what is rust? oxidized steel. when is steel completely oxidized? when steel is completely oxidized it breaks down into tiny grains of sand like material, similar to the ore it started from, not actual ore, just looks similar. this is called final oxidation.
if you walk out to your truck and it has rust over the fender wells and a piece breaks off. you inspect it, it will look like several folds of metal, if you break it in half you see what appears to be layers, and it is, it is layers of oxidation.
now this steel has not reached final oxidation, there is still steel there, and if you were to put this piece of oxidized steel onto a clean sheet of steel and leave it there for a few days, you will find that the clean steel is rusted in the area of the oxidized steel, this is called transference. seeing as how the oxidization process is still ongoing it is an Hygroscopy. it has the ability to atract water. the rust, or the oxide now has the ability to pull moisture from the air, like salt. and we know what happens to steel when it meets water and air.
the chemical reaction of the oxizidation of steel is acidic, like coke a cola. coke if put on a painted surface will eat paint, as will the continued oxidation of steel process. if you put that piece of steel from your trucks fender well on a piece of painted steel, as the process of oxidation continues it will slowly eat through the pain and into the steel.
now if you find final oxidization a piece of steel that can not be broken down any more, resembles ore, red dirt like substance, than no, it is done, but most you find will be partial, still having some steel in it.
had to look up my notes, the equation to steel oxidization,
4e- + 4H+(aq) + O2(aq) --> 2H2O(l)
not enough time to compleatly explain the equation, but you can look it up.
I opologize to you FieldTester, I got mad and formed an opion and reacted badly, and for that I apologize, but instead of saying someone is all wrong, first ask them to explain themselves.
