Big Brother is watching the potential difference
If you own pipelines or other underground metal objects, you naturally want to protect them against corrosion. There are various techniques you can use for this. One of them is cathodic protection. This is a method of corrosion prevention in which the potential of the object to be protected is lowered relative to the environment. This can be done in two ways: passive and active. We will explain these two methods to you. In addition, we explain how you can continuously monitor the potential difference. Because as you probably know: things can always change. Therefore, it is very important to keep a close eye on the protection of your pipelines.
Passive Cathodic Protection
In passive cathodic protection, also called galvanic protection, sacrificial anodes are used. These sacrificial anodes are often made of base metals such as magnesium or titanium, making them stronger reducers than the metal they are in contact with. As a result, the metal of the sacrificial anode oxidizes instead of the metal of the pipeline.Active Cathodic Protection
In active cathodic protection (also called an impressed current system), an external power source (rectifier) is used to achieve the potential difference. This causes the metal object to be protected (the anode) to become a cathode. The anode function is taken over by an anode with high resistance to corrosion, also called inert anodes. Active cathodic protection offers more control over the corrosion process because the protective current can be adjusted when soil conditions change.Insight into the Potential Difference
With cathodic protection, your pipelines are thus shielded against corrosion. However, this does not mean you can neglect them. When something changes in the environment, the potential difference and thus the protection of your pipelines will also change. Imbema has therefore developed the CorroGuard: a system that allows you to monitor the protection of your pipelines 24/7. Through a convenient dashboard, you can see the live conditions of your pipelines. You not only see the potential difference, but also the voltage, outgoing current, system uptime, and maintenance history. And you don’t have to constantly watch the dashboard, because you receive an immediate alarm if any values are exceeded. So when something changes, you can take action immediately.
Optimal Protection
With cathodic protection and CorroGuard, we can assure you of optimal protection. Imbema supplies A-quality products for cathodic protection, ensuring high quality, low costs, and efficient maintenance. Additionally, with CorroGuard you are no longer dependent on periodic spot checks. When you periodically perform inspections on site, the protection may be good at that moment. But a lot can happen in a short time, causing the potential difference and pipeline protection to change. You have no visibility on this and sometimes find out too late that the condition of your pipeline has deteriorated (with all the consequences). CorroGuard removes these concerns by continuously recording all relevant data.Big Brother is Watching You
CorroGuard is ‘watching’ the potential difference, but the system also watches over your organization. It ensures that you save a lot of costs. For example, you no longer need to send people periodically to locations for inspections. This saves personnel costs and a lot of travel. And what about maintenance and repair work? You will need much less of it because you immediately see when the potential difference changes.Can’t wait to be relieved of worries? Then read about the possibilities on our website or send an email to Ton, the specialist in corrosion protection.