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- Newsgroups: rec.boats
- Path: sparky!uunet!walter!porthos!vixen!jadams
- From: jadams@vixen.cc.bellcore.com (adams,john)
- Subject: Re: Question about zinc...
- Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
- Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 14:39:47 GMT
- Message-ID: <1992Nov23.143947.11765@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>
- References: <49v19va@rpi.edu> <1992Nov20.150734.16979@progress.com>
- Sender: netnews@porthos.cc.bellcore.com (USENET System Software)
- Lines: 28
-
- In article <1992Nov20.150734.16979@progress.com> gerard@progress.COM (Gerard Bras) writes:
- >floydb@rpi.edu writes:
- >
- >>Is the pencil zinc considered a 'consumable' then? Is there a suitable
- >>replacement material that would not corrode at all or as much?
- >
- >Yes. You *want* the zinc to be consumed. The alternative is for other,
- >more imoportant parts to be damaged. The zincs are what's called
- >a "sacrificial" anode. Materials that corrode less work less.
- >
- >>My knowledge of electrical systems is limited to house wiring and
- >>electronics, by I would guess the combination of saltwater and
- >>electricity is causing corrosion, correct? Why is this important
- >>to the working engine?
-
- Having your aluminum (name your favorite engine part) literally disappear can
- ruin your day big time!
- >
- >Nope. The combination of an electrolyte (seawater) and dissimilar metals
- >(the heat exchanger and engine) causes electricity. This in turns causes
- >elecrolysis to waste the anode.
- Uh, you almost forgot that the dissimlar metals need to be electrically connected
- to each other to complete the electrolysis circuit. This is quite often the case
- in most vessels.
- --
- Jack (John) Adams | Bellcore NVC 2Z-220
- (908) 758-5372 {Voice} | (908) 758-4389 {Facsimile}
- jadams@vixen.bellcore.com | kahuna@attmail.com
-