A constant based on Faraday's laws of electrolysis that dictates exactly how much metal will be consumed by a given amount of electric current over time. In cathodic protection, this value is used to calculate the lifespan of a sacrificial anode or the rate of metal loss on an unprotected pipeline. For example, steel has an electrochemical equivalent of roughly 20 pounds per ampere-year.
Based on the electrochemical equivalent of magnesium, this 32-pound anode will only last about ten years at the current output.
Related terms
Sacrificial anode
Block of a more active metal such as magnesium, zinc or aluminum that corrodes to protect connected steel.
Corrosion allowance
Extra wall thickness added beyond what pressure design needs, meant to be used up by corrosion over the service life.
mpy
Mils per year, the US corrosion rate unit: thousandths of an inch of metal lost per year.