Sacrificial anodes are used to protect metal structures from corroding. Sacrificial anodes work by oxidizing more quickly than the metal it is protecting, being consumed completely before the other metal reacts with the electrolytes. ... Three metals that can be used as sacrificial anodes are zinc, aluminum, and magnesium.

What is sacrificial anode explain with an example?

All metals immersed in an electrolyte (sea water for example) produce an electrical voltage. ... The most active metal (zinc for example) becomes the anode to the others and sacrifices itself by corroding (giving up metal) to protect the cathode - hence the term sacrificial anode.

What happens to the sacrificial anode in a cathodic protection?

The sacrificial anodes are attached to the steel structure and since they oxidize more easily, they turn the structure itself into a cathode. The electrons leave the structure through the anodes which slowly dissolve. Applying this physics principle protects the steel structure against corrosion.