Zinc Verse Aluminum Anodes
Here is a comparison of Zinc verse Aluminum anodes,
We get the questions a lot , "Which is better"
Well it all depends on a lot of factors , price per pounds / Amperage/ water type. Look over the chart, and then you can compare but you need to also remember to divide the estimated life of the anode / by price
Performance - Aluminum & Zinc Anodes |
||
| SPECIFICATIONS | ZINC ANODES U.S. Military Specification MIL-A-18001 | ALUMINUM ANODES U.S. Military Specification MIL-A-24779 |
|---|---|---|
| CAPACITY, Amp hr/lb | 355 | 1225 |
|
EFFICIENCY |
95% |
94% |
| CONSUMPTION, Amp lb/yr | 24.5 Lbs | 7.6 Lbs |
| POTENTIAL reference Cu/CuSO4 | -1050mV | -1100mV |
Composition - Aluminum & Zinc Anodes |
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| COMPOSITION | ZINC ANODES U.S. Military Specification MIL-A-18001 | ALUMINUM ANODES U.S. Military Specification MIL-A-24779 |
|---|---|---|
| Cadmium | 0.025 - 0.07% | - |
| Copper | 0.005% Max. | 0.004% Max. |
| Iron | 0.005% Max. | 0.090% Max. |
| Indium | - | 0.014% - 0.020% |
| Lead | 0.006% Max. | - |
| Mercury | - | 0.001% Max. |
| Silicon | - | 0.08% - 0.20% |
| Aluminum | 0.1% - 0.5% | Remainder |
| Zinc | Remainder | 4.0% - 6.5% |
Comparison between Aluminum & Zinc Anodes |
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| ZINC ANODES U.S. Military Specification MIL-A-18001 | ALUMINUM ANODES U.S. Military Specification MIL-A-24779 | |
|---|---|---|
| 355 Amp hr/lb | 1225 Amp hr/lb | |
| This means a Zinc anode will give 1 amp for every 355 hours for every pound of Zinc | This means an Aluminum anode will give 1 amp for every 1225 hours for every pound of Aluminum | |
| Take a typical Z3 anode (weight=11 lbs), it would have a total ampere hours of 3905 | Take a typical A3 anode (weight = 5 lbs), it would have a total ampere hours of 6125 | |
| Assuming the anode performs at 0.5 amp | Assuming the anode performs at 0.5 amp | |
| This anode will last for 7810 hours | This anode will last for 12250 hours | |
| Which is 325 days or 10.5 months | Which is 510 days or 16.5 months | |