Eli5 : How does stainless steel stay stainless?
In: Chemistry
Corrosion of stainless steel occurs when occur stainless steel can’t protect itself. Basically, impurities weren’t washed off (seasalt, acid rain, etc.) and the stainless’s protective barrier of chromium oxide couldn’t reform to protect itself (underwater, not exposed to air), and etc.
Sciencey Answer: stainless is a metal and suffers from galvanic corrosion. Stainless steel is highly resistant to galvanic corrosion and other metals will corrode before the stainless does. This is why we attach sacrificial pieces of zinc to metal we protect (“anodes”).
Practical Answer: Stainless can be immaculate in severe marine environments for generations if you look after it. So you must Garden hose wash the stainless regularly, and oxy-acid wash once a month. The choice of acid wash is for the environment, not because of the stainless.
Source: Working on boats
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