Product Spotlight: Sacrificial Anodes

Jun 9

SIGMA is proud to highlight our innovative line of Zinc and Magnesium Anode products. These products offer cathodic protection to underground and submerged threads, bolts and nuts on glands, flanges, and mechanical fittings. They are designed to be used on buried pipelines, in water treatment plants, weirs, lock gates and any other structures with exposed metallic threads. SIGMA’s Anodes are offered as both Zinc Cap Nuts and Magnesium Anode Bags. SIGMA is currently stocking Magnesium Anodes Bags in 9-, 17-, 32-and 48-pound sizes.

How Anodes Work

Corrosion is an electrochemical process in which dissimilar metal parts form a galvanic cell when they are in contact with moisture. Using the common battery as an example, moisture becomes the electrolyte while the different metals in the system (such as bolts, nuts, fittings etc.) become the positive and negative ends of the battery. The more “negative” component loses material through corrosion while protecting the “positive” component, which becomes shielded. Because these sacrificial metals are much more negative than most other materials, the protected component is essentially immune to corrosion as long as there is Zinc or Magnesium remaining to consume. SIGMA’s Anode Products offer protection for other system components made of steel, cast iron, ductile iron, brass and copper. SIGMA’s Anode products are made from Special High-Grade materials that conform to the highest industry standards that meet or exceed all MIL-A-18001J and ASTM B418-80 specifications. SIGMA’s Zinc Caps should be installed on all exposed bolts, while the Magnesium Anode Bags should be used in conjunction with larger pipeline components such as fittings, valves and pipe, depending on soil conditions.

These anodes are suitable for: