/oss/taxonomy/term/660/all en /oss/article/history-general-science/iron-fallout-hair-permanents <p>For most people a car is just a vehicle that gets them from one place to another, and as far as cleanliness is concerned, occasionally driving through a car wash is good enough. But some individuals are so reviled by a speck of dirt that they will wash, wax and polish until the car has the appearance of one sitting in a dealer’s showroom. The wheels, be they steel or alloys of magnesium or aluminum, receive much attention because they must shine! And this is where focus falls on iron fallout.</p> Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:21:49 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9980 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/rust-doesnt-cause-tetanus <p>Ever step on a rusty nail? It was, in all likelihood, rapidly followed by your parents dragging you to the doctor’s office for a painful (but safe!) tetanus shot. The memory of my first tetanus shot is preceded by an exploring an abandoned barn and getting cut by a stray wire fence. If it had happened in my own home it wouldn’t have even deserved a band-aid, but the threat of rust sent us to the doctor's office.</p> <p>But it turns out that injuries caused by rusty objects aren’t any worse than injuries caused by any other discarded object.</p> Thu, 25 Oct 2018 18:23:16 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7414 at /oss /oss/article/environment-quirky-science-science-science-everywhere/if-you-were-using-cathodic-protection-what-would-you-be-trying-protect <p style="text-align:justify">You use cathodic protection to prevent iron from rusting. The rusting of iron is an expensive process. It is estimated that the deterioration of iron due to corrosion costs billions of dollars a year in Canada. The process is simple enough in terms of chemistry. Iron reacts with oxygen from the air to form iron oxide. This is termed an electrochemical reaction because the oxygen actually steals electrons from the iron.</p> Mon, 06 May 2013 21:47:47 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1931 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/rust-stains-your-bathtub <p>If you see reddish stains in your sink, bathtub, or heaven forbid, on your laundry, it's a good bet you've got iron in your water. Don't look for nuts and bolts dripping from your tap, this kind of iron is dissolved in the water. Where does it come from? Water is a great solvent and as it percolates through iron-rich rocks and soil and flows through pipes on its journey to your tap, it dissolves iron. We refer to this kind of iron as "ferrous" but it is not the only form of iron that can be found in water. "Ferric" iron is insoluble and occurs in water in the form of tiny particles.</p> Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:10:43 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1747 at /oss