Almost every building contains some form of metal, whether it is made purely from metal or if the metal is used for reinforcement. No matter why or where it is used for construction purposes, it is always subject to the dangers of corrosion. One of the strongest and most cost-efficient ways to protect against this is to use cathodic protection service in Chicago IL.
While coatings and coverings work well in some circumstances, they do not always take into account the volatility of the construction scenario. This is especially true if the construction is taking place below ground level where the moisture level is extremely high. Basically, corrosion is an electrochemical process that begins to develop when even the merest of cracks or scrapes occurs in the protective coating. One piece of the steel acts as an anode while metal that is adjacent will act as a cathode.
As the anode begins to corrode, the metal begins to let loose electrons while at the same forming soluble ions. The cathode releases electrons that combine with oxygen and water. These, in turn, combine to form hydroxide ions. When Cathodic Protection Service in Chicago IL is utilized, the anode is forced to act as the cathode by virtue of force. This actually inhibits any further process of corrosion.
To protect structures, a small amount of direct current electricity is applied via the material the building is constructed of. This acts to generate a steady stream of electricity which satisfies the need of electrons the cathode demands. The anodic reaction, or corrosion, is then inhibited. Most companies, such as Business Name, that work with cathode protection will use either, or both, of the following methods, depending on what the situation calls for.
SACP, or sacrificial anode cathodic protection, works by placing sacrificial anodes close to the corroding metal and connecting them electrically. The electricity then acts to protect the metalwork that is embedded in the building. ICCP, or impressed current cathodic protection, still delivers electricity to the corroding metal but it is done so by using transformer rectifiers. ICCP systems are far more complex but are especially useful when the area that needs to be repaired is large.
