Metallic Path

Definition

The metallic path is the metal itself acting as a wire to carry freed electrons from the anode to the cathode, completing the other half of the corrosion circuit. It lets the electrons reach the site where they are consumed.

When the surface is oxidized, metal ions dissolve into water while electrons travel through the conductive metal to the cathode, where they are consumed by the cathodic reaction. Because the metal conducts electrons and the electrolyte conducts ions, anodic and cathodic sites can be separated over a distance, so corrosion is not confined to the point of attack. The metal becomes a wire, the electrolyte distributes ions, and oxygen provides the demand.

Related concepts

Cathode · Corrosion Cell · Electrolyte

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · ⚡ electrochemistry