Grok.com: "What is the best website for metal finishing questions and answers?"

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

-----

Stainless steel rivets and anodized aluminum

Will these dissimilar materials cause corrode if the make contact with each other.
will a zinc washer prevent corrosion, or will a Teflon washer be better?

Max Burns
manufacturer - Orange, California, USA
June 4, 2009

June 4, 2009

Hi, Max. A Teflon washer will prevent the problem if it prevents the stainless rivet from touching the aluminum; if it does not, it will not. A zinc washer would be of no value. There are, of course, some things like airplanes where galvanic corrosion is of paramount concern, and other things like inexpensive consumer items meant for a short life and only used indoors, where galvanic corrosion may not be a serious issue.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Ted is available for instant help
or longer-term assistance.

As Ted pointed out you really want something non-conductive. Teflon washers would be ideal. The common method in aerospace is to wet assemble the rivets where you put a liquid/paste adhesive in with the rivet during installation. This just gives you a second option to consider.

Ciaron Murphy
Aerospace - South Wales, UK
June 11, 2009

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: