Corrosive Environments and The Damage it Can Cause

There are many environments that promote corrosion. The atmosphere in certain industrial environments can contain metal oxides, chlorides, sulfides, acids, and other mediums that serve as electrolytes and promote corrosion. 

These corrosive environments can cause damage to all types of piping, plumbing, fire sprinkler piping, and sprinkler heads. It is important to know the damage these corrosive environments can cause and that there are materials that reduce the effects of corrosion. Most often the corrosion in these corrosive environments is visible on the outside of the piping. The signs can be pitting, rusting, and flaking which will in turn lead to leaks.

Some examples of such locations include:

• Paper mills
• Packing houses
• Organic fertilizer plants
• Foundries
• Forge shops
• Packing houses
• Tanneries
• Fumigation, pickle, and vinegar works
• Steam rooms
• Salt storage rooms
• Around swimming pools, chlorine storage rooms, and pool pump rooms
• Battery storage rooms, electroplating rooms, and galvanizing rooms

There are many types of corrosion-resistant or rust-proof metals and piping, including aluminum, certain grades of stainless steel, galvanized steel, and red metals like copper. Stainless steel has the ability to resist rust and corrosion more effectively than most other metals.

Sprinkler heads come in a variety of corrosive-resistant materials and coatings. These include:

• Polyester paints
• Electroless nickel (ENT)
• PTFE (“Teflon”)
• Electroless nickel-PTFE
• Wax
• Lead
• Wax over lead

Being aware of these corrosive environments and knowing if the materials of your mechanical and piping systems are resilient enough to withstand their surroundings is vital to their longevity. If they are not then, replacement is often your only option and should be expected. Worried about corrosion? Contact Ahern to learn more or set up a system inspection.