CounterAct Corrosion Protection

[va3ux]

Cathodic protection is used all over the world to protect underground pipelines and tanks from corrosion. This is different than sacrificial anodes. In a nutshell, they apply a reverse voltage that is equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity to the natural corrosion emf that is set up between anodic and cathodic sites.

It appears they are applying a similar scheme to protect car bodies from rusting. Back in the 80's there was similar (?) device sold called the Rust Buster.

 

[yugrus]

This goes on sale at Canadian Tire next week. I went to their web site thinking I might figure out what was this about. I have power electronics background, but I'm completely lost with their message. Some things (or their explanation) do not make any sense to me.
I'm quite aware why sacrificial electrode systems do not work well on cars, but this type of rust protection I have never heard before about. I'm not quite sure what to think of it, as it truly sounds like whoever provided these explanations are full of themselves...

What do you think?

 

[carock]

Obviously I am not a corrosion expert, but...there is some "fact" about corrosion that if you induce a specific voltage across two metal parts in a salty water solution you can prevent the corrosion from taking place. It is something like 0.8 volts for steel. I think that they are trying to convince us that applying their product will accomplish this. I know this idea has some merit protecting boats from corrsion, but the boats are submersed in water and have a sacrificial anode that plates the steel. I do not see how there is a body of water surrounding the car to take the sacrificial anode atoms to plate any exposed steel on the car.The implication that they can use air to carry sacrificial anode atoms seems highly suspicious. More power to them if it works!

 

[yugrus]

Thank you guys!
It does not sound like cathodic protection or sacrificial anodes. They're talking about the paint of the car acting as an insulator in the capacitor that they create with their device...

I checked it out today. Looks like well-packaged product, although there were no more information on it besides the normal marketing noise.

Would automakers not use devices like this if they really worked?

 

[Kestas]

I AM a corrosion expert, and I can say that this is snake oil. Yugrus, you're correct in assuming that if it worked, the automakers would jump all over this technology. Regardless of what others may think, the automakers spend considerable amounts of money and go through great lengths to protect a vehicle from corrosion. I doubt they would have missed such a technology. Not much gets past the engineers in auto companies. Even less gets past the bean counters if something was really cost-effeective.

There is no way you can protect a car from rusting in the presence of an electrolyte using electrical methods without draining the battery.

THe US Navy spends 10% of its budget battling corrosion. You'd think they would have at least looked at such a product.

 

[Kestas]

Didn't the two of us discuss rustproofing before? Everytime I talk about rustproofing I mention Texaco rustproofing compound. Is Krown a greasy compound that stays greasy?

 

[yugrus]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kestas:
Everytime I talk about rustproofing I mention Texaco rustproofing compound. Is Krown a greasy compound that stays greasy?

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I can't find anyone in my neck of woods who offers Texaco compound rustproofing. I'd go for it, for sure...
Krown looks like a very light oil that seeps for months after application. On a hot day in summer it shows off even though I applied it last September.

BTW, I decided to look into CounterAct patent information. Now at least I know that they patented the process and apparatus in the
US and Canada . I realize it does not mean much in terms of validity of their claims, although I still think it would be entertaining to read these materials... sometimes in a while.

 

[Kestas]

I wish somebody who had bought the CounterAct system would report back (honestly) after some good field testing - i.e., 10 years in Michigan/Ontario.

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone on BITOG gets roped into these products. And if they did, there's always the desire to not admit that they were duped, or else falsely claim merit to the product in order to justify their expense and decision.

Texaco rustproofing compound is not an oil, but a grease. It needs to be refreshed every 2-3 years. I used to get it in Detroit, but the distributor closed up shop and I can only get it by mail order. Don't worry about seepage. All good rustproofing compound does this, especially in the hot summer.

 

[Quest]

Kestas-

I used "waxoyl" from UK some decades ago for rustproofing body panel seams and joints, and it's probably just the same effect as Texico rustproofing wax spray.

In areas where moisture is an issue, spraying wax-like oil compound along the inner seams and joints worked wonders. My 323 has survived harsh -38C winters in salted towns and highways and still no underchassis rust to date (15+yrs old, and counting).

 

[Kestas]

Is it "waxy", or "greasy?" I worry about using a rustproofing material that hardens too quickly, then starts delaminating and trapping corrodants, making corrosion worse.

Regardless, 15 years of Canadian field testing is commendable.

I have one car in the family with Texaco rustproofing compound that was applied only once 8 years ago. The car has reached 173K and is not worth keeping up the rustproofing (the car isn't mine).

No visible corrosion yet, but I can see the rustproofing has dried out and is peeling away, leaving the car prone to corrosion in its final years. If it was mine I would have definitely re-rustproofed it a number of years ago.

I have field tested two other cars that are mine. One I had for 11 years before selling. Another one has 16 years on it (my winter car), and has been re-rustproofed many times. It's showing rust on the non-sprayed panels... basically at the corners where rustproofing ends at the waxed panels. The sprayed areas are okay.

 

[yugrus]

Thanks Kestas, so there's no magic spell, eh? I'm sticking to my annual Krown application schedule then...