Hi Geoff, Rust is simply iron that is oxidizing. The only ways to stop rust are to remove 100% of iron oxide down to the molecular level (This may be impossible to achieve on piano wire), or remove all oxygen from the air, or have humidity at 0%. How does temperature affect the rate of a chemical reaction? When two chemicals react, their molecules have to collide with each other with sufficient energy for the reaction to take place. This is collision theory. The two molecules will only react if they have enough energy. By heating the mixture, you will raise the energy levels of the molecules involved in the reaction. Increasing temperature means the molecules move faster. This is kinetic theory. Keeping the humidity level lower may slow the rusting process down. That's why I suggested the "low" level controller from DamppChaser be used. Such corrosion starts when relative humidity exceeds 65%. Once it has started the best one can hope for is to slow it down. It may be hard to prevent steel from rusting to some extent in almost any ambient atmosphere, where temperature makes diurnal moves and there is some moisture in the air. At 07:53 PM 3/26/2006 -0800, you wrote: >Um, I'm not quite sure I understand how raising the temperature could >increase the development of rust, unless the humidity remained, at the very >least, constant. > >-- Geoff Regards, Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T. Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat mailto:pianotuna at yahoo.com http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/ 3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7 306-539-0716 or 1-888-29t-uner
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