I am sorry if my explanation was a bit confusing. A few years ago I built an awning (as per the designers specifications), comprised of a steel structure supporting a copper roof riveted to the steel (yes - it is still one piece for now). However, in this case I don't intend to have the copper come in contact with the steel - only copper/stainless and brass/bronze will be in contact.
I read up a bit on the galvanic corrosion process and learned that it can occur when two dissimilar metals are in contact within the presence of an electrolyte, e.g. water, sea water, etc. The less noble metal (in this case the copper) can become the anode and will tend to corrode at an accelerated rate, while the more noble of the two metals (in this case the stainless) becomes the cathode and will tend to corrode more slowly.
I also found a good example of galvanic current flow; that is the fruit powered electronic clock. When a copper (cathode) and zinc (anode) electrode are placed in the acidic electrolyte of a grapefruit, a galvanic current (enough to power a digital clock) is created.
Hi STEF, I am sorry if my
Hi STEF,
I am sorry if my explanation was a bit confusing. A few years ago I built an awning (as per the designers specifications), comprised of a steel structure supporting a copper roof riveted to the steel (yes - it is still one piece for now). However, in this case I don't intend to have the copper come in contact with the steel - only copper/stainless and brass/bronze will be in contact.
I read up a bit on the galvanic corrosion process and learned that it can occur when two dissimilar metals are in contact within the presence of an electrolyte, e.g. water, sea water, etc. The less noble metal (in this case the copper) can become the anode and will tend to corrode at an accelerated rate, while the more noble of the two metals (in this case the stainless) becomes the cathode and will tend to corrode more slowly.
I also found a good example of galvanic current flow; that is the fruit powered electronic clock. When a copper (cathode) and zinc (anode) electrode are placed in the acidic electrolyte of a grapefruit, a galvanic current (enough to power a digital clock) is created.
Dino