Cathodic protection revisited: Impact on structural morphology sheds new light on its efficiency

Cathodic protection (CP) has been found as one of the most viable techniques for inhibiting chloride induced corrosion of steel in concrete structures. This contribution specifically pursues exploring the morphological alterations of corrosion products in reinforced mortars under cathodic protection. For this purpose, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques are combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for microstructural analysis and quantification of the corrosion products. The combined characterisation provides important insight into the structural alterations induced by cathodic protection, and therefore, help to explain the efficiency of CP techniques. Furthermore, electrochemical measurements are employed to monitor the electrochemical process at the steel–paste interfaces. The beneficial microstructural alterations result in better corrosion resistance of the protected specimens, and turn out to be the mechanisms underlying the efficiency of CP techniques.