are conductive, so the electrons can flow through the metal from the anodic to the cathodic regions. The presence of water is necessary in order to transport ions to and from the metal, but a thin film of adsorbed moisture can be sufficient. A corrosion system can be regarded as a short-circuited electrochemical cell in which the anodic process is something like Fe(s) → Fe2+(aq) + 2 e- and the cathodic steps can be any of O2 + 2 H2O + 4e- → 4 OH- H+ + e- → ½ H2(g) M2+ + 2 e- → M(s) where M is a metal. COUNTERPOINT:  FUCK YOU RUSTY

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