Cars corrosion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cars corrosion - Essay Example ( Shaw Barbara and Kelly Robert, 2006) Even though corrosion was still prevalent in the 1950’s the main criteria for a car manufacturer was the strength and durability of the body. Cold rolling of low carbon sheets was the accepted practice during those times. Later on, when the shape and features of the automobile underwent changes steels that were more ductile and could be drawn easily was incorporated into the design. Currently various advanced methods of steel fabrication with the use of alternative materials are being followed which are both cheaper and also have a lower weight to volume ratio. ( Hamilton Bruce and Macauley, 1998) This method of using salt to melt the ice on roads was introduced following World War II which led to an increase of corrosion, affecting the functional and structural integrity of the vehicle. The general appearance of the vehicle was also affected. Some of the common pitfalls of corrosion due the presence of salts were formation of holes on body panels, corrosion of brake linings, wear and tear of the frame and bumper supports, discoloration and pitting effects on surfaces of vehicles. Alternate materials were designed to take care of this type of corrosion; however this led to another form of corrosion called galvanic corrosion which occurs when two dissimilar metals are in contact. In the late 1970’s it was noticed that corrosion was taking place to a large extent on the floor panels, exhaust systems, fuel and brake systems which were less visible from outside. Dust control chemicals like calcium chloride and pollutants like nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide combined with rain to form acid rains. This prevented the formation of the natural protective layer formation on vehicle surfaces. (Effects of road salt on Motor Vehicles and infrastructure, n.d) The corrosion due to these severe environmental effects was noticed to be maximum during the mid-1970. Customer dissatisfaction forced leading auto manufacturers to