Why is technetium used to protect steel from corrosion?

Without going into corrosion mechanisms - pertechnetate is a very good anodic corrosion inhibitor for steel, even at extremely small concentrations (tens of ppm). The mechanism behind it is a creation of technetium dioxide - which servers as passivation layer. read more

Cost effective corrosion protection of structural steelwork should present little difficulty for common applications and environments if the factors that affect durability are recognised at the outset. There are many steel structures that have continued in use satisfactorily for many years even in adverse conditions. read more

There are three methods that may be used to protect steel from corrosion. 1. Passive Barrier Protection. Passive barrier protection works by coating the steel with a protective coating system that forms a tight barrier to prevent exposure to oxygen, water and salt (ions). read more

Technetium is a remarkable corrosion inhibitor for steel. Mild carbon steels may be protected by as little as 55 ppm of KTcO 4 in aerated distilled water at temperatures up to 250 C (482 F). This corrosion protection is limited to closed systems, since technetium is radioactive and must be confined. read more