Rusting destroyed vehicles in Ukraine

Factual Questions
21

I was going to comment this too

22

Yeah the answer is that fire is rapid oxidation and rusting is slow fire. I’ve never seen a car that burned that wasn’t rusty the next day (no, I’ve never sat around and watched one burn then rust).

23

This is just to say.

I have towed

the tanks

that were on

the highway.

and which

you were probably

saving

for invasion.

Forgive me

they were worthless

so rusted

and so abandoned.

Or to go more Hemingway:

For sale. One artillery piece. Never fired.

24

Ask anyone that welds outdoors (including in their garage). You can buy steel today and if you’re not using it in the next day or two, you’ll spend a good bit of time grinding all the rust off first. I know if I buy some steel for a project that I won’t be doing that day, I’ll keep it in my house until I’m ready.

Not on quite the same scale, but it goes for saltwater fish tanks as well. Anything rustable that’s near (or in) the tank is going to rust. Somethings aren’t a big deal like the cabinet hinges, other things are a big deal, like equipment with cracked housing that exposes a magnet to water.

25

I’ve seen videos of abandoned Russian military vehicles that had a lot of rust in them, so it can’t just be from fire as these vehicles were abandoned, not destroyed.

My understanding is that Russia’s military budget in the 1990s was abysmal, and probably didn’t provide for a lot of funds to purchase new equipment. So some of the equipment is from the 80s or earlier. Considering how poorly the Russians seem to maintain their equipment, its not surprising if there is rust on 40 year old vehicles.

26

Not that I’m disagreeing, but I think the OP’s specifically talking about destroyed vehicles- the ones where it’s a pile of rusted junk, and we have the impression that it got knocked out yesterday or something. (we don’t know; those hulks could be from February after all)

As far as rust on active equipment goes, you ought to see some photos of Navy ships that are at sea. I gather that it’s a constant and losing fight against rust, considering how rust-buckety some of the ships look before they come back. And it’s certainly not funding; the US Navy spends billions on it.

I do agree that the Russian army probably has been less than diligent overall in keeping their stored equipment maintained. I’d be curious to see what the breakdown rate is on their equipment as a result.

27

Steel/iron can burn nicely under the right circumstances (e.g. high surface-area-to-mass ratio and/or high O2 concentration):

  • Steel wool is a great firestarter. Light a handful with a match (or just a battery), and you’re good to go.

  • If you have a pile of steel dust accumulated under a stationary belt/disc sander, a spark can ignite it and get it to smolder. One of the tenets of fire safety in an industrial environment is to keep things clean, and this is one of the reasons why.

  • A thermic lance burns steel in an oxygen stream to make a stream of hot gas that can be used for cutting other things.

  • When using an oxyacetylene torch to cut steel, you start by heating a spot on the part until it starts to melt. Then you squeeze another lever on the torch that greatly increases the oxygen flow; that oxygen combines with the liquified steel and oxidizes it, evolving heat that allows you to move your cut along faster than the oxyacetylene flame itself can.

Burned-out vehicles quickly develop a patina of rust because all of the paint and protective coatings are burned away, along with any hint of grease/oil, leaving very bare, very vulnerable metal. Beyond that, the heat of the fire itself gives the oxidation process a nice head-start.

28

Change it to “howitzer” and you’ve got a winner!

30

I think you’ve already answered that question. The recycling yard.