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Nature 410, 420-423 (22 March 2001) | doi:10.1038/35068652

Materials science:  A pore view of corrosion

Martin Stratmann1 & Michael Rohwerder1

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The mechanism by which an alloy corrodes into a potentially useful porous sponge is understood qualitatively, but quantitative predictions of its final structure have been lacking. A model for this has now been proposed.

Alloys have an important role in modern life. Bronzes, stainless steels and alloys of noble (inert) metals, to name but a few, are all designed to have various properties, such as mechanical strength, ductility or resistance to corrosion.