In order to develop standard testing method for evaluating anodic behaviors of magnesiumm alloy galvanic anodes serviced in underground, the galvanostatic dissolution experiments were conducted at a current density of 0.03mA/cm
2 for 10 days and various factors influencing on parameters such as closed circuit potential and current efficiency were studied.
In test solutions containing Na
2SO
4, open and closed circuit potentials of the anode became less noble with increasing salt concentration. The increase in concentration of Na
2SO
4 promoted passivation and nonuniform dissolution on anode surface and the resulting localized dissolution led to the lowering of current efficiency. The tendency of passivation was not affected by exclusion of dissolved oxygen from test solution or addition of bentnite, but the addition of chloride more than 1 percent was considerably effective to uniform dissolution.
The results obtained in pH controlled solutions containing MgSO
4 or MgCl
2 showed that the current efficiency remarkably depended on pH value of test solution. The corrosion pattern of the anode being enveloped in backfil or CaSO
4 paste in sulfate solution was slightly more smooth than those of the anode without paste. It was assumed that the lowering of pH on surface by accumulation of magnesium ions due to an enclosure of the paste inhibited passivation, and that the inhibition in this case might be insufficient to produce uniform dissolution. Finally, owing to strong passivation of anode surface in such sulfate test solutions, it was considered that it is difficult to reproduce the dissolution provided under field conditions.
On the other hand, the current efficiency in artificial sea water was varied with pH of sea water like in sulfate solutions, but uniform dissolution was presented and reasonable values of potential and current efficiency were gained in short time test owing to chloride enough for depassivation and good stability of pH by saturation of Mg(OH)
2. According to these results, it was concluded that artificial sea water saturated with Mg(OH)
2 is the most suitable media for testing anode performance of magnesium galvanic anode revealed in practical use.
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