The Impact of Corrosion on Society

Almost all metals and alloys are unstable in the Earth's atmosphere and will always be susceptible to corrosion. The basic principles of corrosion are briefly described in order to explain the observations of corrosion, which render our personal items as well as industrial machinery and public property dysfunctional, aesthetically displeasing, and potentially dangerous. This is followed by a discussion, with case study examples, of three aspects of the impact of corrosion on society: (1) direct effects resulting in injury or death, (2) contamination of the environment, and (3) the financial costs.