Previous research has suggested that a coated steel substrate can be cathodic to boldly exposed steel in seawater. As a result logic would suggest that the corrosion rate at deftis in the coating would be a finction of the coating to holiday surface area ratio. To examine this hypothesis four (4) surface area ratios were tested in natural seawater. These ratios are 3:1, 10:1, 136:1 and 1176:1 (coated to exposed steel). Coated panels were painted with a ML-P-24441 epoxy barrier coating and electrically
coupled to exposed steel. During testing the current between mated and uncoated samples was monitored along with the potential between the couple and a saturated calomel reference electrode (SCE). Testing has been conducted for over one year, with each area ratio showing interesting trends. This paper discusses the current flow of each area ratio, and how it relates to the corrosion rate of exposed steel. Whether the corrosion is anodlcally or catholically controlled, and to what extent, are evaluated. Finally, “real-world” applications of this type of analysis will be discussed.