Corrosion worst in North
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INDUSTRIAL areas in the North of England have the worst degree of motor vehicle corrosion. This is the main conclusion of a Motor Industry Research Association report.
The corrosivity of the environment was monitored in 10 regions, extending from Tyneside to Brighton and South Wales to East Anglia, for the report 'Corrosion of Motor Vehicles.'
To determine the corrosion rate, the rate of weight loss on small steel panels fitted to Post Office vehicles was measured over consecutive two-month periods from September 1975 to October 1976 inclusive. Six vehicles in each region were fitted with four test specimens in selected positions.
Because motorways constitute a severe environment for motor vehicles (due to relatively frequent salting), panels were also fitted to six motorway coaches operating on the Nuneaton-Coventry-London route.
The results showed that the overall level of road and atmospheric corrosivity varied, considerably, from month to month: the corrosion rate for vehicle test pieces was only 15-40 per cent of the atmospheric corrosion rate, but this increased to 85-95 per cent in heavily salted periods. Vehicle mileage was not considered a primary factor.