What Does
Fretting Corrosion Mean?
Fretting is gradual wear by means of rubbing or gnawing action between two surfaces. Fretting corrosion is a combined action of fretting as well as corrosion, which involves corrosion at points where two metal surfaces make contact by means of a rubbing action.
Fretting corrosion is also known as chafing corrosion.
Corrosionpedia Explains Fretting Corrosion
For fretting corrosion to occur, the following conditions to be satisfied:
- Interface must be under load
- Relative motion must occur and should be sufficient enough to produce deformation on the surface
Fretting corrosion is common in:
- Riveted joints/structures
- Bolted joints/flanges
Problems generated by means of fretting corrosion are very expensive to fix. There is no standard test method to identify fretting corrosion. Mechanical design plays a more important role than material selection when facing this kind of corrosion. While it cannot be eliminated completely, it can be reduced by using inhibitive caulking compounds in the joints.
Fretting corrosion can be prevented by:
- Reducing relative movement between materials
- Using materials that are not susceptible to fretting corrosion
- Increasing the hardness of one or both materials
- Using contact lubricants
- Using seals to absorb vibrations