Corrosion Protection through pH Stabilization

Posted 10/26/2025

Introduction

This technical report examines the application and benefits of pH stabilization as a corrosion prevention strategy particularly for products where traditional recoating methods are impractical due to design limitations, small-scale operations, or remote locations. Target industries include transportation, heavy equipment, and agriculture, where long-term durability is essential and maintenance access may be limited.

corrosion on equipment; pH stabilization practices to improve

The report outlines how pH stabilization extends the corrosion-resistant properties imparted during factory production specifically through muti- wash rinse systems and electrodeposition conversion coatings, which leave components with a passive pH value between 7.0 and 8.2. It explores how maintaining this passive pH through microscopic surface cleaning can indefinitely preserve corrosion protection.

Special attention is given to the agricultural sector, where routine maintenance schedules provide an ideal framework for incorporating pH stabilization programs. By integrating this method into existing service intervals, farmers can enhance equipment longevity and operational reliability without requiring significant changes to their current practices.

This report will define the technical basis of pH stabilization, evaluate its field applicability, and implementation strategies for end-users and service providers.

pH stands for “potential of hydrogen” and is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. Higher concentrations of hydrogen ions indicate greater acidity, while lower concentrations indicate greater basicity. Acidic solutions have a high concentration of hydrogen ions, which can react with metals, oxidizing them and causing them to dissolve. This is a common cause of corrosion in materials like steel.

Advantages of pH Stabilization

Increased service life for manufactured products
Reduced corrosion repairs, downtime, and early replacement costs
Improved asset performance and operational readiness
Improved worker safety and moral
Reduced material waste and disposal costs
Eliminates VOCs for post application maintenance recoating
Improved remanufacturing and recycling potential
Lean engineering, a reduced need to overdesign structures to resist corrosion
Improved trade balance U.S. products that last longer reduce foreign imports
New jobs for U.S. workers trained in PH maintenance programs
Substantial energy savings for corrosion prevention
pH stabilization allows management to use root cause analysis to identify excessive wear sites and initiate design changes to improve performance

A 2002 Government sponsored report estimated the total cost of corrosion to the United States economy at $550 billion based on 6.2% of GDP valued at $876 billion. In 2020, U.S. GDP totaled $20.98 trillion. 6.2 percent of $20.98 trillion equal $1.28 trillion a $796 increase over the 2002 amount.

Reduced Corrosion Costs

One aspect of corrosion expense not addressed in the report is net steel loss. It is estimated the total amount of steel lost to corrosion range from 290–650 million tons. This is 25–33% of annual steel production once it’s put into use. This figure is based on the energy consumption needed to replace corroded goods, which is 3.4% of production.

In 2024, the price of steel was $720 per metric ton. $720 x 650 million tons equal $455 billion and this doesn’t include demolition, transportation, and waste management expenses This is more than the stated cost of corrosion of $276 billion stated in the original 2002 Government report and almost 50 % of the current cost of corrosion of $1.2 trillion.

Jim Deardorff

Jim Deardorff is the President of Superior Coatings and has over 20 years in the application and of protective coatings for high value equipment and steel structures. In 2000, he realized it was virtually impossible to repaint products and structures to modern standards. In his opinion, the best course of action is to protect the original factory finish by precision cleaning and renewable thin film, nano-coatings. Jim’s maintenance program replaces reactive repairs with higher forms of maintenance support including preventive, predictive, and prescriptive programs including root cause analysis.

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Corrosion Protection through pH Stabilization