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Anodic protection (AP) otherwise referred to as Anodic Control is a technique to control the corrosion of a metal surface by making it the anode of an electrochemical cell and controlling the electrode potential in a zone where the metal is passive.
A galvanic anode, or sacrificial anode, is the main component of a galvanic cathodic protection system used to protect buried or submerged metal structures from corrosion. They are made from a metal alloy with a more "active" voltage (more negative reduction potential / more positive oxidation potential ) than the metal of the structure.
Aluminum sacrificial anodes (light colored rectangular bars) mounted on a steel jacket structure. Zinc sacrificial anode (rounded object) screwed to the underside of the hull of a small boat. Cathodic protection (CP; / k æ ˈ θ ɒ d ɪ k / ⓘ) is a technique used to control the corrosion of a metal surface by making it the cathode of an ...
Sacrificial metals are widely used to prevent other metals from corroding: for example in galvanised steel. [3] Many steel objects are coated with a layer of zinc, which is more electronegative than iron, and thus oxidises in preference to the iron, preventing the iron from rusting. [4]
The difference can be measured as a difference in voltage potential: the less noble metal is the one with a lower (that is, more negative) electrode potential than the nobler one, and will function as the anode (electron or anion attractor) within the electrolyte device functioning as described above (a galvanic cell).
The corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys is significantly decreased by certain alloying elements or impurities: copper, iron, and silicon, [5] so 2000-, 4000-, 6000 and 7000-series Al alloys tend to be most susceptible. Although anodizing produces a very regular and uniform coating, microscopic fissures in the coating can lead to corrosion.
Higher levels of corrosion protection are possible. (While many people believe that cathodic technologies have higher corrosion protection capability, other experts argue that this probably has more to do with the coating polymer and crosslinking chemistry rather than on which electrode the film is deposited.)
Galvanized steel can last for many decades if other supplementary measures are maintained, such as paint coatings and additional sacrificial anodes. Corrosion in non-salty environments is caused mainly by levels of sulfur dioxide in the air.