Back to Knowledge Center
Cathodic Protection: Defending Underground Infrastructure from Corrosion
November 18, 2023
Corrosion Control
An introduction to cathodic protection systems for buried metallic structures, including the principles of electrochemical corrosion, impressed current systems, and sacrificial anode systems.
Corrosion is an electrochemical process that destroys metallic structures through oxidation. For buried metallic structures such as pipelines, storage tanks, and grounding conductors, corrosion can cause catastrophic failures with serious safety and environmental consequences.
Cathodic protection (CP) is the most effective method for preventing corrosion of buried metallic structures. It works by making the structure the cathode of an electrochemical cell, which prevents the oxidation reactions that cause corrosion.