What is "flash corrosion"? This regards metal surfaces like Cu and Al.?

Question

I see companies that sell products to inhibit "flash corrosion", but I cannot find any info on, technically, what flash corrosion exactly is.

Answer 1

Flash Corrosion is fast acting general corrosion that occurs immediately after a metal is exposed to a corrosive environment. The best example I can give right now is when a new cast iron pan is dipped in water and left to air dry. It turns orange in a flash! This is process in normally called "flash rust". As far as flash corrosion related to Cu and Al, both metals rapidly oxidize in air to from a passivation layer. The use of a corrosion-inhibiting product would work to delay the passivation layer from forming by keep the surface from interacting with oxygen. This may be needed during a manufacturing process in which the formation of an oxide layer could be troublesome

Answer 2

short-term surface oxidation; sometimes by exposure to moisture and oxygen, but sometimes by contact with a dissimilar metal where an electric current may be present