Shipwrecks and Salvage > 5. Rates of Corrosion >
Predict the effect of low temperatures at great depths on the rate of corrosion of a metal
- At great depths, the following conditions have the following effects on the rate of corrosion:
| Factor: | State: | Effect on Rate of Corrosion: |
| Temperature | Very low | Decrease, due to lower kinetic energies of interacting particles |
| Oxygen levels | Very low | Decrease, as oxygen is essential for the formation of metal oxides |
| Salinity levels | Higher than the surface | Slight increase, but little difference |
- However, corrosion at great depths occurs to a much greater extent than would be expected from the above information.
- Much of the corrosion at great depths is caused by certain anaerobic bacteria that reduce sulfate to sulfide.