• Question: Why do nails not rust in tap water that has been boiled to remove dissolved gases?

    Asked by anon-225185 to Simon, Paul, Nawapat, Natalie, Katy on 20 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Paul Laurance-Young

      Paul Laurance-Young answered on 20 Nov 2019:


      It will rust eventually, for reasons that are to do with gas exchange and water dissociation!
      However, short term: When you boil the dissolved gas out, you remove the oxygen in the water. Rust is iron plus oxygen = iron oxide. No oxygen = no rust.

Comments