On problem of using copper electrodes to maintain protection against corrosion of steel hulls of ships and vessels

The paper focuses on the reasons for the lack of proper control of the operation of the electrochemical protective systems of sea vessels, such as the absence of convenient technical equipment, primarily the reference electrodes, as well as the imperfection of the silver chloride reference electrode. There is considered the approach to the development of easy-to-use reference electrodes. A standard silver chloride reference electrode was used as the first electrode; experimental electrodes made of a copper wire strand stripped of insulation were used as the second and third electrodes. The experimental vessel is docked in the commercial port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The corrosion protection of the ship’s hull was evaluated by measuring the potentials between the metal hull and the reference electrode at a given point. The measurements were performed at a time interval from 06/10/2021 to 06/18/2021, evaluating the control of the hull corrosion protection was made by taking 50 successive measurements, which were entered into the control tables. It has been stated that the results of ship’s hull sacrificial protection control by using experimental copper electrodes from cabling comply with the regulatory requirements. The ship’s crew didn’t have any financial, organizational or technical problems, which could usually arise from the operation of standard silver chloride reference electrodes. It has been inferred that using regulated and non-regulated electrodes in the organization of corrosion control on ships and metal offshore structures is possible.