Anode for cathodic protection and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

It is described a metal anode for cathodic protection in form of mesh ribbon having meshes whose holes are of rhomboidal shape, characterised by having such holes of rhomboidal shape arranged with the major diagonal oriented along the direction of the ribbon length and by the fact that the side edges along the ribbon length are free from cutting protrusions. It is also described a method for obtaining such anode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing an anode for cathodic protection comprising:
 running a metal ribbon through an expanding device equipped with at least one row of knives of a first predetermined length arranged parallel to the direction of the ribbon displacement;   expanding the metal ribbon by means of pressing and punching action of the at least one row of knives; and   forming lateral edge profiles of the expanded metal ribbon by means of pressing and punching action of a last row of knives having blades of a second predetermined length higher than the first length.   
     
     
         2 . A method of manufacturing an anode for cathodic protection in form of expanded metal ribbon with rhomboidal meshes free of longitudinally-extending solid sections, wherein the rhomboidal meshes are geometrically arranged with the major diagonal parallel to the direction of the ribbon length, comprising:
 running a metal ribbon through an expanding device equipped with at least one row of knives of a first predetermined length arranged parallel to the direction of the ribbon displacement;   expanding the metal ribbon by means of pressing and punching action of the at least one row of knives; and   forming lateral edge profiles of the expanded metal ribbon by means of pressing and punching action of a last row of knives having blades of a second predetermined length higher than the first length.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the lateral edge profiles along the length of the ribbon are free of discontinuities. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the metal is titanium. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the metal is coated with a catalytic layer. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the catalytic layer comprises noble metals or oxides thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A cathodic protection system comprising at least one anode obtained by the method according to  claim 2  embedded in a cementitious structure equipped with metal reinforcement bars. 
     
     
         8 . A method for cathodic protection of a reinforced concrete structure comprising applying an anodic potential to the anodes of the cathodic protection system of  claim 7 .