Simple Simon wrote:


Your understanding of electrical current is truly lacking.

The positive pole of a battery is where electrons congregate.
*** False factoid 1 ***
Electrons will follow a circuit to the ground side of the battery
*** False factoid 2 ***
and
they will do work to get there. They will light a bulb, run a radio,
or turn a windlass.

Electrons have a NEGATIVE charge.
If you make the steel hull the
positive pole the hull will have a net NEGATIVE charge.
*** False factoid 3 ***
Any metal
with a negative charge will draw positive ions to it and will build
up and not waste away. It will take metal from any source and
actually plate it to the hull. This is how zinc plating of an anchor
or chain works, btw.

Therefore, sacrificial zincs aren't needed. The hull remains healthy
and expense of wiring is reduced.

I hope this helps.

S.Simon - electrically neutral

So let us consider current flow in seawater.

The majority current carriers are probably Na+ ions and Cl- ions.
There will also be some H+ and OH- ions.

The negative ions are attracted to the positive electrode (Anode)
The positive ions are attracted to the negative electrode (Cathode)

Now lets consider what happens when they get there.

The Na+ accepts an electron from the Cathode and is reduced to monatomic
metalic sodium. This immediatly reacts with a water molecule to form
NaOH, caustic soda (paint stripper) and monatomic hydogen. the monatomic
hydrogen is an extremely powerful reducing agent and does a great job of
removing any rust on the Cathode. (Google for "electrolytic rust
removal"). H+ ions reduce directly to monatomic hydrogen. (of course the
hydrogen cant stay monatomic for long and if there is nothing to reduce
soon pair up to form bubbles of H2 gas

The Cl- ion looses an electron to the Anode forming monatomic chlorine,
which is extremely reactive and corrosive and will attack all metals
coatings and other materials commonly used in marine applications with the
exceptions of PTFE, chlorinated rubber paint, titanium and lead. The OH-
ion looses an electron to form a hydroxyl radical which is an extremely
powerful oxidiser. You might as well immerse your boat in hydrogen
peroxide.

P.S. electrons flow out of the negative battery terminal to the Cathode in
the seawater. They flow through the water as part of ions and into the
Anode, from there they continue round the circuit and back into the
positive battery terminal to complete the circuit.

For anyone who is still unclear, Take two large clean plain iron or steel
nails or bolts, two wires, a drinking glass full of water, a battery of 6
or 12v, and a heaped teaspoon of common salt. Add the salt to the water
and stir till dissolved. Twist the wires round one end of each nail or
bolt and prop them vertically in the glass. they mustent touch and the
wires should not be in the water. Now connect the battery and you can
watch the positive nail or bolt rust before your very eyes.

Warning, do this outside as some chlorine gas may be produced and dispose
of the residuse safely. If the bolts were cadmium or zinc plated, treat it
as toxic waste. I did say to use ordinary iron or steel, not plated or
stainless.


SO THERE SIMPLE SIMON TROLL - BUSTED AGAIN
You couldnt be less electrically neutral if they hooked you up to old
smokey.

Bye for now, I've got bigger fish to fry now the fire is nice and hot.

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
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[dot]=.
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'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed, All varnished hot moulded
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