A new product has been introduced to the market by BAC Corrosion Control Ltd which helps prevent corrosion and subsequent deterioration of steel reinforced concrete structures due to the affects of corrosion of the embedded reinforcing steel.
Zinc Layer Anode (ZLA) consists of a 0.25mm thick high purity sheet of zinc foil, coated on one side with a 0.75mm thick low resistance ionic-conductive gel. The gel side of the foil is covered with a temporary non adhesive plastic liner which provides protection to the gel prior to installation.
ZLA provides galvanic cathodic protection when the zinc foil is connected to the reinforcement and the ionic-conductive gel is in contact with the concrete surface.
The product can be used as a preventative system, installed in the early life of a structure or as a remedial system for older structures suffering form deterioration due to corrosion.
ZLA is suitable for all atmospherically exposed reinforced concrete structures which are suffering from, or are susceptible to corrosion caused by chloride ingress and/or carbonation.
Advantages for the product include easy to install, is self regulating, requires no AC power for operation, is cost effective corrosion control solution compared with other current electro-chemical control methods and is proven to prevent incipient anode formation following patch repairs.