Editing Corrosion (section)

=== Intrinsic chemistry ===
[[File:GoldNuggetUSGOV.jpg|thumb|[[Gold nugget]]s do not naturally corrode, even on a geological time scale.]]

The materials most resistant to corrosion are those for which corrosion is [[thermodynamics|thermodynamically]] unfavorable. Any corrosion products of [[gold]] or [[platinum]] tend to decompose spontaneously into pure metal, which is why these elements can be found in metallic form on Earth and have long been valued. More common "base" metals  can only be protected by more temporary means.

Some metals have naturally slow [[chemical kinetics|reaction kinetics]], even though their corrosion is thermodynamically favorable. These include such metals as [[zinc]], [[magnesium]], and [[cadmium]]. While corrosion of these metals is continuous and ongoing, it happens at an acceptably slow rate. An extreme example is [[graphite]], which releases large amounts of energy upon [[oxidation]], but has such slow kinetics that it is effectively immune to electrochemical corrosion under normal conditions.