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title: WHY YOU NEED MARINE ZINCS

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# WHY YOU NEED MARINE ZINCS

Zinc anodes, also known as sacrificial anodes, are essential for ship management. Because zinc was the first metal used for this function, the name "zincs" has really become linked to sacrificial anodes.

 Different elements, such aluminium and magnesium, can also be used as anodes.
 
Sacrificial anodes are made of a low-cost metal which would degrade in instead of your boat's or vessel's more pricey machine components, such as the shaft, **[max prop propeller](https://www.usazincs.com/store/Max-Prop-Anodes/)**, rudders, stern drive, and other critical pieces. The notion is that the anode metal is so much more "heroic" and will "surrender" itself to degrade first, helping to keep your metal parts corrosion-free while submerged for lengthy stretches of time.

For this reason, using **[marine zincs ](https://www.usazincs.com/store/home.php)** is quite beneficial. 

**Why do people prefer zinc anodes over other anodes?**

When a ship is stationed or anchored in saltwater for extended durations, no other metal compares to zinc as a sacrificial anode.

Zinc anodes are superior over other metallic materials at leaching off coating accumulation and releasing newer zinc alloy to the water, permitting the anode to remain electrochemically active indefinitely. The spent metal in aluminium anodes can coat over and produce a crust/barrier, that will pacify the anode without this amazing ability to leach off accumulated coat. 
![](https://i.imgur.com/zB8DFGb.jpg)


The older the ship rests, the more likely the anode will passivate.

Whenever a ship is sailing, the rushing water movement produces an electrical current, which places a strain on anodes, causing them to reactivate. Regardless of the metal type, piercing through the water removes the oxide deposit from the anode.

Both zinc and aluminium anodes will function if a ship is used in seawater on a constant schedule. Zinc anodes are however the best option if you're going to be in saltwater for an extended amount of time.

**HOW MARINE ZINCS WORK **
A power supply is created when two distinct metals are directly or electrically linked and immersed in water. A small quantity of current will pass in both the two metals.
One of the metals provides the electrons that makes up the current by releasing parts of it's own in the form of metallic ions into the saltwater. Corrosion is a natural process that will progressively eat away at your boat's submerged metals if left unchecked.
An aluminium propeller on a stainless steel shaft is the most typical casualty of corrosion. Other parts of a water vessel can also be affected. 
