Organic finishes are applied to metal surfaces to protect the metal from corrosion and for decorative purposes.
All common metals are subject to corrosion to some degree in normal atmosphere. The stainless steels form a tight oxide over their surface in the initial stages of corrosion, which protects them from further attack.
Iron and its alloys constitute the group of metals most important to modern life. Only a small number of those persons who, make use of steel in their everyday life are fully aware of the excellent properties that make it so useful. Its great strength, which permits it to bear tremendous loads; toughness, which resists fracture under severe impact; ductility, which enables it to be drawn and formed into intricate shapes; the property of hardenability, which produces the finest cutting edges; the ease with which it can be joined by welding, soldering or seaming—these are only a few...
