Abstract
With the increasing number of vehicles in Mauritius and the severe environmental conditions on the island, under deposit corrosion and other types of corrosion problems in vehicles are commonly observed. This study was therefore performed to get a better insight into the factors affecting corrosion in vehicles, the parts of the vehicles prone to corrosion attacks, the types of corrosion attack observed, the reparation of the corroded parts and the way that Mauritians in general keep their vehicles in good running condition.
The study was performed through surveys carried out among vehicle owners and major garages in Mauritius. The surveys consisted of questionnaires which were supplemented by field inspection. The vehicles considered were automobiles, lorries and buses.
It was found that that the sills and front fenders in both cars and vans were the main body parts affected by corrosion attack. Likewise, in buses, due to the inaccessibility in the body structure for removal of mud and dirt, various parts of the structure, including welded parts, are corroded. Crevice, poultice and pitting corrosion are very common in these situations. The yearly cost of corrosion in vehicles, in Mauritius, was estimated to be $ 1, 041, 500 USD.
