WELCOME

CATHODIC PROTECTION
SYSTEM
 HISTORY
The first application of CP dates back to
dates back to 1824, long before its theoretical
foundation was established.
The science of cathodic protection (CP) was
born in 1824, when Sir Humphrey Davy made
a presentation to the Royal Society of London:
"The rapid decay of the copper sheeting on
His Majesty's ships of war, and the uncertainty
of the time of its duration, have long attracted
the attention of those persons most concerned
in the naval interest of the count. ...
 HISTORY
Davy succeeded in protecting copper against
corrosion from seawater by the use of iron
anodes.
From that beginning, CP has grown to have
many uses in marine and underground
structures, water storage tanks, gas
pipelines, oil platform supports, and many
other facilities exposed to a corrosive
environment.
 BASICS
The basic principle of CP is simple. A
metal dissolution is reduced through the
application of a cathodic current. Cathodic
protection is often applied to coated
structures, with the coating providing the
primary form of corrosion protection. The
CP current requirements tend to be
excessive for uncoated systems.
 BASICS
Cathodic protection has probably become
the most widely used method for preventing
the corrosion deterioration of metallic
structures in contact with any forms of
electrolytically conducting environments, i.e.
environments containing enough ions to
conduct electricity such as soils, seawater
and basically all natural waters. Cathodic
protection basically reduces the corrosion
rate of a metallic structure by reducing its
corrosion potential, bringing the metal closer
to an immune state.
 BASICS
The two main methods of achieving this goal
(bringing the metal closer to an immune state)
are by either:

Using sacrificial anodes with a corrosion

potential lower than the metal to be
protected

Using an impressed current provided by

an external current source
 WHAT IS CORROSION?

In the simplest form, corrosion can be defined

as a natural electrochemical process leading
to loss/deterioration / oxidation of metals.
HOW CORROSION OCCURS?

The fundamentals of corrosion can best

and most easily be explained by a
corrosion cell.
There are following four important
conditions which must be met for
corrosion to take place.
HOW CORROSION OCCURS?
1 There must be a cathode and anode.
2 The cathode and anode must be
electrically connected through a metallic
path.
3 The cathode and anode must be
immersed in an electrically conductive
electrolyte.
4 There must be an electrical potential
between the anodes and cathode
HOW CORROSION OCCURS?

As soon as the above four conditions are

met, there is a flow of electrons from anode
to cathode leading to oxidation of anode.
The oxidation reaction thus takes place at
anode and the reduction reaction takes
place at the cathode. The anode thus gets
oxidized and the phenomena is known as
corrosion.
 HOW CORROSION OCCURS?
There are innumerable corrosion cells
formed on the surface of a pipeline buried
in the soil or sea water.
The pipe, which is buried, is electrically
conductive and therefore serves the
purpose of metallic path (CONDITION-2)
The water or soil moisture surrounding
the pipeline fulfils the requirement of
electrolyte (CONDITION-3)
HOW CORROSION OCCURS?
The difference in electrical potential
exists on various part of the surface of
the pipeline and therefore some areas
work as anode and others as cathode.
(CONDITION 1 &4)
Thus, the phenomena of corrosion
proceeds on the pipe line.
HOW CORROSION OCCURS?

Few examples,which create anodic

and cathodic areas over the pipeline.
Metallurgical dissimilarity over the
pipe surface.
Differential aeration over paved
area, concrete encasement of
pipe.
Dissimilar soils
 CORROSION CONTROL
TECHNIQUES
We can alter or change the environment
such that all the four conditions are not
allowed to occur simultaneously, the
corrosion shall not take place.
 BASIC THEORY OF CP
It is the anodic areas that suffer the metal
loss and hence the corrosion.
If we can create a situation whereby all
anodic areas can be converted into
cathodic areas the corrosion shall not take
place.(or)
If we can reverse or counter the flow of
corrosion current, the corrosion shall stop.
This is the fundamental concept of
cathodic protection.
 BASIC THEORY OF CP
In cathodic protection design, the
corrosion is not eliminated but it is
shifted from the main structure (i.e. Pipe
line) to another known location
intentionally installed for this
purpose.This is technically known as
the ground bed.
 Sacrificial Anodes
The earliest experiments on cathodic protection were
performed with zinc anodes that were electrically
connected to copper plates immersed in seawater. As can
be seen on the galvanic series, such an arrangement
would produce a cathode (copper) and an anode (zinc). In
the large galvanic cell so formed, the zinc cylinder
corroded away in a manner to protect the copper substrate.
This method of cathodic protection can be used with other
combination of metals providing the necessary current to
the metal to be protected, as Sir Humphry Davy and
Michael Faraday illustrated almost two centuries ago.
 Sacrificial Anodes
The result is that the cathode will be
negatively polarized and hence be protected
against corrosion. To calculate the rates at
which these processes occur, one has to
understand the electrochemical kinetics
associated with the complex sets of
reactions that can all happen simultaneously
on these metals.
 Groundbed Design

For underground structures requiring

cathodic protection, the location and nature
of the site where the anode is placed needs
careful consideration. A low soil resistivity,
which would otherwise be classified as a
highly corrosive soil, is not the only factor
which determines the location of the anode.
 Groundbed Design

Other factors to be considered include

the presence of foreign metallic
structures, accessibility and availability
of a power source. The location which is
specifically prepared to house a single
or a combination of anodes is called a
groundbed.
Impressed Anode Groundbeds:
Once a location is selected and the soil resistivity is
determined, the engineer needs to design the type
of groundbed and choose anode material and
combination.
Anode materials used for underground impressed
current systems are generally graphite or high
silicon cast iron. In the groundbed, it is preferred for
the anode to be surrounded by a carbonaceous
backfill. The backfill particles help to reduce anode
resistance to earth, extend anode life by allowing
anodic reactions to occur on their surface and
provide a porous structure so the gases produced
can escape.
 SACRIFICIAL ANODE BED
In certain situations, for example in
reducing stray current effects, a sacrificial
system may be specified to protect
underground structures. The backfill used
with these anodes is different from that
described for impressed anodes. A typical
backfill contains a mixture of clay and
gypsum.
 SACRIFICIAL ANODE
GROUND BED
In certain situations, for example in
reducing stray current effects, a sacrificial
system may be specified to protect
underground structures. The backfill used
with these anodes is different from that
described for impressed anodes. A typical
backfill contains a mixture of clay and
gypsum.
 Types of Groundbeds
Shallow Vertical Groundbed: The individual or
multiple anode groundbed resistances can be
determined graphically.

Shallow Horizontal Groundbeds: Sometimes due

to unfavorable soil conditions shallow horizontal
groundbeds are preferred..

Deep Well Groundbeds: Where soil resistivity at

the surface are very high, a series of vertical
anodes are sometimes installed in deep well
groundbeds (up to 100 m and more deep). To
determine the depth of the well it may be
necessary to carry out a soil resistivity survey.
 Remote and Close
Groundbeds
Since a groundbed is a source of current, there
is a field (potential) gradient associated with it.
When the voltage gradient in the soil near the
structure is far from the voltage gradient of the
groundbed, the groundbed is referred to as
remote. However when the voltage gradient in
the soil near the structure overlaps with that of
the groundbed, the groundbed is referred to as
close. This is because the groundbed is near
enough to interfere significantly with the field
gradient around the structure.
 Backfill Materials

The type of backfill used in a groundbed

depends on whether the cathodic protection
system is sacrificial or impressed.
Chemical backfills: The chemical backfill
used with galvanic anodes provides an
environment which is conducive for anode
dissolution. A typical mixture is 75%
powdered gypsum (calcium sulfate), 20%
granular bentonite and 5% sodium sulfate.
This mixture has a resistivity of 50 OHM- cm
and is suitable for use in high resistivity soils.
 Backfill Materials
Chemical backfills :The function of the
bentonite is to absorb water and
expand, thus ensuring good contact
between anode and soil by lowering
groundbed resistance. A 75% bentonite
25 % gypsum mixture (250 OHM cm) is
recommended for low moisture soils
 Backfill Materials
Carbonaceous backfills: Impressed
current anodes are usually surrounded by a
carbonaceous backfill. Types of materials
use include coke breeze, calcined
petroleum coke and natural graphite. The
dual purpose of the carbonaceous backfill is
to reduce the groundbed resistance by
increasing the effective size of the anode
and to provide a surface on which oxidation
reactions could occur.
 Backfill Materials
Carbonaceous backfills: The latter
function prolongs anode life. To ensure
good electrical contact, the backfill must
be tamped around the anode.
Resistivity of carbonaceous backfills are
in the order of 50 OHM- cm.
 Backfill Materials
Particle size and shape are also important when
specifying a backfill. Both parameters determine
the contact area between anode and earth whilst
influencing the porosity of the column which is
important for gas ventilation. A general purpose
coke breeze is for use in shallow horizontal and
vertical groundbeds. It has a resistivity of 35 W
cm. For deep well applications a special calcined
petroleum coke breeze is available. It has a
resistivity of 15 W cm and can be pumped.