Abstract
This work shows the performance of cathodic protection systems formed by an API (American Petroleum Institute) X52 steel exposed to seawater and coupled with galvanic anodes of Mg, Mg-1Cr, and Mg-1Nb fabricate by sintering technique at a temperature of 500 °C. Potential monitoring indicates that X52 steel of the three systems remained in the protection zone. Mg-Nb/X52 system showed the more stable potentials since the first day; the recorded values remained between −1.0 and −1.1 V vs. SCE (saturated calomel electrode) during the seven days of exposure time. Current density records show that Mg/X52 system had the most stable values, while the other two systems (Mg-Cr/X52 Mg-Nb/X52,) had current fluctuations. The Mg-X52 system recorded the most negative potential values, which can be attributed to a greater magnitude and a better distribution of the cathodic protection current. However, the Mg-Nb/X52 system had a better result because the current drained by the system was constant throughout the experiment.
Highlights
Magnesium and its alloys are used in different applications, taking advantage of its reactivity and current drainage capacity in an aqueous medium
We evaluated the performance of Mg, Mg-1Cr, and
Mg-1Nb anodes in the cathodic protection systems formed by an API X52 steel exposed to seawater and coupled with galvanic anodes
Summary
Magnesium and its alloys are used in different applications, taking advantage of its reactivity and current drainage capacity in an aqueous medium. Application as a seawater-activated battery involves taking advantage of the dissolution capacity of an active metal anode and the reduction of cathode materials to generate current [5,6,7,8]. From the cathodic protection systems, the use of sacrificial anodes has the advantage of not requiring an auxiliary power supply; wherein galvanic anodes supply the polarizing current. The materials used as anodes are diverse; zinc, magnesium, and aluminum, as well as their respective alloys are the most common. Mg alloy anodes have the advantage that their standard electrode potential is −2.37 V (vs SHE), being more negative than aluminum (−1.71 V vs SHE) and zinc (−0.76 V vs SHE). Magnesium anodes could theoretically exhibit high discharge activity and have a strong ability to deliver electrons for power generation [12]
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