Soils sacrificial cathodic

Cathodic protection (CP) is an electrochemical technique of corrosion control in which the potential of a metal surface is moved in a cathodic direction to reduce the thermodynamic tendency for corrosion. CP requires that the item to be protected be in contact with an electrolyte. Only those parts of the item that are electrically coupled to the anode and to which the CP current can flow are protected. Thus, the inside of a buried pipe is not capable of cathodic protection unless a suitable anode is placed inside the pipe. The electrolyte through which the CP current flows is usually seawater or soil. Fresh waters generally have inadequate conductivity (but the interiors of galvanized hot water tanks are sometimes protected by a sacrificial magnesium anode) and the conductivity... 

The modern procedure to minimise corrosion losses on underground structures is to use protective coatings between the metal and soil and to apply cathodic protection to the metal structure (see Chapter 11). In this situation, soils influence the operation in a somewhat different manner than is the case with unprotected bare metal. A soil with moderately high salts content (low resistivity) is desirable for the location of the anodes. If the impressed potential is from a sacrificial metal, the effective potential and current available will depend upon soil properties such as pH, soluble salts and moisture present. When rectifiers are used as the source of the cathodic potential, soils of low electrical resistance are desirable for the location of the anode beds. A protective coating free from holidays and of uniformly high insulation value causes the electrical conducting properties of the soil to become of less significance in relation to corrosion rates (Section 15.8). 

Whilst cathodic protection can be used to protect most metals from aqueous corrosion, it is most commonly applied to carbon steel in natural environments (waters, soils and sands). In a cathodic protection system the sacrificial anode must be more electronegative than the structure. There is, therefore, a limited range of suitable materials available to protect carbon steel. The range is further restricted by the fact that the most electronegative metals (Li, Na and K) corrode extremely rapidly in aqueous environments. Thus, only magnesium, aluminium and zinc are viable possibilities. These metals form the basis of the three generic types of sacrificial anode. 

The proximity of the anodes to structures is also important. For example, if the sacrificial anodes are placed on, or very close to, steel pipework in soil then the output from the face of the anodes next to the steelwork can be severely limited. Alternatively, in high conductivity environments, corrosion products may build up and wedge between the anode and the structure. The resulting stresses can lead to mechanical failure of the anode. On the other hand, when anodes are located at an appreciable distance from the steelwork, part of the potential difference will be consumed in overcoming the environmental resistance between the anode and cathode. 

A typical soil resistivity survey is shown in Fig. 10.22. Soil resistivities will normally indicate whether a cathodic-protection system is advisable in principle and whether impressed current or sacrificial anode schemes in particular are preferable. It may, as a result of the survey, be considered desirable to apply protection to the whole line or to limit protection to certain areas of low soil resistivity or hot spots . 

Backfill the soil replaced over the pipe in the trench (general connotation). In cathodic protection, special backfills are packed around the anodes. These backfills are selected to lower circuit resistance of the anode for sacrificial anodes a gypsum/bentonite mixture is used, and for impressed-current anodes, coke breeze. 

Alternatively, iron-rich sacrificial electrodes, which dissolve under acidic conditions generated at the anode by the application of electric field, may be used. The dissolved iron, in cationic form, migrates toward the cathode and then precipitates as iron-rich mineral phases (ferric iron oxyhydroxides, hematite, goethite, magnetite, and ZVl) near the cathode due to high-pH conditions. Contaminants such as Cr(Vl) can react with this iron and reduce into Cr(III). Cr(VI) transport may be limited by high sorption under low-pH conditions therefore, alkaline solution may be injected from the anode to increase the soil pH, and thereby reduce sorption and increase transport of Cr(Vl) to react with iron. 

Cathodic protection (CP) is an electrical method of mitigating corrosion on metallic structures that are exposed to electrolytes such as soils and waters. Corrosion control is achieved by forcing a defined quantity of direct current to flow from auxiliary anodes through the electrolyte and onto the metal structure to be protected. Theoretically, corrosion of the structure is completely eliminated when the open-circuit potentials of the cathodic sites are polarized to the open-circuit potentials of the anodic sites. The entire protected structure becomes cathodic relative to the auxiliary anodes. Therefore, corrosion of the metal structure will cease when the applied cathodic current equals the corrosion current. There are two basic methods of corrosion control by cathodic protection. One involves the use of current that is produced when two electrochemically dissimilar metals or alloys (Table 19.1) are metallically connected and exposed to the electrolyte. This is commonly referred to as a sacrificial or galvanic cathodic protection system. The other method of cathodic protection involves the use of a direct current power source and auxiliary anodes, which is commonly referred to as an impressed-current cathodic protection system. Then cathodic protection is a technique to reduce the corrosion rate of a metal surface by making it the cathode of an electrochemical cell [3]. 

FIGURE 19.4 (See color insert.) Schematic view showing sacrificial-anode-type cathodic protection installation for an underground steel pipeline (a) in soil and (b) in seawater [5]. 

Figure 13.23 I Sacrificial anodes are one effective method of corrosion prevention. An unprotected iron or steel pipe buried in the ground would be at high risk for corrosion. By connecting the buried pipe to a metal such as magnesium, which is more easily oxidized, a galvanic cell is created with the pipe as the cathode. In the case of a buried pipe, the soil itself serves as the electrolyte. The anode is called sacrificial because it will be eaten away over time by oxidation. But replacing the anode—which may be nothing more than a metal block or stake—is much easier than replacing the buried pipe.

The principles of sacrificial anode cathodic protection were discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1824. His results were used over the next century or so to protect the submerged metallic parts of ships from corrosion. In the early decades of the 20th century the technology was applied to underground pipelines. When it was found that the soil resistance was too high, impressed current cathodic protection was developed. 

It is possible to prevent the corrosion of a metal by connecting it to a more active metal. This active metal becomes anodic and tends to corrode, whereas the cathodic metal is preserved. Iron pipes in soil or water will not corrode if they are connected to a sacrificial anode such as aluminum, zinc, or magnesium. Steel pipes for water and gas are usually protected in this manner. Galvanized iron pipes for hot water lines have a limited life which can be extended by introducing a magnesium rod to act as a sacrificial anode... 

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].

Sacrificial anodes can be installed as single anodes or in groups. In practice, sacrificial anodes are placed relatively close to the cathode (protected structure) to decrease the resistance of the electric circuit. In water, low potential sacrificial anodes can be mounted directly (through an insulation washer) on the protected surface, while it is better to place high potential sacrificial anodes on appropriate supports at some distance (e.g., 0.6 m) from the cathode, which has an advantageous effect on the potential distribution. In soil, the method of sacrificial anode installation depends on many local factors, e.g.,... 

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. 

In practice. Mg alloys are much more popular than pure Mg in industrial applications. One of the well-known uses of Mg alloys is for cathodic protection, and some Mg alloys are used as sacrificial anodes due to their negative potential. Although their rapid rate of corrosion is a disadvantage. Mg alloys are superior to aluminum and zinc anodes in some environments such as in soil and water. The most important application of Mg alloys is for aerospace and military purposes, and some high-strength and creep-resistant... 

The primary form of corrosion protection for steel buried in soil is the application of coatings. When such coatings represent a physical barrier to the environment, cathodic protection in the form of sacrificial anodes or impressed current systems is usually apphed as an additional precaution. This additional measure is required because coating defects and discontinuities will inevitably be present in protective coatings. 

Cast iron alloys have been widely used in soil many gas and water distribution pipes in cities are still in use after decades of service. These have been gradually replaced with steel (coated and cathodically protected) and also with polymeric pipes. While cast irons are generally considered to be more resistant to soil corrosion than steel, they are subject to corrosion damage similar to that described above for steel. Coatings and cathodic protection with sacrificial anodes tend to be used to protect buried cast iron structures. 

In the discussion of cathodic protection monitoring, two important distinct areas can be identified. The first domain lies in monitoring the condition and performance of the CP system hardware. Monitoring of rectifier output, pipe-to-soil potential and current measurements at buried sacrificial anodes, inspection of bonds, fuses, insulators, test posts, and permanent reference electrodes are relevant to this area. The second domain concerns the condition of the pipeline (or buried structure) itself and largely deals with surveys along the length of the pipeline to assess its condition and to identify high corrosion-risk areas. 

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