COURSE IN CP INSPECTION

METHODS
FOR
CORROCEAN

CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological

edge
Part I Cathodic Protection
Part II CP Inspection Methods

1
 COURSE IN CP INSPECTION
METHODS

CorrOcean

customers

Part I have a
technological

edge
Cathodic Protection

2
 Offshore Corrosion

Corrosion:
Based on the Latin word
CorrOcean

corrodere = to gnaw
customers
have a
technological
edge

3
Wet corrosion in an electrolyte
containing oxygen

CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

4
Electrode Potentials

CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

5
CATHODIC PROTECTION
PRINCIPLE:

The material to be protected is supplied with

an external cathodic current

The electrochemical potential of the protected material is CorrOcean

customers
moved in a negative direction to the immune area have a
technological
edge

The material is completely protected when it reaches the

Protection Potential

6
Pourbaix Diagram

CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

7
ELEKTROCHEMICAL REACTIONS

Corrosion of FE:

a) Fe2+ + 2 e- = Fe
b) Fe3O4 + 8 H+ + 8 e- = 3 Fe + 4 H2O
c) Fe3O4 + 8 H+ + 2 e- = 3 Fe 2+ + 4 H2O CorrOcean
customers
d) Fe2O3 + 6 H+ + 2 e- = 2 Fe 2+ + 3 H2O have a
technological

e) O2 + 4 H+ + 4 e- = 2 H2O edge

f) 2 H+ + 2 e- = H2

8
 Applications of the Pourbaix
Diagram
Shows what reactions which can occur with
different pH and potential
Indication on the composition of the
corrosion/oxidation products
Shows the changes of the environment (pH
CorrOcean
customers
have a

and potential) which are nessesary to avoid

technological
edge

corrosion

9
 TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS
Sacrificial Anodes
Galvanic coupling to sacrificial anodes
made of Al-alloy or Zinc
Impressed Current
Use of source for direct current (DC) and CorrOcean
customers
none corroding anodes have a
technological
edge

10
 Impressed Cathodic
Cathodic Protection Protection

CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

11
 SACRIFICAL ANODE SYSTEMS

Advantages:
Robust system, reduced maintenance
Used on every platform on the Norwegian continental
shelf
Disadvantages: CorrOcean
customers
Limited driving voltage (0.25 V) have a
technological
edge
More anodes necessary for protection
More anodes necessary for securing long operating time
(Not suited for media with low conductivity, e.g. in soil)

12
 CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

13
 CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

14
 IMPRESSED CURRENT
Advantages:
High driving voltage (30 V)
Few anodes reduced resistance
Disadvantages:
Vulnerable components
Need for regulation/control system CorrOcean
customers
Risk of overprotection of highly charged materials have a
technological
Coating damages cathodic accouplement edge

Need for/recommended protection shield

around the anodes
Need for maintenance
15
Example of Impressed Current
Installation

CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

16
 Applications of Impressed
Current
Applied on steel in seawater or soil
Oil Platforms in steel and concrete
Subsea Pipelines
Hull CorrOcean

Quay structures and sheet pile curtains

customers
have a
technological

Concrete bridges placed in seawater

edge

Pipelines buried in soil

Vessels/tanks buried in soil

17
 ELECTROCHEMICAL
POTENTIALS
Steel
Corrosion potential ca. -650 mV Ag/AgCl
Protected at ca. -800 mV Ag/AgCl
CorrOcean

Al-anode and Zn-anode customers

have a
technological
edge
Corrosion potential ca. -1050 mV Ag/AgCl

18
 CATHODIC PROTECTION
Anodic reactions: Zn = Zn2+ + 2e-
Al = Al3+ + 3e-

Cathodic reactions: 2 H2O = 4 H+ + 4OH-

O2 + 4 H+ + 4 e- = 2 H2O
---------------------------------- CorrOcean
customers
O2 + 2 H2O + 4 e- = 4OH- have a
technological
edge

2 H+ + 2 e- = H2 (g)

Anode and cathode reactions are always balanced, i.e congestion of

electrons does not exist

19
CRITERIA FOR CATHODIC PROTECTION

Potential Criteria: maximum -800 mV, ref Ag/AgCl

minimum -1100 mV, ref Ag/AgCl

Demand for current: vary with O2 in the electrolyte

solubility CorrOcean
customers
have a
flow velocity technological
edge
temperature
construction geometry
geographical site

20
Calcareous deposit reduces the demand for
current:

Calcareous deposits reduce the effective cathodic surface

area thereby lowering demand for current. The calcareous
deposit is formed when MgOH2 and CaCO3 salts precipitate
on the cathode (steel surface).
CorrOcean
customers
The following changes the composition and quality of the have a
technological
calcareous layer: edge

current density
temperature
pressure
seawater quality
flow velocity 21
CATHODIC PROTECTION

The most commonly used sacrifical anode materials are:

Al-Zn-In
Zn
Mg

Magnesium CorrOcean

relatively expensive customers

have a
technological
low capacity of current because of high selfcorrosion edge
may cause overprotection
short operating time

Often used where the electrolyte has low conductivity

22
Zinc:
classical anode material
low driving voltage (230 mV)
low capacity of current results in high weight of anodes
(780 A/kg)
temperature limits < 40 Co

Often used on subsea piplines and constructions buried in mud

Aluminium: CorrOcean
customers
has to be alloyed otherwise it is passive have a
high capacity of current (2500 Ah/kg) technological
edge
long operating time saves weight
high driving voltage

Al-Zn-In anodes most commonly used offshore

23
PRACTICAL CP DESIGN
where will the construction be placed?
what kind of environmental parameters should be taken
into account (temp.,res.)
areas to protect
operating lifetime
what kind of design standards should be used (DnV,
NORSOK, NACE) CorrOcean
customers
what demand for current is expected have a
technological
will the construction be protected by coating, if so, what edge

kind of coating
degradation mechanisms for coating (Coating Breakdown)
possible current drainage to e.g. wells, poles, other
structure
influence from other structures, pipelines etc. 24
DEMAND FOR CURRENT
INITIAL DEMAND FOR CURRENT:
Demand for current to polarize the structure down to a safe
protection potential ( -800 mV) and build a good calcareous
deposit.

AVERAGE CURRENT:
Demand for current to maintain a safe protection potential after
polarization of the structure. Used to calculate necessary anode CorrOcean
customers
weight. have a
technological
edge

FINAL DEMAND FOR CURRENT:

Demand for current to repolarize the structure after a possible
breakdown/damage of the calcareous deposit (after winter storms).
It also gives the demand for current at the end of the operating
lifetime.
25
 Illustration of design current density

Initial current density

Current density (mA/m2)

Final (peak) current density

CorrOcean
Average current customers
have a
density technological
edge

Time
26
REQUIREMENT OF CURRENT FOR
PROTECTION
Bare steel in seawater:
100 - 200 mA/m2

Bare steel in soil:

10 - 20 mA/m2 CorrOcean
customers
have a

technological
Reinforced concrete: edge

1-3 mA/m2

27
 CATHODIC PROTECTION AND COATING

Reduces the requirement of current

Lowers anode weight
Easier to achieve good current distribution
and consequent protection of the entire
structure CorrOcean
customers
have a
technological
edge

28
CALCULATE CATHODIC PROTECTION
Structure:
- calculate area to protect (m2)
- calculate current requirement, I (A)
- calculate anode weight requirement, W (kg)

Anode data:
- anode material CorrOcean
customers
- anode type and dimensions have a
technological
- calculate anode weight, Wa (kg) edge

- calculate anode resistance, Ra (ohm)

- calculate driving voltage, DE, (mV)
- calculate anode current output, Ia (A)

29
CP DESIGN

Current requirement: I = i * Area

Anode weight requirement:W = I*L*8760

C*U
CorrOcean
customers
Anode current output: Ia = DE have a
technological

Ra edge

Anode weight: Wa = Voluma*d

30
REQUIREMENT OF ANODES
Calculate necessary number of anodes to meet the
current requirement (initial and final current):

N1 = I
Ia
CorrOcean

Calculate necessary number of anodes to meet the customers

have a

anode weight requirement for the total operating technological

edge

lifetime:

N2 = W
Wa
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