The -0.850 volt copper sulfate electrode (CSE), cathodic protection(CP) criterion for typical buried coated steel pipelines was determined by Robert J. Kuhn during his employment at New Orleans Public Service, Inc. from 1913 to 1933, 1,2  the year he published it in Reference #2 and as A. W. Peabody 3  notes in his book, “Control of Pipeline Corrosion” on Page 35, “Experience has proved the adequacy of this criterion for practical use”.

Kuhn’s “Contributions to the early understanding of the application of CP were so notable that a medal was struck in Germany in 1970 to commemorate him as the Father of CP.”4 

“Indeed it would be easy to conclude that Kuhn’s postulation in 1933 that the protective potential is probably in the neighborhood of -0.850 V is as accurate today as it was then and furthermore, may not change substantially over the next sixty (60) years in terms of its practical application.” 4 

This article offers information confirming that the criterion is scientifically sound.

Subject
Holidays, Coated steel, Piping, Voltage, Corrosion currents, Voltmeters, Pipelines, Steel pipelines, Acidity, Electric potential, Electrodes, Soil, Electrode potential
Keywords:
Coated Pipeline, Mill Scale, Standard Non-Polarized Copper Sulfate Electrode, Linear Polarization, Activation Polarization and Concentration Polarization
© 2006 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).
2006
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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