Platinum Provides Protection for Steel Structures

Increasing concern at the waste caused by corrosion has focused attention on the need to utilise the most advanced methods for preventing, or controlling, this expensive phenomenon. The use of platinum for the cathodic protection of ships and marine structures is by no means new but the high cost of such structures, the aggressive environmental conditions to which they are subjected in service, and the need for maximum reliability over long periods of time all tend to make platinum cathodic protection an economic alternative to other methods. This review, which will appear in two parts, describes how cathodic protection is provided, outlines the many factors that have to be considered when utilising this method and describes some of the most recent applications.