Electrolyte

Definition

The electrolyte is the conductive water that completes one half of the corrosion circuit by allowing dissolved ions to migrate. It carries charge between the anodic and cathodic sites.

Water lets iron and copper ions migrate away from the anode and hydroxide disperse from the cathode, so oppositely charged corrosion byproducts can move and the corrosion current keeps flowing. Without an electrolyte the charged particles accumulate at the surface, build electrical resistance, and the corrosion halts. This is why corrosion of dry metals largely stops.

Related concepts

Conductivity · Four requirements for electrochemical corrosion · Metal path

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · ⚡ electrochemistry