Do aluminium cans degrade?

Question

Do alumium cans degrade?

If so, what type of degradation? and whar degradation prevention methods are used?

Answer 1

Aluminum corrodes but it does not rust. Rust refers only to iron and steel corrosion.

Aluminum is actually very prone to corrosion. However, aluminum corrosion is aluminum oxide, a very hard material that actually protects the aluminum from further corrosion. Aluminum oxide corrosion also looks a lot more like aluminum, so it isn't as easy to notice as rusted iron.

Answer 2

Alluminium OXIDISES when exposed to air! The process accelerates when accompanied by humidity and salinity and acid rain! The prevention is simple, painting ( aircraft body panels??) and there are specialist paints for protecting the exterior! alternatively covering with plastic film  or 'Powder Coating' is also praciced !Another method is 'Anodising' though you have to look up the details on the net! Though these methods are for industrial/commercial structures made out of alluminium and preserving cans can be tricky and NOT COST EFFECTIVE

Answer 3

Rust is the name for corroded Steel or Iron. Aluminium tends to corrode heavily if it's in contact with Oxygen. But the result, Aluminium oxide builds a very thin and robust layer (passivation layer) that protects the metal from further corrision. The Oxygen cannot diffuse to the metal anymore and this stops further corrosion.

The same happens with Steel that contains more than 12% Chromium. The Chromimum builds a layer of Chromium oxide that prevents corrosion.

Other methods are anodization (artificial generation of a passive layer), painting, chromate conversion coating, powder coating et cetera.

More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passivation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_coat...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromate_co...

Answer 4

just about all metals oxidise, its a process that will eventually return the metal back to its ore state. Aluminium can coorode so fast it nearly disappears before your eyes, mercury is one material that has a wonderful effect on certain aluminium alloys, thats why its banned on aircraft. Aluminium oxide is quite hard, and is used on abrasive sheets. But it does react, and when it does the grey powder produced can be so fast reacting that it forms within the grain of the metal, causing exfoliation. Looks like the pages of a well thumbed paperback. Extruded sections are most prone to this type of corrosion

Answer 5

Well the cans are coated slightly which will hinder the atmosphere breaking the cans down, it will happen just probably not in your life time. They wont "rust" as thats the term used for iron breaking down, they'll take on a green hue to become aluminiun oxide, but the process is very slow.

Best thing to do is to melt them into new ones.

Answer 6

It rusts eventually I believe, probably anti corrosive paint but am guessing sorry

Answer 7

Yes.......... if the conditions are right.... humidity, temperature, oxygen levels, pressure and enough time will eventually discolour and degrade the thin walls of the can,

No......... if you preserve the can (possibly by avoiding the conditions in the above scenario..)

Answer 8

YES, I have seen piles of old Aluminum Cans that have been left outside.

The get very brittle, the metal  gets thinner, small holes appear and they break down.  ( they do not develop a rust color )

Answer 9

like iron, it degrades and turns into an oxide...

blahhhh

Answer 10

The aluminum cans degrade by oxidation.

In North American more than we used more than 20 * 10^9 cans a year!  In the US they even used the cans for non-liquid material like peanuts.

The only effective method is recycling.