3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…

Cathodic protection
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cathodic protection (CP) is a technique used to control the corrosion of

a metal surface by making it the cathode of an electrochemical cell.[1] The
simplest method to apply CP is by connecting the metal to be protected
with another more easily corroded "sacrificial metal" to act as the anode
of the electrochemical cell. Cathodic protection systems are used to
protect a wide range of metallic structures in various environments.
Common applications are; steel water or fuel pipelines and storage tanks;
steel pier piles; ships and boats; offshore oil platforms and onshore oil
well casings and metal reinforcement bars in concrete buildings and
structures. Aluminum anodes mounted on a steel
jacket structure.
Cathodic protection can, in some cases, prevent stress corrosion
cracking.

Contents
1 History
2 Types
2.1 Galvanic CP
2.2 Impressed current CP
3 Applications
3.1 Pipelines
3.2 Ships
3.3 Marine
3.4 Steel in Concrete
3.5 Internal CP
3.6 Galvanized steel
4 Testing
5 Problems
5.1 Production of hydrogen ions
5.2 Cathodic Disbonding
5.3 Cathodic Shielding
6 Standards
7 See also
8 External links
9 Notes
10 References

History
en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 1/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
Cathodic protection was first described by Sir Humphry Davy in a series of papers presented to the Royal
Society[2] in London in 1824. After a series of tests, the first application was to the HMS Samarang [3] in 1824.
Sacrificial anodes made from iron were attached to the copper sheath of the hull below the waterline and
dramatically reduced the corrosion rate of the copper. However, a side effect of the CP was to increase marine
growth. Copper, when corroding, releases copper ions which have an anti-fouling effect. Since excess marine
growth affected the performance of the ship, the Royal Navy decided that it was better to allow the copper to
corrode and have the benefit of reduced marine growth, so CP was not used further.

Davy was assisted in his experiments by his pupil Michael Faraday, who continued his research after Davy's death.
In 1834, he discovered the quantitative connection between corrosion weight loss and electric current and thus laid
the foundation for the future application of cathodic protection.[4]

Thomas Edison experimented with impressed current cathodic protection on ships in 1890, but was unsuccessful
due to the lack of a suitable current source and anode materials. It would be 100 years after Davy's experiment
before cathodic protection was used widely on oil pipelines in the United States [5]

CP was applied to steel gas pipelines beginning in the 1928[6] and more widely in the 1930's.[7].

Types
Galvanic CP

Galvanic anodes are designed and selected to have a more "active" voltage (more negative electrochemical
potential) than the metal of the structure (typically steel). For effective CP, the potential of the steel surface is
polarized (pushed) more negative until the surface has a uniform potential. At that stage, the driving force for the
corrosion reaction is removed. The galvanic anode continues to corrode, consuming the anode material until
eventually it must be replaced. The polarization is caused by the electron flow from the anode to the cathode. The
driving force for the CP current is the difference in electrochemical potential between the anode and the cathode.[8]

Galvanic or sacrificial anodes are made in various shapes and sizes using alloys of zinc, magnesium and aluminum.
ASTM International publishes standards on the composition and manufacturing of galvanic anodes.[9][10]

In order for galvanic cathodic protection to work, the anode must possess a lower (that is, more negative) potential
than that of the cathode (the structure to be protected). The table below shows a simplified galvanic series to show
which metals can thus be combined.[11]

Potential with respect to a Cu:CuSO4

Metal
reference electrode in neutral pH environment (volts)

Carbon, Graphite, Coke +0.3

Platinum 0 to -0.1
Mill scale on Steel -0.2
High Silicon Cast Iron -0.2
Copper, brass, bronze -0.2

en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 2/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
Mild steel in concrete -0.2
Lead -0.5
Cast iron (not graphitized) -0.5
Mild steel (rusted) -0.2 to -0.5
Mild steel (clean) -0.5 to -0.8
Commercially pure aluminum -0.8
Aluminum alloy (5% zinc) -1.05
Zinc -1.1
Magnesium Alloy (6% Al, 3% Zn, 0.15% Mn) -1.6
Commercially Pure Magnesium -1.75

Impressed current CP
For larger structures, galvanic anodes cannot economicaly deliver enough current to provide complete protection.
Impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems use anodes connected to a DC power source. Usually this
will be a cathodic protection rectifier, which converts an AC power supply to a DC output. In the absence of an
AC supply, alternative power sources may be used, such as solar panels, wind power or gas powered
thermoelectric generators[12][13]

Anodes for ICCP systems are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Common anodes are tubular and solid rod
shapes or continuous ribbons of various materials. These include high silicon cast iron, graphite, mixed metal oxide,
platinum and niobium coated wire and others.

Applications
Pipelines

Pipelines are routinely protected by a coating supplemented with cathodic

protection. An ICCP system for a pipeline would consist of a DC power
source, which is often an AC powered rectifier and an anode, or array of
anodes buried in the ground (the anode groundbed).

The DC power source would typically have a DC output of between 10

and 50 amperes and 50 volts, but this depends on several factors, such
as the size of the pipeline. The positive DC output terminal would be
connected via cables to the anode array, while another cable would
connect the negative terminal of the rectifier to the pipeline, preferably
An air cooled cathodic protection
through junction boxes to allow measurements to be taken.[14]
rectifier connected to a pipeline.
Anodes can be installed in a vertical hole and backfilled with conductive
coke (a material that improves the performance and life of the anodes) or laid in a prepared trench, surrounded by
conductive coke and backfilled. The choice of grounded type and size depends on the application, location and soil
resistivity.[15]

en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 3/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
The output of the DC source would then be adjusted to the optimum level after conducting various tests including
measurements of electrochemical potential.

It is sometimes more economically viable to protect a pipeline using galvanic anodes. This is often the case on
smaller diameter pipelines of limited length.[16]

Ships

Cathodic protection on ships is often implemented by galvanic anodes attached to the hull, rather than using ICCP.
Since ships are regularly removed from the water for inspections and maintenance, it is a simple task to replace the
galvanic anodes.[17]

Galvanic anodes are generally shaped to reduced drag in the water and fitted flush to the hull to also try to minimize
drag.[18]

Smaller vessels, with non-metallic hulls, such as yachts, will also use galvanic anodes to protect areas such as the
rudder, but depend on an electrical connection between the anode and the item to be protected.

For ICCP on ships, a DC power supply is provided within the ship and the anodes mounted on the outside of the
hull. The anode cables are introduced into the ship via a compression seal fitting and routed to the DC power
source. The negative cable from the power supply is simply attached to the hull to complete the circuit. Ship ICCP
anodes are flush-mounted, minimizing the effects of drag on the ship, and located a minimum 5 ft below the light
load line[19] in an area to avoid mechanical damage. The current density required for protection is a function of
velocity and considered when selecting the current capacity and location of anode placement on the hull.

Some ships may require specialist treatment, for example aluminum hulls with steel fixtures will create an
electrochemical cell where the aluminum hull can act as a galvanic anode and corrosion is enhanced. In cases like
this, aluminum or zinc galvanic anodes can be used to offset the potential difference between the aluminum hull and
the steel fixture.[20] If the steel fixtures are large, several galvanic anodes may be required, or even a small ICCP
system.

Marine
Marine CP covers many areas, jetties, harbors, offshore structures. The variety of different types of structure leads
to a variety of systems to provide protection. Typically, galvanic anodes are favored,[21] but ICCP can also often
be used.

Steel in Concrete

The application to concrete reinforcement is slightly different in that the anodes and reference electrodes are usually
embedded in the concrete at the time of construction when the concrete is being poured. The usual technique for
concrete buildings, bridges and similar structures is to use ICCP,[22] but there are systems available that use the
principle of galvanic CP as well,[23][24][25] although in the UK at least, the use of galvanic anodes for
atmospherically exposed reinforced concrete structures is considered experimental.[26]

For ICCP, the principle is the same as any other ICCP system. However, in a typical atmospherically exposed
concrete structure such as a bridge, there will be many more anodes distributed through the structure as opposed to
an array of anodes as used on a pipeline. This makes for a more complicated system and usually an automatically
en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 4/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
controlled DC power source is used, possibly with an option for remote monitoring and operation.[27] For buried or
submerged structures, the treatment is similar to that of any other buried or submerged structure.

Galvanic systems offer the advantage of being easier to fit retrospectively, since the anodes are fitted on the
concrete surface and do not need any control systems as ICCP does.

For pipelines constructed from pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP), the techniques used for CP are
generally as for steel pipelines except that there is a need to take steps to avoid an excessive level of potential that
can produce cause possible damage to the prestressing wire [28]

The steel wire in a PCCP pipeline is stressed to the point that any corrosion of the wire can result in failure. An
additional problem is that any excessive hydrogen ions as a result of an excessively negative potential can cause
hydrogen embrittlement of the wire, also resulting in failure. The failure of too many wires will result in catastrophic
failure of the PCCP.[29] To implement ICCP therefore requires very careful control to ensure satisfactory
protection. A simpler option is to use galvanic anodes, which are self limiting and need no control.[30]

Internal CP
Vessels, pipelines and tanks which are used to store or transport liquids can also be protected from corrosion on
their internal surfaces by the use of cathodic protection.[31] ICCP and galvanic systems can be used.[32]

Galvanized steel

Galvanizing generally refers to hot-dip galvanizing which is a way of coating steel with a layer of metallic zinc.
Galvanized coatings are quite durable in most environments because they combine the barrier properties of a
coating with some of the benefits of cathodic protection. If the zinc coating is scratched or otherwise locally
damaged and steel is exposed, the surrounding areas of zinc coating form a galvanic cell with the exposed steel and
protect it from corrosion. This is a form of localized cathodic protection - the zinc acts as a sacrificial anode.

It should be noted that galvanizing, while using the principle of cathodic protection, is not actually cathodic
protection. CP requires the anode to be separate from the metal surface to be protected, with an ionic connection
through the electrolyte and an electron connection through a connecting cable, bolt or similar. This means that any
area of the protected structure within the electrolyte can be protected, whereas in the case of galvanizing, only areas
very close to the zinc are protected. Hence, a larger area of bare steel would only be protected around the edges.

Testing
Electrochemical corrosion potential is measured with reference electrodes. Copper-copper(II) sulfate electrodes
are used for structures in contact with soil or fresh water. Silver chloride electrodes or Saturated calomel electrodes
(SCE) are used for seawater applications. The methods are described in [33] along with the sources of error[34] in
the voltage that appears on the display of the meter. Interpretation of electrochemical corrosion potential
measurements to determine the potential at the interface between the anode of the corrosion cell and the electrolyte
requires training[35] and cannot be expected to match the accuracy of measurements done in laboratory work. It is
widely recognized that errors can be introduced in all measurements where there is a lack of training.

Problems
en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 5/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
Production of hydrogen ions

A side effect of improperly applied cathodic protection is the production of hydrogen ions, leading to its absorption
in the protected metal and subsequent hydrogen embrittlement of welds and materials with high hardness. Under
normal conditions, the ionic hydrogen will combine at the metal surface to create hydrogen gas, which cannot
penetrate the metal. Hydrogen ions, however, are small enough to pass through the crystalline steel structure, and
lead in some cases to hydrogen embrittlement.

Cathodic Disbonding
This is a process of disbondment of protective coatings from the protected structure (cathode) due to the formation
of hydrogen ions over the surface of the protected material (cathode).[36] Disbonding can be exacerbated by an
increase in alkali ions and an increase in cathodic polarization.[37] The degree of disbonding is also reliant on the
type of coating, with some coatings affected more than others.[38] Cathodic protection systems should be operated
so that the structure does not become excessively polarized,[39] since this also promotes disbonding due to
excessively negative potentials. Cathodic disbonding occurs rapidly in pipelines that contain hot fluids because the
process is accelerated by heat flow[citation needed].

Cathodic Shielding
Effectiveness of cathodic protection systems on steel pipelines can be impaired by the use of solid film backed
dielectric coatings such as polyethylene tapes, shrinkable pipeline sleeves, and factory applied single or multiple
solid film coatings. This phenomenon occurs because of the high electrical resistivity of these film backings.[40]
Protective electric current from the cathodic protection system is blocked or shielded from reaching the underlying
metal by the highly resistive film backing. Cathodic shielding was first defined in the 1980s as being a problem, and
technical papers on the subject have been regularly published since then.

A 1999 report[41] concerning a 20,600 bbl (3,280 m3). spill from a Saskatchewan crude oil line contains an
excellent definition of the cathodic shielding problem:

"The triple situation of disbondment of the (corrosion) coating, the dielectric nature of the coating and the
unique electrochemical environment established under the exterior coating, which acts as a shield to the
electrical CP current, is referred to as CP shielding. The combination of tenting and disbondment permits a
corrosive environment around the outside of the pipe to enter into the void between the exterior coating and
the pipe surface. With the development of this CP shielding phenomenon, impressed current from the CP
system cannot access exposed metal under the exterior coating to protect the pipe surface from the
consequences of an aggressive corrosive environment. The CP shielding phenomenon induces changes in the
potential gradient of the CP system across the exterior coating, which are further pronounced in areas of
insufficient or sub-standard CP current emanating from the pipeline's CP system. This produces an area on
the pipeline of insufficient CP defense against metal loss aggravated by an exterior corrosive environment."

Cathodic shielding is referenced in a number of the standards listed below. Newly issued USDOT regulation Title
49 CFR 192.112 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title49-vol3/pdf/CFR-2009-title49-vol3-sec192-
112.pdf) , in the section for Additional design requirements for steel pipe using alternative maximum
allowable operating pressure requires that "The pipe must be protected against external corrosion by a non-
shielding coating" (see coatings section on standard). Also, the NACE SP0169:2007 standard defines shielding in
section 2, cautions against the use of materials that create electrical shielding in section 4.2.3, cautions against use of
en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 6/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
external coatings that create electrical shielding in section 5.1.2.3, and instructs readers to take 'appropriate action'
when the effects of electrical shielding of CP current are detected on an operating pipeline in section 10.9.

Standards
49 CFR 192.112 - Requirements for Corrosion Control - Transportation of natural and other gas by
pipeline: minimum federal safety standards
ASME B31Q 0001-0191
ASTM G 8, G 42 - Evaluating Cathodic Disbondment resistance of coatings
DNV-RP-B401 - Cathodic Protection Design - Det Norske Veritas
EN 12068:1999 - Cathodic protection. External organic coatings for the corrosion protection of buried or
immersed steel pipelines used in conjunction with cathodic protection. Tapes and shrinkable materials
EN 12473:2000 - General principles of cathodic protection in sea water
EN 12474:2001 - Cathodic protection for submarine pipelines
EN 12495:2000 - Cathodic protection for fixed steel offshore structures
EN 12499:2003 - Internal cathodic protection of metallic structures
EN 12696:2000 - Cathodic protection of steel in concrete
EN 12954:2001 - Cathodic protection of buried or immersed metallic structures. General principles and
application for pipelines
EN 13173:2001 - Cathodic protection for steel offshore floating structures
EN 13174:2001 - Cathodic protection for harbor installations
EN 13509:2003 - Cathodic protection measurement techniques
EN 13636:2004 - Cathodic protection of buried metallic tanks and related piping
EN 14505:2005 - Cathodic protection of complex structures
EN 15112:2006 - External cathodic protection of well casing
EN 50162:2004 - Protection against corrosion by stray current from direct current systems
BS 7361-1:1991 - Cathodic Protection
NACE SP0169:2007 - Control of External Corrosion on Underground or Submerged Metallic Piping
Systems
NACE TM 0497 - Measurement Techniques Related to Criteria for Cathodic Protection on Underground
or Submerged Metallic Piping Systems

See also
Anodic protection
Sacrificial metal

External links
NACE International (http://events.nace.org/library/corrosion/CP/Introduction.asp) (formerly the National
Association of Corrosion Engineers) - Introduction to Cathodic Protection
Institute of Corrosion (http://www.icorr.org/) - A technical society based in the UK
US Army Corps of Engineers, "Engineering and Design - Cathodic Protection Systems for Civil Works
Structures (http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/usace-docs/eng-manuals/em1110-2-2704/toc.htm) ", Engineering
manual 1110-2-2704, 12 July 2004
en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 7/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
Glossary (http://events.nace.org/library/corrosion/glossaryletters/Introduction.asp) - A comprehensive
glossary of cathodic protection and corrosion terms
Cathodic Protection (http://www.corrosionist.com/corrosion_control_methods_cathodic_protection.htm) -
Cathodic Protection Theory and useful documents on Cathodic Protection
Cathodic Shielding (http://www.polyguardproducts.com/flash.htm) - a graphic explanation of cathodic
protection shielding
National Physics Laboratory (http://www.npl.co.uk/upload/pdf/cathodic_protection.pdf) - Short introductory
paper on cathodic protection
USDOT CFR 192.112 (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title49-vol3/pdf/CFR-2009-title49-
vol3-sec192-112.pdf) - USDOT regulations CFR 192.112 requiring the use on non-shielding corrosion
coating systems on steel pipe using alternative maximum allowable operation pressure.

Notes
1. ^ Peabody p.6
2. ^ Davy, cited in Ashworth 1994
3. ^ Ashworth, 10:3
4. ^ Baeckmann, Schwenck & Prinz, p.12
5. ^ Scherer, 38(27), 179 cited in Baeckman
6. ^ Robert J. Kuhn, Cathodic Protection of Underground Pipe Lines from Soil Corrosion, API Proceedings, Nov.
1933, Vol. 14, p157
7. ^ Natural Resources Canada Retrieved 23 JAN 2012([1] (http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/minerals-metals/materials-
technology/picon/3149) )
8. ^ Roberge p.871
9. ^ ASTM B843 - 07
10. ^ ASTM B418 - 09
11. ^ Peabody p.304
12. ^ Ashworth 10:10
13. ^ Roberge p.880
14. ^ Peabody p.22
15. ^ Peabody p.132
16. ^ Peabody p.32
17. ^ BS 7361-1:1991 Sect. 6.2
18. ^ BS 7361-1:1991 Sect. 6.2.1.2
19. ^ CP-2 Cathodic Protection Technician-Maritime Student Manual NACE International, July 2009, pg 3-11
20. ^ EN 12473:2000 Sect. 8.3.1
21. ^ Roberge p.876
22. ^ Ashworth et al 10:82
23. ^ Covino et al/
24. ^ Daily
25. ^ Highways Agency Sect. 4.8
26. ^ Highways Agency Sect. 2.1
27. ^ Highways Agency Sect. 4.5
28. ^ NACE RP0100-2000 Sect. 5.2.5
29. ^ Gummow
30. ^ NACE RP0100-2000 Sect. 5.4
31. ^ EN 12499:2003
32. ^ Ashworth et al 10:112
33. ^ NACE TM0497
en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 8/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
34. ^ NACE TM0497 Section 5.8
35. ^ NACE TM0497 Section 1.2
36. ^ Roberge Sect. 11.4.1, p.886
37. ^ Baeckmann, Schwenck & Prinz, p.167
38. ^ Baeckmann, Schwenck & Prinz, p.168
39. ^ Peabody p.37
40. ^ NACE International Paper 09043
41. ^ Transportation Safety Board of Canada

References
A.W. Peabody, Peabody's Control of Pipeline Corrosion, 2nd Ed., 2001, NACE International. ISBN
1575900920
Davy, H., Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 114,151,242 and 328 (1824)
Ashworth V., Corrosion Vol. 2, 3rd Ed., 1994, ISBN 0750610778
Baeckmann, Schwenck & Prinz, Handbook of Cathodic Corrosion Protection, 3rd Edition 1997. ISBN 0-
88415-056-9
Scherer, L. F., Oil and Gas Journal, (1939)
ASTM B843 - 07 Standard Specification for Magnesium Alloy Anodes for Cathodic Protection
ASTM B418 - 09 Standard Specification for Cast and Wrought Galvanic Zinc Anodes
Roberge, Pierre R, Handbook of Corrosion Engineering 1999 ISBN 0-07-076516-2
NACE International Paper 09043 Coatings Used in Conjunction with Cathodic Protection - Shielding vs
Non-shielding Coatings
NACE International TM0497-2002, Measurement Techniques Related to Criteria for Cathodic Protection
on Underground or Submerged Metallic Piping Systems
Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Report Number P99H0021, 1999 [2]
(http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/reports/pipe/1999/p99h0021/p99h0021.asp)
Covino, Bernard S, et al., Performance of Zinc Anodes for Cathodic Protection of Reinforced Concrete
Bridges, Oregon Dept of Transport & Federal Highway Administration, March 2002
UK Highways Agency BA 83/02; Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Vol.3, Sect.3, Part 3, Cathodic
Protection For Use In Reinforced Concrete Highway Structures. [3]
(http://www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/dmrb/vol3/section3/ba8302.pdf) (Retrieved 2011-01-04)
Daily, Steven F, Using Cathodic Protection to Control Corrosion of Reinforced Concrete Structures in
Marine Environments (published in Port Technology International)
Gummow, RA, Corrosion Control of Municipal Infrastructure Using Cathodic Protection. NACE
Conference Oct 1999, NACE Materials Performance Feb 2000
EN 12473:2000 - General principles of cathodic protection in sea water
EN 12499:2003 - Internal cathodic protection of metallic structures
NACE RP0100-2000 Cathodic Protection of Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipelines
BS 7361-1:1991 - Cathodic Protection

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cathodic_protection&oldid=481990718"

Categories: Chemical processes Corrosion prevention Hydrogen technologies

This page was last modified on 15 March 2012 at 08:14.

en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 9/10
3/16/2012 Cathodic protection - Wikipedia, the fr…
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
See Terms of use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

en.wikipedia.org/…/Cathodic_protection 10/10