EXPERIMENT 2

CATHODIC PROTECTION

INTRODUCTION

When dissimilar metals are in electrical or physical contact through an electrolyte,

galvanic corrosion can take place. The process is akin to a simple DC cell in which the more
active metal becomes the anode and corrodes, whereas the less active metal becomes the
cathode and is protected. (CUs)Cathodic Protection is an electrochemical means of corrosion
control in which the oxidation reaction in a galvanic cell is concentrated at the anode and
suppresses corrosion of the cathode in the same cell. (CUs)In a Galvanic Series for a particular
medium, metals that have more positive electrode potentials which act as cathodes while those
which have less positive or more negative potential will become anodes. Table 6.1 shows a
Galvanic Series of metals and alloys in seawater. In order to protect a metal from corrosion, it
should be coupled with another of more negative electrode potential. The metal which acts as an
anode will corrode or in other word sacrifice itself. This method is called corrosion protection by
the sacrificial anode. A metal might also be protected from corrosion by forcing its electrode
potential to be more positive or in other words to force the metal to be a cathode. It is achieved
by supplying current to the metal. This method is known as cathodic protection by the
impressed current. Sacrificial anode systems are simpler. They require only a material anodic to
the protected steel in the environment of interest. Unlike sacrificial anodes, impressed-current
anodes need not be naturally anodic to steel, and in fact, they seldom are. Most impressed-
current anodes are made from non-consumable electrode materials that are naturally cathodic
to steel. If these electrodes were wired directly to a structure, they would act as cathodes and
would cause accelerated corrosion of the structure they are intended to protect. The direct
current source reverses the natural polarity and allows the materials to act like anodes. Instead
of corrosion of the anodes, some other oxidation reaction, that is, oxygen or chlorine evolution,
occurs at the anodes, and the anodes are not consumed. (CUs)

OBJECTIVE:

To understand the concept of cathodic protection by sacrificial anode.

Procedure:

Measure the weight and volume of each material sample listed below. Dip each in
diluted acid solution (HCl) and measure the loss of weight due to corrosion. Then, take a
zinc piece, polish it, measure its weight and volume and couple it with another steel
piece by means of a clip. Dip the coupled materials in the solution again and determine
the weight loss of the material over the same time period. Write down your observation
of the process.

MATERIAL INITIAL WEIGHT FINAL WEIGHT CHANGE IN

 WEIGHT
Steel 9.36 g 9.33 g 0.03 g
Zinc 2.72 g 2.72 g 0g
Steel and Zinc 11.85 g 11.82 g 0.03 g

Results and Discussion:

1. Write down your observations for the steel, Zinc, and zinc-steel coupled when dipped in
the solution.

 There is no significant difference the initial and final weight of zinc after being
submerged in acid. For steel and coupled steel & zinc, a small change in weight
was observed (0.03 g) after being submerged in acid.

2. Write the cathodic and anodic half-cell reactions and the EMF potential for steel and
zinc.

Fe2+ + 2e → Fe -0.44

Fe3+ + e → Fe2+

Zn → Zn2+ + 2e 0.76

0.32 V

3. What is cathodic protection? Discuss the mechanism involved.

 Cathodic protection is routinely employed to safeguard a wide range of

structures against corrosion, including ships, offshore floaters, subsea
equipment, harbors, pipelines, and tanks; in short, any submerged or buried
metal structure. The most basic way to use cathodic protection is to connect the
metal to be protected with another, more easily corroded metal to act as the
anode. To protect the cathode, the most active metal becomes the anode to the
others and sacrifices itself by corroding (giving up metal). As a result, the term
"sacrificial anode" was coined.