Rust Rescue and Stainless Steel, When Passivation Isn't Enough

Recently, I have gotten some interesting stainless steel questions. Specifically, questions about how to keep stainless steel from rusting in highly corrosive environments. A customer might have stainless steel that rusts, and will use CitriSurf® products to clean and repassivate it. In many cases, that passivation is enough. However, in some cases a difficult environment makes an additional step necessary to prevent rust.

Stainless steel has strong rust resistance properties that keep it bright and shiny and a good job of passivating will usually keep it that way for some time. But everything has its weak spots and stainless steel is no exception. Environments with high concentrations of salt, like near the ocean, or chlorine, like swimming pools, can cause even the best grades of stainless steel to corrode. And when someone has a deck railing near the ocean or a ladder to their swimming pool that rusts, they naturally want to protect it.

Fortunately CitriSurf also makes Rust Rescue 200, a product that can provide additional protection to stainless steel in corrosive places.

Stainless steel fixtures for a swimming pool shown without and with Rust Rescue 200

If you have stainless steel that has rusted, and you are concerned about protecting it for the longest possible time, then you may want to use Rust Rescue 200. It's very easy to apply. Simply passivate the stainless steel as normal with a product like CitriSurf 77 Plus, then after allowing thorough dry time, put on Rust Rescue 200, let it sit a bit, then buff the excess off.

A Food Contact and Pharmaceutical Formula is Available

Of course, some customers have stainless steel that is used in food contact or pharmaceutical situations. In these environments surfaces are often cleaned with bleach to maintain sanitary conditions, and the chlorine in the bleach can cause rust. These customers need to make sure that whatever protectant they use is rated as safe for these situations. For these situations, Rust Rescue 100 is compliant with FDA regulations.