To safeguard steel vessel hulls against galvanic corrosion in saltwater environments, marine technicians mount sacrificial zinc anodes along the submerged plating. Because zinc possesses a lower electrochemical potential than structural steel, the seawater electrolyte causes the zinc to oxidize and dissolve preferentially. This chemical sacrifice supplies electrons to the hull, maintaining the steel as a protected cathode. For optimal defense, technicians must ensure direct, bare metal-to-metal contact between the anode and the vessel. Applying marine antifouling paint over the zinc insulates its surface, halting the protective electrical current and leaving the nearby steel susceptible to aggressive structural pitting.
Based on the passage, what is the consequence of applying antifouling paint over a sacrificial zinc anode?
- AIt establishes direct, bare metal-to-metal contact by sealing the submerged plating.
- It creates an insulating barrier that interrupts the protective electrical current, exposing the adjacent metal to destructive pitting.Cevap
- CIt accelerates the rate at which the chemical sacrifice supplies electrons to the protected cathode.
- DIt contaminates the marine ecosystem by releasing toxic chemical solvents into the saltwater.