That rust on your shower head? It's a $6 billion problem for the Navy, cruise ships and more
It's a $6 billion scourge that afflicts Navy destroyers, cruise ships and historic vessels like the Queen Mary without fear or favor.
It's such a problem that professional organizations and conferences are dedicated to its existence - and its suppression.
It's also on your shower head.
The orange stain of metal corrosion may be a nuisance in the bathroom, but on ships, it can be catastrophic. Hulls can collapse, ballast tanks weaken and motors fail, all because of rust. There's no way to fully eradicate it.
The only option: constant vigilance.
"Ships are full of saltwater systems, they're full of salty ocean air," said Scott Tait, a retired Navy captain who most recently was at the helm of the guided-missile destroyer Zumwalt. "Corrosion through the entire ship is a huge, huge issue."
Humanity has been battling rust since people first began
