Rust prevention and zinc

[ichthos]

Hello All,
I have seen a lot of posts on rust repair, but little on rust prevention. I used to work on oil tankers (cleaning, painting, ...) for summer work when I was going to college. I noticed there were zinc bars attached to the steel walls. It has been a long time since I have taken chemistry, but I believe the zinc donated electrons so that oxidation would be slowed down or stopped. It is very wet where I live. The conditions are not as extreem as the ship sitting in salt water, but wouldn't this in effect stop oxidation on any part of my car until the zinc bar itself was oxidized? Has anyone tried this before?
Kevin

 

[Guest]

I think these are called sacrificial anodes and I have seen postings on this site about their use. Not sure if it really applies to our cars.

 

[ichthos]

It has got to be wet where you live too, Bill. Thanks for the correct terminology. I think I'll wait to see if anyone posts their results of trying this, and maybe head over to a local boat shop.Does anyone know if this reverses oxidation of metal?
Kevin

 

[Guest]

There's really no way to reverse oxidation, perhaps stop it. Beware of all the coatings and rust preventatives out there as well. I have always been wary of anything that can be applied to a rusty surface, even if the rust is visibly removed, and expect it to stop rust forever. If even a little rust is left, almost invisible, it is still active. That's why they refer to it as car cancer.

It will and does continue to grow. It pays to inspect every area that you have treated, on a regular basis. The beauty of something like Waxoyl (discussed in a previous post) is it is an almost organic, living material that becomes even more active with heat. Look at a vehicle that has had routine applications of Waxoyl or similar products, they never seem to rust! Even phosphoric acid based products seem to give up the ghost in short order and need attention. It's a never ending battle.

 

[aeronca65t]

You can consider using a cold zinc coating (basically, paint with some zinc powder in it). In the old days, this stuff was pretty good....the modern versions of it may not be as good, but still may help somewhat.

https://www.clearcoproducts.com/cold_galvanize_primers.html

 

[KVH]

Re: Rust prevention and zinc--Remember Neil

I'd simply like to give credit where credit is due. Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps. Like so many things he's said and done over the years, he was right on there, too.