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Sacri cial Anodes FAQs

Q. What do sacri cial anodes do?

A. All metals immersed in an electrolyte (sea water for example) produce an

electrical voltage. When two dissimilar metals are in contact (electrically
connected) they produce a galvanic cell (like a battery), with the less noble
metal (a bronze propeller for example) forming the anode and the more
noble metal (stainless steel shaft) forming the cathode.

Aluminum anode alloy provides more protection and lasts longer than zinc.
It will continue to work in freshwater and is safe for use in salt water.
Aluminum is the only anode that is safe for all applications.

If you want to protect both metals you need to connect a third metal that is
more active than the rst two. The most active metal (zinc for example)
becomes the anode to the others and sacri ces itself by corroding (giving
up metal) to protect the cathode - hence the term sacri cial anode.
Q. What metals are sacri cial anodes made from?

A. The three most active materials used in sacri cial anodes

are zinc, aluminum and magnesium. They have different properties and
uses.

The rst property to consider is their electrical potential. All metals

generate a negative voltage (as compared to a reference electrode) when
immersed in water. The lower – the more negative - the voltage, the more
active the metal is considered to be, for example:

Magnesium generates -1.6 Volts, i.e. negative 1.6 volts.

Aluminum sacri cial anode alloy generates -1.1Volts
Zinc, -1.05 Volts

In order to provide protection, the highest practicable voltage difference

possible is required between the sacri cial anode and the metal to be
protected.

For example, if zinc is used to protect a bronze propeller, a “driving or

protecting voltage” of negative –0.75 volts will be available, i.e. zinc at -1.05
volts minus bronze at -0.3 = - 0.75 volts.

If aluminum anodes are used this increases to -0.8 Volts.

Magnesium anodes increase this to -1.3 volts.

The bigger the difference in voltage, the more protection you get. But,
beware, some materials (aluminum) can be “overprotected” – more about
that later.
The second property that is important is the current capacity of the anode
material. The anode generates a voltage difference and this drives a current
between the anode and the protected metal and through the water. It’s like
having a bigger battery, the more capacity you have the longer it will keep
protecting. Incidentally, for a particular anode, the rate of current ow is
dependant on the surface area of the anode and the longevity depends on
the mass. For the same size anode the relative capacities are:

Zinc: 100 (Taken as a datum e.g. this could be 100 days)

Magnesium: 30
Aluminum anode: 130 – 150 (Different manufacturers quote
different ranges)

So if you used a magnesium anode in place of the “100 day” zinc anode it
would only last 30 days.

The aluminum anode would last between 130 and 150 days.

For convenience we provide the "Zinc Equivalent Weight" (ZEW) in some of

our product listing pages. This is the amount of zinc that the aluminum
anode is equivalent to in terms of capacity.

The third property is Quality of the Anode Alloy

A word of caution about the metals used !!

Not just any zinc or any aluminum will work. Beware ! There are some
imported anodes which are of questionable quality.  It is important to
ensure that the anodes you buy are made to the appropriate military or
marine speci cation. Installing cheap or sub-standard anodes will
undoubtedly cause increased and potentially very expensive corrosion
problems. The most common material speci cations are:

Zinc: MIL-A-18001K
Aluminum: MIL-A-24779(SH)
Magnesium: MIL-A-21412

Comparison of Properties
Q. What anode material should I use on my boat?

A. The type of boat that you have will determine how careful you need to
be. A berglass hull with an inboard engine will need much less protection
than an aluminum hull or a boat with an aluminum sterndrive for example.
Some simple guidelines:

Inboard boats with mainly bronze and stainless metal parts can be

protected using zinc or aluminum anodes. Don’t worry about overprotecting
them. You are only overprotected when the weight of the anodes is so great
that your boat sinks! The voltage generated by zinc or aluminum anodes will
not cause any damage – no matter how much anode material is added, the
maximum voltage that can be generated is the voltage of the anode itself.
You could also use magnesium in freshwater locations on berglass-hulled
boats. Be careful using magnesium on aluminum or wooden hulled boats
since you can overprotect them. Steel hulls can also be overprotected to
the point where excessive protection voltage rapidly lifts the paint off the
hull.

Sterndrives and Outboard Motors require a little more care. The sacri cial
anodes have a dif cult task, since they have to protect what is already a
very active aluminum assembly. Initially the anodes for these units were
made of zinc, but in response to corrosion problems, Mercury and
Johnson/Evinrude/OMC started selling the aluminum anodes in the early
1990’s. Other manufacturers are switching to aluminum too. The small
increase in protective voltage helps ensure that the sterndrive is protected.
If you use zinc anodes you may even invalidate your warranty!  Again, be
careful using magnesium anodes since you can overprotect your sterndrive
or outboard.

Q. What anodes should I use in freshwater?

A. Where possible Navalloy™ (aluminum/zinc/indium alloy) anodes are

recommended over zinc. Zinc anodes can become inactive after only a few
months due to the build up of an insulating lm of zinc hydroxide.
Aluminum anodes will remain active. Don't take our word for it
though, ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council), who set the standards for
the industry, clari ed their recommendations on anode materials in the
Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft (July 2008-
2009):

As you can see, the only anode type that is recommended for all water
types is aluminum (Navalloy).

This chart summarizes the anode choices based on type of boat and water
type:

Q. What factors increase corrosion?

A. The voltage difference between the two metals will affect the rate of
corrosion. For example a stainless steel prop, which is a relatively noble
metal, will cause more corrosion of a set of zincs than a bronze prop.
Corrosion will increase the saltier the water is. Increasing temperature will
also increase the conductivity of water and the resulting corrosion. The
corrosion rate doubles with every 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit)
increase in temperature. Pollution can also increase corrosion. For example,
many freshwater lakes have been contaminated by acid rain, which
increases the conductivity of the water and therefore corrosion rates.
 

Q. When should sacri cial anodes be replaced?

A. Anodes should be changed, at least, on an annual basis (including anodes

in fresh water) or when they have corroded to half their original size.
Performance Metals “Premium” anodes include the exclusive patented “wear
indicator.” When the red spot appears it is time to change your anode!

Q. What precautions should I take when installing new anodes?

A. Make sure they make good electrical contact with the metal that is being
protected. Remove any paint and clean the metal surface that will be in
contact with the anode. DON’T paint anodes! They can’t work if they are
covered up.

Q. What else should I do to help protect my sterndrive?

A. Keep paint (on engines, sterndrive units etc.) in good condition. A small
scratch will corrode rapidly. Leave the sterndrive unit immersed in the
water. If you don’t the anodes can’t work. Don’t use anti-fouling paint
containing copper or mercury on a sterndrive unit. The metal in the paint
will increase galvanic corrosion. Don’t mix zinc anodes on the hull with
aluminum anodes on the drive. The aluminum anodes will protect the zinc
anodes in addition to the unit.

Q. How can Navalloy™ (aluminum) anodes protect aluminum outdrives?

A. Because the Navalloy™, aluminum anode is a combination of aluminum,

zinc and indium. It is like comparing steel and stainless steel - they have
very different properties. The zinc and indium make the metal more active
and prevent the anode from forming an oxide coating.

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

Bonding and Cathodic Protection of Vessels - by Paul Fleury of Marine

Services pdf

The Truth About Aluminum Anodes - by Martin Wigg and Paul Fleury pdf

Corrosion Reference Card pdf

ABYC Recommendations on Anode Materials- Advertising material pdf

Strap Anode Flyer - Advertising material pdf

SecureCore® Flyer - Advertising material pdf

PowerPoint Basic Corrosion Course - Explains the basics of Galvanic

corrosion and how sacri cial anodes work. pdf

Corrosion Course - pdf version

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