from the fingers of jtc@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu-
>What exactly DO phosphates
>do to an aluminum engine anyway?
Here's my feeble understanding of the problem: Aluminum is highly
resistant to oxidation (corrosion) mainly because of the very thin
protective film of aluminum oxide coating that spontaneously forms on the
surface. An aqueous solution containing phosphates can effectively
solubolize the oxide coating, so that another layer of oxide must form,
which is then dissolved, and so forth, until...
Lee M. Daniels - Laboratory for Molecular Structure and Bonding - Texas A&M
daniels@lmsbvx.tamu.edu | DANIELS@TAMLMSB.BITNET | (409) 845-3726
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