Thanks, Tom, for the Chemistry,
I don't think, however, that the combination of dissimilar metals will
end. We will have aluminum heads, copper radiators, iron blocks, and
miscellaneous other materials intermixed for some time. As I recall, the
solution to the problem of electro-chemical corrosion involved the use
of a sacrificial material to eliminate the degradation of the stuff you
want. There are electric isolator blocks in household plumbing between
galvanized and copper water lines. There is (or was) a battery you could
bury in the earth to change the charge direction to prevent
electro-galvanic corrosion. And, more to the point of our car, I seem to
recall a stack of magnesium washers that were placed in the radiator end
tanks (actually top tanks) to allow the more active magnesium to erode,
instead of the aluminum. Don't recall seeing them lately, however. Maybe
they went the way of the 200 mpg carburetor, and "Detroit" has bought
the rights and buries it to allow you to replace your car with a new one
every 3-5 years.
Steve
--
Steve Laifman < Find out what is most >
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