The commonly accepted practice for monitoring and controlling cathodic protection (CP) is to measure potentials of the structure with a reference electrode which sometimes requires maintenance and has a limited service life. A coupled multielectrode array sensor (CMAS) with only solid components is maintenance free and may last as long as the CP-protected structure. This paper discusses how to use a new parameter from the CMAS for monitoring and controlling CP without using a reference electrode. This parameter has been called CP effectiveness margin (CPEM) and has a value of 0% when the CP starts to be adequate and 100% when the CP starts to be excessive. When used together with the potential-measurement methods, the CPEM from a highly robust CMAS probe may provide an independent and real-time indication for the effectiveness of the CP systems and serve as a complimentary method for CP assessment.

Subject
Anode potential, Cathodic protection, Corrosion rate, Cathodic potential, Probes, Free corrosion potential, Silicate deposits, Metals, Cathodic sites, Anodic current, Protection potential, Electrodes, Electrode potential
Keywords:
coupled multielectrode array sensor, CMAS, cathodic protection criteria, cathodic protection effective margin, CP Effectiveness Margin, CPEM, CP Monitoring, True Criterion for cathodic protection
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2022
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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