🔩 Rust Decay Calculator
Enter your metal’s starting thickness, an annual corrosion rate, and a number of years to estimate thickness lost to rust over time.
What this calculator does
Corroding metal loses thickness gradually over time. This calculator estimates how much thickness is lost after a given number of years, using a steady annual corrosion rate.
How the calculation works
Total thickness lost equals the corrosion rate multiplied by the number of years: Loss = Rate × Years. Remaining thickness subtracts that loss from the starting thickness, and the estimated years until full material loss simply divides the initial thickness by the annual rate.
Real corrosion rates change with humidity, coatings, alloy type, and environment, and often aren’t perfectly linear over long periods, so treat this as a general planning estimate rather than an exact prediction, and consult a materials specialist for critical structural components.