Nace CP 1, Course Manual

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Introduction 1
CP 1 – Cathodic Protection Tester Course Manual
©
NACE International, 2000
07/01/04
Introduction
The Course
Corrosion is one of the most important problems
encountered by the owners and operators of underground,
offshore, submerged and other metallic structures exposed
to an electrolyte. If corrosion is not controlled, it can lead
to large costs in repairs or facility replacement. Even
greater costs can be incurred from environmental damage,
injuries and fatalities.
Corrosion control personnel must have a good basic
understanding of corrosion mechanisms. They also need to
know the various conditions under which corrosion can
occur on underground facilities.
In this course, we will focus on the control of metallic
corrosion by applying cathodic protection. This course was
developed for cathodic protection field technicians,
although this knowledge is also needed by corrosion
engineering personnel.
Corrosion prevention can be better understood after
acquiring a good understanding of corrosion itself.
Corrosion is defined as the deterioration of a substance or
its properties as a result of an undesirable reaction with the
environment. This includes metals, plastics, wood,
concrete, and virtually all other materials. Current
estimates show that the cost of corrosion in the U.S.
exceeds $500 billion per year amounting to more than
$2,000 per person.
There are several forms of corrosion, such as erosion,
fretting, nuclear, high temperature, and electrochemical. In
this course we will study electrochemical corrosion
because it is the most common form of corrosion that you
will encounter.