Inert Catchment
Run-off from inert surfaces such as glazed tiles, aluminium and aluminium-dominant metallic coatings, fibreglass, pre-coated metals, glass or any painted surface can cause corrosion of unpainted galvanised steel and other zinc-dominant metallic coatings. This is known as 'drip-spot corrosion' or inert catchment corrosion.
Water sitting on a surface absorbs carbon dioxide, forming carbonic acid, which is reactive with zinc. On a galvanised surface, the carbonic acid reacts with the zinc and becomes neutral. On an inert surface discharging into an unprotected zinc surface, the carbonic acid is not neutralised, and the reaction will be concentrated on the drip points of the inert surface onto the zinc surface.
As the formation of carbonic acid takes time to occur, inert catchment corrosion is normally seen at specific drip points of dew off a roof, rather than below rain-washed painted walls and windows.
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