A galvanic path needs metals, electrical contact and an electrolyte
- Galvanic corrosionThis term
The two metals share an electrical path and electrolyte. Their pairing, areas and actual exposure influence the corrosion mechanism.
- Galvanic series / galvanic couple
A series describes behaviour in a stated environment; a couple is the actual connected metal pair. Do not transfer one ranking to every exposure.
- Electrical isolation
The separating layer interrupts the illustrated conductive route. Review required bonding and safety connections for the complete assembly.
- Electrical conductivity / resistivity
Bulk conductivity and resistivity describe the material under stated conditions. Conductor length and area also affect the resistance.
A dissimilar-metal connection and a wet conductive path can form a corrosion cell. Breaking the intended electrical path is a separate design decision from choosing the metal or coating.
Conceptual electrical and corrosion paths. No universal galvanic ranking, corrosion rate or protective-earth arrangement is specified.