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Galvanised Plating on Cable Containment - Sacrificial Anode?

I've been learning about sacrificial anodes recently.

I was given a formula to calculate how long a sacrificial anode will last; using the total mass, atomic mass and ionic charge of the sacrificial material, as well as the electrical current running through the anode.

It brought my attention to Galvanised steel basket tray.
Galvanised steel has a covering of Zinc[2+] to protect the steel from the environment; and it would also have an induced current from cables running along it.

But would there be a Cathode to complete this circuit? Perhaps where the containment is grounded?
It would be interesting if grounding the containment actually accelerates the decay of the zinc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Parents
  • on the positive half cycle, the Zinc would be stripped off and converted to Zinc Oxide; the negative half cycle wouldn't be able to strip the oxygen from the Zinc, would it? (asking out of ignorance, here)

    well yes it can, and must - and capacitive coupling cannot pass a net DC. Equilibrium always has net zero charge transfer over a full cycle.

    Mike.

    PS Zinc is often extracted by electrolysis from solutions, and pulling zinc from sulphates and so on is very similar to separating oxides.

     

Reply
  • on the positive half cycle, the Zinc would be stripped off and converted to Zinc Oxide; the negative half cycle wouldn't be able to strip the oxygen from the Zinc, would it? (asking out of ignorance, here)

    well yes it can, and must - and capacitive coupling cannot pass a net DC. Equilibrium always has net zero charge transfer over a full cycle.

    Mike.

    PS Zinc is often extracted by electrolysis from solutions, and pulling zinc from sulphates and so on is very similar to separating oxides.

     

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