Engineers, Start Your Engines... The Great Anode Race.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room...Anode amp ratings. We'll save you dusting off your copy of Peabody and revisiting the consumption rates for the different types of impressed current anode out there: 1-2 lbs per year for graphite, 1⁄2-1 lb for high silicon cast iron and negligible weight loss for discrete anodes such as mixed metal oxide. The formula is simple. It looks at what the amp rating of the anode is to keep that consumption rate in a place where one can expect the life range of 20 years. Anode manufacturers such as American Carbon Company look at the surface area of our products and calculate the maximum amp rating to achieve the expected life... But

there is a catch; that little asterisk we all know about: "20 year life rating based on covered in carbonaceous coke breeze backfill." Or in other words “perfect conditions”.

With current testing abilities, drilling equipment and the different types of backfill available, we know every engineer gets pretty close when they develop a ground-bed design. But even the best engineer can’t predict the future. Things change. Water tables rise and fall. Cables get hooked up incorrectly (hopefully not). Soil resistivity changes over time. Carbonaceous backfill gets consumed unevenly. Whatever the reason is, perfect conditions don’t often stay perfect for 20 years. When they don’t you will see premature ground bed failures.

Over the last couple years mixed metal oxide anodes have grown exponentially in popularity. They are light, easy to work with, have a high amp rating for a very low surface area and are installed rather easily. We like to call them the high-performance race car of the cathodic protection world. ACC knows MMO... we offer a high-performance

version at amcarbon.com. And whereas performance is high, don't forget what it takes to maintain a race car. Every race means more preventative maintenance...Work is needed to keep the car fast. Tires wear. It's hard on engine and drivetrain components. You burn a heck of a lot of fuel. You're constantly adjusting for changing conditions. And on top of all that you're reliant on the driver to get the most out of the car while on the track.

So why is an MMO anode like a race car? Well with its small surface area to amp rating, it's prone to overheating so you probably have to monitor that more frequently. In some instances, even water the system to keep it performing correctly. If the system runs hot, it's also burning more fuel, so you will probably get to the end of the road of your carbonaceous backfill quicker. This high performance isn’t without its costs – MMO anodes create chlorine gas (these are similar to the anodes used to create chlorine in saltwater pools), which requires a special double jacketed copper lead cable (Kynar or Halar instead of HMWPE only) and a vent pipe that has to be regularly inspected. Mixed metal oxide anodes are race cars no doubt and they perform like it, but they require the care and attention to detail not to mention perfect conditions to really perform.

So where does that leave graphite anodes? Well, if MMO anodes are racecars, graphite anodes are your reliable old Ford truck. There isn’t anything perfect about her and there doesn’t need to be; She starts right up every time...even in the cold. She takes the abuse of towing and hauling and the kids and the dogs...yep, that old truck can do it! Just don’t expect to set any land speed records As long as you stay within the recommended amp rating for American Carbon Company anodes, they are going to work, even if the conditions aren’t quite perfect. If you need a racecar, we will set one up - tailor made to your exact needs. But if you just want to get the work done without worry, maybe American Carbon graphite anodes are just about right. Either way, we've got your solution ready to go. What can we build for you?