Rusting is a common form of corrosion, which occurs when metal atoms react with their environment. Salt water does not make a metal rust, but it accelerates the rusting process because electrons move more easily in salt water than they do in pure water. Stainless steel is not an option since salt water will damage stainless steel as easy as standard metal. The sum of all these chemical reactions makes the rust flake, so it falls off the iron and exposes new iron, which can then also begin to rust. Not all metals rust. For example, aluminum doesn’t rust because it has a protective layer of aluminum oxide on its surface. This stops the metal coming into direct contact with water (or moisture in the air) and oxygen. Our AustriAlpin COBRA buckles and D-ring don't rust.