Many people don’t know that metal is affected by oxidisation. The way we generally see the damage to metal is through the way it looks after being exposed to an oxidising agent, such as the air. As the metal is oxidised the surface is scratched or scarred, and in time these scars become deeper and turn into a darker colour. In general the type of metal and what has been oxidised determines how bad the scarring is going to be. One way to help prevent damage from oxidisation is to use Surface Treatments like the ones from Poeton to protect the outermost layer of the metal item.
There are several ways metals are affected by oxidisation, and some are more serious than others. For example when you have a dent in your car, the metal is more likely to be more affected by oxidisation than other metals, because the dent could have damaged the surrounding metal and allowed the oxidised metal to penetrate deeper, where it is more difficult for it to be removed. When a vehicle is exposed to oxidising agents such as cigarette smoke for a long period of time, the metal will begin to turn black, and will create patches of black spot where the metal has been oxidised.
The second way metal is affected by oxidisation is through corrosion. As metal corrodes it becomes less resistant to pressure, heat, electricity and friction, which is why steel tends to corrode more easily than other metals, for example iron, copper and zinc.
