Electrolysis
 

What would make a zinc dissolve while at sea?? We have no generator or
inverter.

Would a SSB cause it?

No other boat or land around..


Hanz

Electrolysis
 

Hanz Schmidt wrote in
:

What would make a zinc dissolve while at sea?? We have no generator or
inverter.

A zinc screwed directly to the other metal parts like your prop, forms a
shorted battery with sea water as the electrolyte. The zinc is
CONSTANTLY being eaten away as long as the boat is in its corrosive sea
water bath. At sea, away from the added marina leakages, the temperature
of the bath and varying salinity cause the rate the battery runs, eating
its zinc plate to change.

Would a SSB cause it?

No, the battery runs quite well 24/7 on its own.

No other boat or land around..

Yes, just the acid bath of sea water. It eats all metal it touches.


Hanz

Electrolysis
 

On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:51:35 -0400, Hanz Schmidt
wrote:

What would make a zinc dissolve while at sea?? We have no generator or
inverter.

Would a SSB cause it?

No other boat or land around..


Hanz



I assume you mean that the zinc is eroding too quickly. It is normal
for the zinc to erode as it protects the prop and shaft.

Operating the SSB wouldn't cause accelerated depletion of the zinc.

There are not many factors that can cause accelerated erosion of zinc
at sea. One possibility is that your battery is connected (by an
equipment short or wiring error) so as to make the zinc erode more
rapidly.

Can you provide any additional information?

Chuck

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Electrolysis
 

seawater?.... Acid?
(Seawater ph is limited to the range 7.5 to 8.4)
7.0 is nuetral. Above is Alkaline, below is Acid.



"Larry" wrote in message
...
Hanz Schmidt wrote in
:

What would make a zinc dissolve while at sea?? We have no generator or
inverter.

A zinc screwed directly to the other metal parts like your prop, forms a
shorted battery with sea water as the electrolyte. The zinc is
CONSTANTLY being eaten away as long as the boat is in its corrosive sea
water bath. At sea, away from the added marina leakages, the temperature
of the bath and varying salinity cause the rate the battery runs, eating
its zinc plate to change.

Would a SSB cause it?

No, the battery runs quite well 24/7 on its own.

No other boat or land around..

Yes, just the acid bath of sea water. It eats all metal it touches.


Hanz

Electrolysis
 

On Mar 4, 12:58*am, "BruceM" wrote:
seawater?.... Acid?
*(Seawater ph is limited to the range 7.5 to 8.4)
7.0 is nuetral. Above is Alkaline, below is Acid.

"Larry" wrote in message

...



Hanz Schmidt wrote in
:

What would make a zinc dissolve while at sea?? *We have no generator or
inverter.

A zinc screwed directly to the other metal parts like your prop, forms a
shorted battery with sea water as the electrolyte. *The zinc is
CONSTANTLY being eaten away as long as the boat is in its corrosive sea
water bath. *At sea, away from the added marina leakages, the temperature
of the bath and varying salinity cause the rate the battery runs, eating
its zinc plate to change.

Would a SSB cause it?

No, the battery runs quite well 24/7 on its own.

No other boat or land around..

Yes, just the acid bath of sea water. *It eats all metal it touches.

Hanz- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

OK; so it is an alkaline battery; as were the original Le Clanche
cells.
Also regular 'alkaline' batteries have a zinc outer casing, alkaline
contents and a positive carbon centre electrode.
On a boat you have a zinc electrode, alkaline sea water, and the other
electrode is anything metallic etc. connected inside the boat by any
means such as wiring or through equipment etc. is the other
electrode.