Sacrificial anode electrolyte resistance

This method uses a more active metal than that in the structure to be protected, to supply the current needed to stop corrosion. Metals commonly used to protect iron as sacrificial anodes are magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and their alloys. No current has to be impressed to the system, since this acts as a galvanic pair that generates a current. The protected metal becomes the cathode, and hence it is free of corrosion. Two dissimilar metals in the same environment can lead to accelerated corrosion of the more active metal and protection of the less active one. Galvanic protection is often used in preference to impressed-current technique when the current requirements are low and the electrolyte has relatively low resistivity. It offers an advantage when there is no source of electrical power and when a completely underground system is desired. Probably, it is the most economical method for short life protection. 

Figure 8.16 shows an equivalent electrical circuit that simulates the pipeline cathodic protection depicted in Figure 8.9. Both pipeline and sacrificial anode (galvanic anode or inert anode) are buried in the soil of uniform resistivity. The pipehne is connected to the negative terminal and the anode to the positive terminal of an external power source (battery). The arrows in Figure 8.16 indicates the direction of the ciurent flow from the anode to the pipehne. The electron flow is also toward the pipehne to support local cathodic reactions and the protechve current (Ip) flows from the pipehne to the power supply. The soil becomes the electrolyte for complehng the protective electrochemical system or cathodic protechon circmt [24].

Another approach for reducing corrosion is to employ mechanisms that can modify the electrochemical processes that consume materials. Cathodic protection, either through the use of sacrificial anodes or an impressed current system, can convert a material that normally will corrode quite readily into a material that resists corrosion. This approach, which is the topic of Chap. 13, works very well for protecting fixed assets in contact with potentially corrosive environments such as soils, seawater, or any other electrolytically conducting medium. 

The effect of applied current, testing time and microstructure on the electrochemical properties of magnesium-based sacrificial anode in potable water was evaluated by Andrei et al. (2003). The Al-Zn Mg alloy AZ63 alloy was utilized as the Mg sacrificial anode for use in potable water considered as a high-resistivity electrolyte. The anodes were tested in order to evaluate the main anode properties such as efficiency, current capacity and charge... 

In impressed current systems cathodic protection is applied by means of an external power current source (Fig. 11.7). In contrast to the sacrificial anode systems, the anode consumption rate is usually much lower. Unless a consumable scrap anode is used, a negligible anode consumption rate is actually a key requirement for long system hfe. Impressed current systems typically are favored under high-current requirements and/or high-resistance electrolytes. The following advantages can be cited for impressed current systems ... 

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