Corrosive substance Corrosive substance A corrosive substance is one that will damage or destroy other substances with which it comes into contact by means of a chemical reaction. The word "corrosive" is derived from the Latin verb "corrodere", which means "to gnaw", indicating how these substances seem to "gnaw" their way through flesh or other materials. The word corrosive refers to any chemical that will dissolve the structure of an object. They can be acids, oxidizers, or bases. When they come in contact with a surface, the surface deteriorates. The deterioration can happen in minutes, e.g. concentrated muriatic acid spilled on skin;
Chemical change Chemical change Chemical changes occur when a substance combines with another to form a new substance, called chemical synthesis or, alternatively, chemical decomposition into two or more different substances. These processes are called chemical reactions and, in general, are not reversible except by further chemical reactions. Some reactions produce heat and are called exothermic reactions and others may require heat to enable the reaction to occur, which are called endothermic reactions. Understanding chemical changes is a major part of the science of chemistry. When chemical reactions occur, the atoms are rearranged and the reaction is accompanied by an energy change