Aluminum is one of the most common metal in the world with a significant market share, it is often used to make kitchen utensils, cars, airplanes, even skyscrapers, and the 6xxx aluminum alloy is most common metal material for cnc machining and fabrication. However, some people have been wondering if aluminum can rust after prolonged exposure to water and oxygen in air, the answer is “Yes”, aluminum does rust when exposed to moisture, it corrodes and becomes rusty but it rusts in a different way than steel and iron rust.
Does aluminum rust
Yes, Aluminum does rust, but when aluminum does rust, it doesn’t rust like iron does until it’s gone. The oxidation of metal by oxygen in the air is rust. Aluminum reacts chemically with oxygen to form aluminum oxide, which is aluminum rust. Aluminum rust is very thin, its thickness is only ten thousandths of a millimeter, but it is very hard and very wear-resistant. It clings to the surface of the aluminum so that the aluminum inside is not exposed to the outside air, preventing the aluminum from continuing to rust.