Many infrastructure assets are prone to corrosion. This includes items such as heat exchangers, storage tanks located above ground, pipelines buried in the ground, and marine piles. With the help of Cathodic Protection Service in Chicago IL, however, a business can prevent or reduce this corrosion by transferring the corrosion from the asset to another place. This is done through the use of DC currents and can be of great help in extending the life of the asset. As corrosion remains the leading cause of shortened lifespans in metallic structures, this is one system every company should consider putting into place.
Galvanic Systems
When two metals are linked electrically, one may be more prone to corrode, and this is the basis of galvanic cathodic protection systems. Often referred to as sacrificial anodes, galvanic anodes corrode to protect the asset. They are able to do so because their natural potential is more negative than that of the metal being protected. This type of system is often used for the protection of industrial and internal structures as well as underground steel as no power source is needed to operate the system.
Impressed Current Systems
Impressed current systems are needed when the potential difference between the two metals isn’t enough to provide the current needed to offer protection. With this type of system, a power supply is utilized to increase the potential difference so more current can be transferred to the asset in need of protection. Once the power supply is connected, a larger potential difference is generated.
Many factors go into the design of a cathodic protection service in Chicago IL, thus a trusted professional is needed to handle this task. The team must understand the environmental conditions that impact the structure, the different options available in terms of these systems, and how to properly design and install the service for the maximum return on investment. Anything less and the asset will remain at risk of damage due to corrosion. However, when this type of service is deployed, business owners find they spend less on routine maintenance and extend the life of their asset. Visit website domain to learn more about the benefits of cathodic protection service and its many applications.
