Benefits of galvanic corrosion
Galvanic corrosion refers to a degradation process that happens when two non-compatible metals are exposed to each other in an electrolyte solution. ‘Â As the term suggests, corrosion exists especially on the metal with the weaker property. ‘Â Corrosion is a common property for many metals and this process is promoted with the presence of other metals. ‘Â Under most conditions, galvanic corrosion is avoided and efforts are made to prevent it from happening as it causes damage to the metals involved. ‘Â The mere process of corrosion between metals though also provides some advantages and benefits in some ways and these include the following:
1. Voltage generation in batteries
Typical batteries that are for use at home contain carbon and zinc. ‘Â These two metals are intentionally mixed together so the zinc component will corrode faster than normal in order to generate an electric charge. ‘Â This concept of galvanic corrosion is especially helpful for small home appliances and gadgets that need batteries to become useful.
2. Protection of cathodes
Galvanic corrosion could also be employed to ensure that the cathode part of metal objects is protected from damage. ‘Â Through cathode protection, the anode part are intentionally exposed to corrosion which why people refer to them as sacrificial electrical parts or terminals.
3. Corrosion prevention
The process of corrosion is different for every metal or electrolyte blend. ‘Â This simply means that studying the process of corrosion between different metals actually helps people know better in terms of metal combinations and usage. ‘Â This is especially applicable to the auto and airline industries which basically use different metals in the making and maintenance of cars and planes. ‘Â With knowledge of galvanic corrosion, the right or better metal electrolytes will be chosen for possible vehicle or plane production.
Despite its reputation as a damaging process or property in metals, galvanic corrosion actually provide some benefits in some other ways as mentioned above. ‘Â The only concern is that the process must be constantly monitored in order to ensure that it will yield to the desired result.
