Corrosion
![Rust, the most familiar example of corrosion.](/Images/godic/202501/27/Rust_and_dirt4657.jpg")
![Volcanic gases have accelerated the corrosion of this abandoned mining machinery.](/Images/godic/202501/27/Corroding_machinery_at_old_White_Island_sulphur_mine4657.JPG")
![Corrosion on exposed metal.](/Images/godic/202501/27/Rust_Bolt4657.JPG")
![Galvanic corrosion of aluminium. A 5-mm-thick aluminium alloy plate is physically (and hence, electrically) connected to a 10-mm-thick mild steel structural support. Galvanic corrosion occurred on the aluminium plate along the joint with the steel. Perforation of aluminium plate occurred within 2 years.[1]](/Images/godic/202501/27/Galvanic_corrosion_of_aluminum_and_steel_in_seawater4657.jpg")
Corrosion is a natural process, which converts a refined metal to a more stable form, such as its oxide, hydroxide, or sulfide. It is the gradual destruction of materials (usually metals) by chemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engineering is the field dedicated to controlling and stopping corrosion.