Scape Consulting – Types of Cathodic Protection
Cathodic protection is routinely used by Scape Consulting to control corrosion in metal surfaces of equipment operating in aggressive environments. If corrosion is not controlled in metal surfaces, it can easily damage steel pipeline and storage tanks. Scape Consulting has an experienced team of engineers that can deliver a corrosion protection solution that will suit your needs.
Scape Consulting delivers cathodic protection to mitigate corrosion in pipelines, water treatment plants, above-ground and underwater storage tanks, ship and boat hulls, offshore production platforms, reinforcement bars in concrete structures and many more. Metals particularly ferrous metals can easily corrode when oxygen, water and other impurities like sulphur are present. Without cathodic protection, metals will easily lose their electrons, become oxidized and corrode.
One type of corrosion protection provided by Scape Consulting is galvanic cathodic protection that involves another metal that is more reactive than the metal surface of an equipment. The galvanic or sacrificial anode has less negative electrochemical potential than the metal component being protected. Therefore, the sacrificial anode will be the one that will undergo oxidation instead of the operating equipment.
In some instances, steel is galvanized instead of connecting it to galvanic anodes. Galvanized steel is coated with a protective zinc layer that can provide cathodic protection against corrosion in underground and marine environments.
A more economical option of cathodic protection is impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP). The technique is typically used on underground pipes that are long or on offshore equipment that is too large to be effectively protected through one or a few galvanic anodes.
In ICCP, the cathodic structure is supplied with electrons using an external DC power source called rectifier. The steel component will be connected to a negative terminal on the power source while the impressed current anodes will be connected to the positive terminal of the power source.
Once cathodic protection has been installed, it must be regularly monitored and maintained. If the design of the cathodic protection is inadequate, it will not maximize the amount of current that will reach the protected item. Stray currents must also be monitored because they can interfere with the system. Interfering currents may result from environmental or neighbouring components.