Ask the Experts – Sacrificial Anodes

Ask the Experts Macleod

 

When metals are immersed in water and in close proximity to each other they produce an electrical voltage. When two dissimilar metals are in contact they form a galvanic cell, just like a battery.

If you want to protect both metals you need to introduce a third metal that is more active than the first two. The most active metal (zinc, aluminum or magnesium) becomes the anode to the others and sacrifices itself by corroding to protect the cathode – i.e. it sacrifices itself for the good of the other metals.

In this edition of Ask the Experts, we will explore what a sacrificial anode is, what it does and when to replace it.

 http://www.informedboater.com/ask-the-expert/

View the Sacrificial Anodes video here.
Sacrificial Anodes
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