The electrochemical behaviour of sacrificial anode materials is of vital importance for the reliability and efficiency of cathodic protecticm systems for seawater exposed structures. As many sacrificial anode materials are proprietary alloys, many users require that anode manufacturers document the service performance and the quality level through laboratory testing. This type of testing has been carried out for nearly 15 years on behalf of both users and manufacturers. The paper describes the test methods applied and the reliability of these in reflecting the service performance of an Al-base sacrificial anode alloy. The relative importance of test parameters such as test duration and anodic current density is discussed.
Keywords: cathodic protection, sacrificial anode, aluminium alloy, sea water testing, performance.