Corrosion of cars in eastern coastal environment of Saudi Arabia

The results of a survey of 5000 cars in the Dhahranj Damman region of Saudi Arabia are presented. The hot, humid conditions, combined with high levels of S0₂ and NO_x from the combustion of oil, salt from the Arabian Gulf, and sand blown in from the nearby desert, produce an aggressive environment: one in seven of the cars surveyed showed visible corrosion damage and the mean corrosion free life is estimated to be 8 months. The types of corrosion observed are identified and discussed and mechanisms are proposed. European built cars showed better corrosion resistance than US manufactured models, which in turn were better than Japanese vehicles. White paint coatings performed significantly better than those of other colours. Zinc coated steel is proposed as a possible solution, but sufficient information to assess its effectiveness has yet to be accumulated.