Abstract
The effect of rubber sealing materials on crevice corrosion susceptibility of stainless steel was investigated. The rubbers were found to accelerate the initiation of crevice corrosion. In order to prevent crevice corrosion of rubber sealed steel surface, newly modified rubber has been developed. This rubber contains uniformly dispersed fine metallic zinc powder and carbon of high electric conductivity. It is shown that this rubber cathodically protects stainless steels by the mechanism that dissolved zinc precipitates on the surface of stainless steel in a form of hydroxide and prevents acidification of the crevice solution.
