Josepi wrote:
Water is composed hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Rust is not an atomic chemistry
level reaction.

Oh, really??? What, then, pray tell is oxidation???

Rust is Fe203, primarily an oxidation product of Fe and O2.

Water does **NOT** contain oxygen molecules unless some oxygen molecules
have been disolved in it.

Which is, in fact, the case w/ virtually all water in contact w/ air as
the solubility of O2 is reasonably high...

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/oxygen-solubility-water-d_841.html

Where does the air entrained in hot water come from you think???

This is why closed loop heating systems, made almost completely out of iron
and steel pipe and fittings do not rust themselves out.
....

Mostly because they have controls to prevent the introduction of
additional air and maintenance practices to remove what is in them...

http://www.facilitiesnet.com/ms/articlePrint.asp?id=4684

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