Galvanic corrosion

Galvanic corrosion (also called bimetallic corrosion or dissimilar metal corrosion) is an electrochemical process in which one metalcorrodes when it is in electrical contact with another, different metal, and both are in the presence of an electrolyte. A similar galvanic reaction is exploited in single-use battery cells to generate a useful electrical voltage to power portable devices. This phenomenon is named after Italian physician Luigi Galvani (1737–1798).

A similar type of corrosion caused by the presence of an external electric current is called electrolytic corrosion.