Couple that with the fact that it is a grayish color very similar to aluminum, and you may never even notice your aluminum’s rust. It doesn’t flake off like iron oxide and therefore, once the outer layer of aluminum “rusts” the process stops and the aluminum is protected. It is actually quite hard and serves as a protective coating around the underlying aluminum. When a new aluminum surface is exposed in the presence of air or any other oxidizing agent, it quickly develops a thin, hard film of aluminum oxide (or hydrated oxide in non-stagnant water). Iron oxide (rust) is a soft red colored metal that begins to expand and flake off as it is chemically transformed which exposes more of the underlying steel or iron to the air and the process continues until the metal is completely transformed to iron oxide.Īluminum oxide is different.
When exposed to oxygen, it forms aluminum oxide, just like steel forms iron oxide, but the difference lies in the chemical makeup of these two oxides. It just rusts in a different way than steel and iron rust. The short answer is, yes, aluminum does rust. You already know that aluminum can last outside for decades, but what you want to know is does aluminum rust, right? Substances that can cause this damage include water and salt, so keeping these away from an aluminum surface will help protect it from corroding.
Does aluminum rust? It’s a valid question and one that a lot of folks think they have the answer to, but you may be surprised by what I have to tell you about aluminum and its ability to stand up to corrosion.Īluminum is seen as a rockstar of corrosion resistance and is one of the few metals, along with stainless steel, that can hold up to exterior and coastal exposures over long periods of time.
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