Connecting the copper electrical conductor to the anode has been a costly problem for the cathodic protection industry. Failure of many of the early impressed current cathodic protection systems were due to the connectors. Several termination methods have been tried with varying degrees of success. Bolting the cable to the anode and coating the connection with an epoxy sealant (Fig. 1) was one of the simplest methods. Applying the epoxy or other sealant to this joint was a difficult task and the connection was found to be unreliable in actual service. Another method of termination consisted of a tantalum tab, strap or rod extending from the anode. The copper cable was bolted to the tab then a polyethylene cup was fitted over the joint and finally epoxy was poured into the cup as a sealant. Although this connector was an improvement over earlier attempts, the reliability of the connection was questionable when subjected to repetitive impact forces due to the action of waves.

Subject
Impressed current cathodic protection, Reliability, Installation, Seawater, Platinum, Cables, Impressed current anodes, Sealants, Corrosion resistance, Copper, Epoxies, Electrolytes, Anodes
© 1977 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1977
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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