An anticorrosive inhibits the corrosion of a metal or alloy.
Anticorrosive is a concept that can be used as an adjective or as a noun . The notion is formed with the prefix anti- (which refers to what has the opposite properties or what is opposite) and the term corrosive (referring to that which can corrode).
As an adjective, anticorrosive qualifies what prevents corrosion . Regarding its use as a noun, an anticorrosive is a product that is incorporated into a material to prevent it from corroding or to prevent it from causing corrosion of another element.
What is corrosion
It can be noted that, to understand what an anticorrosive agent is, it is first essential to pay attention to the verb corroer and the noun corrosion . The action of corroding consists of wearing something down . It generally refers to what an agent does when it gradually destroys a metallic body .
Corrosion, meanwhile, is the act and result of corroding . This means that if a metal corrodes, it suffers from corrosion. In turn, if a substance corrodes a body, it causes its corrosion.
Anticorrosive as protection
Having these ideas clear, it is easy to understand what an anticorrosive is. It is a product that, due to its characteristics, provides protection to the object on which it is applied, preventing corrosion .
Anticorrosives usually protect metals or alloys. They can be obtained in different formats, such as oils or aerosols , depending on the type of anticorrosive.
There are different types of anticorrosives.
What anticorrosives do is inhibit corrosion. Many times these products establish a layer as a coating: thus making it impossible for corrosive media to have access to the metal or alloy in question.
It cannot be overlooked that corrosion produces irreparable effects. The process promotes the formation of new compounds in the materials and therefore its control is very complicated.
The case of painting
We usually associate painting with a decorative or ornamental issue. In fact, we generally paint a house when we want to beautify it.
However, there are paints with very useful properties that serve to prevent different problems or act as a treatment . In this group we find anticorrosive paints .
These paints, which are applied to metals, act in the priming procedure. This means that they help to adapt or prepare the metal surface for subsequent painting.
The primary function of anticorrosive paint is to prevent metal oxidation . It also provides the surface with the necessary conditions so that it can later be painted with another type of finish.
Anticorrosive paints are gray, black, orange or red. They frequently have sodium silicate among their components , since this substance manages to disable corrosion.
The importance of anticorrosives in the economy
It can be said that the anticorrosive paint constitutes a first protective layer . Its application helps extend the useful life of what it protects, thereby contributing to economic savings .
According to various studies, it is estimated that corrosion costs up to 4% of the GDP of industrialized nations due to the damage it causes. Using anticorrosives, in this framework, is an investment and not an expense.