Application of Taguchi method for the characterization of calcareous deposits formed by pulse cathodic protection

In this study, the Taguchi method, a powerful tool to design optimization for quality, is used to find the optimal process parameters of pulse cathodic protection system for the calcareous deposits' formation. An orthogonal array, main effect and the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio are employed to investigate the process parameters in order to achieve optimum final current density. Through this study also the main process parameters that affect the calcareous deposits' formation can be found. Experiments were carried out to confirm the effectiveness of this approach. From the results, chronoamperometric measurements have been used to evaluate the influence of pulse cathodic protection on decreasing the required cathodic current for protection and also decreasing the surface coverage. The morphology of the formed deposits has been evaluated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chemical analysis of the formed deposits has been performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that the different environmental conditions, i.e., Ca2+ concentration, Mg2+ concentration, rotation speed, and temperature significantly affect the final required current density of the pulse cathodic protection. The optimum levels of parameters at different frequencies are also presented.