Cathodic Protection Services for Utilities & Industry

Cathodic protection services are quite simple. The process uses a protective current, an electric charge that flows continuously to all parts of the protection equipment. The introduction of the current results in two actions to protect the metal from corrosion. The metal will either form a barrier or react with impurities to create a stable compound that protects it from oxidation 

Services for Cathodic Protection

Cathodic Protection is an electrochemical corrosion control method. The oxidation reaction in a galvanic cell is concentrated at the anode, and the cathode in the same cell is suppressed. Cathodically protecting the steel pipeline is connected to a sacrificial magnesium anode buried in the same soil electrolyte. 

Sir Humphrey Davy invented cathodic protection in 1824 to reduce corrosion on British naval ships. Cathodic protection prevents corrosion by changing all anodic (active) sites on the metal surface to cathodic (passive) sites using an alternate source of electrical current (or free electrons). Typically, galvanic anodes are used, which are more active than steel. 

Principles of Cathodic Protection 

Corrosion is when metal recovered from ore reverts to its fundamental condition when exposed to oxygen and water. The most common example is steel rusting. Corrosion is an electrochemical process that generally occurs at the anode but not at the cathode. 

Cathodic protection works by connecting an external anode to the metal to be protected and passing a DC between them, causing the metal to become cathodic and not corrode. 

There are two ways to accomplish this in a pipeline system: 

Using an external galvanic anode. The DC is generated by the natural difference in potential between the anode’s metals (e.g., Zn, Al, or Mg) and the pipe (e.g., carbon steel). The anode is electrically connected to the pipeline, causing a positive current to flow from the anode to the pipe, causing the entire steel surface, i.e., the cathode, to become more negatively charged.

Using an external DC power source (rectified AC) to impress a current onto the surface of the pipe, which forms the cathode, via an external anode (typically inert). Galvanic systems are simple to install, have low operating costs, require little maintenance, do not require an external power supply, and rarely interfere with foreign constructions. However, they provide little protection for massive structures and are thus employed for very localized CP applications.

Impressed current systems are increasingly employed to safeguard pipelines and underground storage tanks. Their high current output can economically protect massive subterranean metal structures, is adaptable to changing conditions, and is less vulnerable to soil resistivity. However, they rely on the continuity of their alternating current power source and may interfere with other nearby underground buildings. 

Conclusion:

If one structure requires a corrosion-resistant surface, cathodic Protection Services is the best service to provide. Cathodic Protection System Services has been committed to providing the best services for industries highly dependent on technology and its supporting systems.