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Nail Materials
Nails are made of a combination of steel, iron and carbon, creating a strong durable alloy. While steel does not rust because it is galvanized and corrosion resistant, the iron in nails makes them susceptible to rusting. Rust is the corrosive material that forms on iron, just as patina is the corrosive material that forms on copper as it reacts with oxygen. When a nail begins to rust, its strength is diminished, eventually damaging its structure.
Nails and Rust
Rust is the hydrated oxide that forms as the iron in nails begins to corrode. Rust is a complex substance. It forms as the iron in nails comes in contact with water or oxygen. The iron atoms and oxygen atoms combine and release energy that creates a corrosion, also known as rust. The energy created during this process is great enough that if the process could be sped up, the rust that forms would be hot to the touch.
Water and Oxygen
Nails are subject to oxygen in the air which causes the iron to break down, thereby forming rust over time. Environments with higher concentrations of oxygen cause nails to rust more quickly. For example, when exposed to fresh or salt water, oxygen from the air dissolves in the water, thereby causing nails to rust faster than average. If a nail is exposed to drops of water, rust will form near the edges of the water droplets. This is because the largest amount of oxygen occurs at the edge of the water droplet. The combination of these elements causes the nail to oxidize.
Chemical Reaction
Rust forms on nails due to a chemical reaction that causes the metal to oxidize. The iron in the nail begins to lose ions and gain hydroxide ions, creating iron hydroxide. Iron hydroxide oxidizes by reacting further with the oxygen and water in the nail̵7;s environment, coating the outside in the reddish brown coating we know as rust. Places on the nail that have impurities and imperfections are more susceptible to rust. This is both a spontaneous and destructive reaction.