Environmental Impacts on Winding Springs

As everyone knows, the winding spring is made of stainless steel, and people commonly believe that “stainless-steel springs do not rust.” In fact, this is a one-sided and incorrect assumption. When you see rust spots on its surface, you will realize that under certain environmental conditions it can also rust. It is undeniable that stainless steel does have excellent properties such as strong corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, and rust resistance. However, having these advantages does not mean that springs made of stainless-steel wire will never rust. In special circumstances they can still rust, only that stainless-steel winding springs are not as prone to rust as iron springs. Next, let’s take a look at which environments can have adverse effects on them. First, when dust or deposits of dissimilar metal particles adhere to the surface, in humid air the condensed water on the stainless-steel surface can connect the two, forming a micro-battery. This triggers an electrochemical reaction, damages the protective film, and results in electrochemical corrosion. Second, when organic juices adhere to the surface of a stainless-steel winding spring, in the presence of water and oxygen they can form organic acids, which over time will corrode the metal surface. Third, when acidic, alkaline, or saline substances adhere to the stainless-steel surface, they can cause localized corrosion. Fourth, in polluted air, when it encounters condensed water it can form droplets of sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid, thereby causing chemical corrosion.