Quote Originally Posted by [XC] riptide View Post
BoxGods. Stop right there. The level of corrosion that can destroy a block will probably be invisible on a boat. Now, I'm posting to prevent this from turning into another 20 page epic about corrosion. Here's the bottom line. Galvanic corrision WILL happen in a mixed AL/Cu loop. At what pace it happens is determined by the additives and some other factors such as temperature etc etc etc. BUT... it WILL happen. Sometimes several orders of magnitude less than if you were careless. But it WILL happen. There is no solution to galvanic corrosion on earth that will prevent it 100%. None! Its scientifically impossible because there will always be SOME ions that will not get touched by additives. Even if you apply a reverse voltage, there still be some corrosion. It will be small.... but it will happen.

Your example of 300 series steel is a bad example. It is actually a very noble alloy. Far more than mild steel.
Like I said...some people are going to freak out lol.

And my example of the 300 series is an EXCELLENT example. The fact that it IS a very noble metal is the point. The further the two metals are apart the more dramatic the effect. The 300 series stainless is much more noble then the copper in your blocks so the copper would be the anode and corrode rapidly...if there were a metal to metal contact.

You guys can read it for yourselves.

http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/For...-corrosion.htm

http://www.corrosionist.com/Galvanic_Corrosion.htm

http://www.cathodicprotection101.com/

There are tons of links online that explain it in detail. The facts are that there MUST be an electrical connection.

Yes there WILL be some corrosion in ALL systems--the difference we are discussing is the difference between a few months and 10 years though...far beyond normal service life on any water cooling component.