Tarnish is a layer of corrosion that develops over copper, brass, silver, aluminum as well as a degree of semi-reactive metals as they undergo oxidation. It is analogous to rust, but with a slower rate of occurrence. Corrosion is deterioration of intrinsic properties in a material due to reactions with its environment. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Atomic mass 63. ... Brass is the term used for alloys of copper and zinc in a solid solution. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... The most fundamental reactions in chemistry are the redox processes. ... A blacksmith removing rust with sand prior to welding Rust damage in automobiles can create hidden dangers. ...

Treatment

When tarnish occurs, it is treated chemically, usually with strong acids, which reacts with the oxide to yield a salt, which washes off. Many commercial products are dedicated specifically to this For other uses, see Acid (disambiguation). ... A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) In chemistry, a salt is any ionic compound composed of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions so that the product is neutral and without a net charge. ...

Prevention

Most tarnishing is prevented by tinning, a process by which the reactive substance is coated in a non-reactive substance, such as tin or wax, and thus protected from oxygen. Another way to treat tarnish is to put a drop of water and some floride toothpaste on a tissue and rub it on the silver. Tinning is the process of making tin-plate, which consists of sheets of iron or steel that have been thinly coated with tin by being dipped in a molten bath of that metal. ... General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ... Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees (beeswax) and used by them in constructing their honeycombs. ...