Thermodynamic favorability versus reversal

Definition

Corrosion and other destructive oxidation products sit at lower energy than the starting material, so the reaction does not run backward on its own.

Atoms that leave a metal lattice become bound into a more stable compound at lower energy. Recovering the original structure requires external work because there is no spontaneous reverse path under system conditions. This thermodynamic fact is why destructive oxidation is permanent.

Related concepts

Destructive oxidation · Permanent structural change · Electronegativity and electron appetite

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🔥 thermodynamics