What is Cathodic Protection?
Cathodic protection is a method to reduce the corrosion by minimizing the difference in the potential between anode and cathode. This is made by applying a current in a structure that protects some exterior source (like in a pipeline). When a high current is applied the entre structure will be in a potential; this way the anode and cathode sites will not exist. The cathodic protection is commonly used in many kinds of structures, i.e. pipelines, underground storage tanks, bolts and ship’s hull.
As fundamental condition, the components structures of the object to protect and the sacrifice element should stay in electric contact and immerse in an electrolyte.
There are two main kinds of cathodic systems of protection: galvanic and printed current.
Both kinds have anodes (from which the current fall into the electrolyte), a continuous electrolyte of the anode for structure protected (electrolyte is known as the material in which the anode and the cathode will be submerged and this material will serve to lead the current from each other), and an external metallic connection (the conductor). These elements are essential for all cathodic systems of protection.
