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Why Your Silverware Rusts

Posted by timothy on from the hearts-of-stone-don't-need-to-rust dept.

Judebert writes: "Watching your stainless steel silverware rust is enough to drive a geek to apoplexy. Not that you care, just that it is stainless, after all. Well, some clever Brits at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine have figured out Why Stainless Steel Corrodes and published a like-named article in Nature. Science Daily, as usual, mirrored their press release. When stainless steel goes, the results can be catastrophic. Especially considering that the stuff is used in Formula 1 engines, industrial equipment, and thousands of other places. Turns out the problem is sulfur in the steel / chromium alloy. But they've also figured out ways to fix the problem without resorting to very expensive low-sulphur steels."

2 of 27 comments (clear)

  1. Tarn-X works wonders by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    As well as does tin foil and epsom salt.

    1. Re:Tarn-X works wonders by Zurk · · Score: 1, Insightful

      doesnt help with deep pits of corrosion which is what this is talking about. heat treatment or improvements in the forming process are the only things that help. the main problem is uneven distribution of chromium.