"Horse Shoe" Corrosion of Copper Alloys in Flowing Sea Water: Mechanism, and Possibility of Cathodic Protection of Condenser Tubes in Power Stations

The morphology of horse shoe corrosion of copper and copper alloys in sea water cooled condensers in power stations is presented, and the mechanism of nucleation and of development of this type of corrosion is discussed. Horse shoe corrosion is the result of the formation of an active-passive cell: the pH of the sea water is the determining factor, and development of the corrosion is strongly influenced by the local hydrodynamic conditions. The results allow the requirements for a reliable cathodic protection of the condenser tubes to be defined.