Predicting the Time Dependence of Polarization on Cathodically Protected Steel in Seawater

Abstract

A model is proposed for predicting the current-time history of cathodically protected steel in seawater by correlating galvanostatic and potentiostatic data with equations developed from the principles of electrochemical kinetics. The model provides for a smooth interpolation of scarcely available data with respect to current, potential, and time. The model can also be used for generating time-varying current-potential curves, which are necessary as boundary conditions in computing the time-dependent current and potential distribution on a cathodically protected offshore structure.