Graphite–Cement Paste: A New Coating of Reinforced Concrete Structural Elements for the Application of Electrochemical Anti-Corrosion Treatments

Abstract

This paper reviews research carried out towards the development of a novel conductive coating for reinforced concrete structures in order to enable the application of electrochemical anti-corrosion treatments. The coating is composed of a hardened paste containing graphite powder and cement. The applied techniques were electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE), cathodic protection (CP), and cathodic prevention, as well as combined treatments such as ECE-CP. This research has demonstrated their efficiency when using the new conductive coating as an anode system. The influence of the shape of the structural elements on the performance of the electrochemical treatments was also studied. Several characteristics of the coating have been determined, such as conductivity, durability, adhesion to the concrete surfaces, and ease of application. The results demonstrate the adequacy of using this coating as the anode for anti-corrosion treatments on reinforced concrete structural elements of different shapes, for the purpose of extending service life.