Corrosion Protection by Interrupting the Circuit

Definition

Corrosion protection is the strategy of disrupting any one part of the corrosion circuit to slow corrosion, since it cannot be eliminated. Treating corrosion as a circuit makes protection a matter of strategy.

The four targets are the anode, cathode, electrolyte, and metallic path, but in practical systems water and metal must remain, leaving the anodic and cathodic reactions as the two realistic levers. Every chemical, mechanical, or material strategy works by raising resistance, removing reactants, or preventing the circuit from assembling. The guiding question is always how hard we are making it for the circuit to run.

Related concepts

Anodic Protection · Cathodic Control · Film-Forming Inhibitors

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