Corrosion of iron (or steel) to form a hydrated iron(III) oxide Fe2O3.xH2O. Rusting occurs only in the presence of both water and oxygen. It is an electrochemical process in which different parts of the iron surface act as electrodes in a cell reaction. At the anode, iron atoms dissolve as Fe2+ ions:
At the cathode, hydroxide ions are formed:
The Fe(OH)2 in solution is oxidized to Fe2O3. Rusting is accelerated by impurities in the iron and by the presence of acids or other electrolytes in the water.