According to chemically free enthalpy as described in thermodynamics, it is the goal of every material to revert to its subordinate accidental state. That means it wants to revert to its component parts. In the case of unalloyed steel this means that it will revert to iron oxide, from which it was originally formed with the help of a lot of energy. If unalloyed steel is left without protection in a humid environment for a longer period of time, then the iron will eventually be completely disintegrated.
It is not intended to discuss each individual type of corrosion in detail here, but to refer to literature sources. However, it is a fact that even special stainless steels (SS) can be severely damaged bycorrosion if used incorrectly. Besides the correct choice of materials and professional fabrication, an adequate (corrosion preventive) construction is also of paramount importance. If the right corrosion related construction were chosen, which took into account and applied the available knowledge of corrosion and corrosion protection, billions of dollars worth of corrosion damage worldwide could be avoided every year. Please refer to the literature sources for further information.

Corrosive products can severely contaminate components/systems, can lead to a functional breakdown and can also cause grave product contamination. Removing corrosive layers and products can therefore be a very important responsibility.

- Important preliminary clarifications