Zinc alloy sacrificial anodes are used for the cathodic protection of metal components in media such as seawater, brackish water, and soil with temperatures below 50°C and resistivity less than 15 Ω·m. The applications of zinc alloy sacrificial anodes include ships, port facilities, marine engineering, buried metal pipelines, storage tanks, seawater cooling systems, and other steel structures requiring cathodic protection. Zinc alloy sacrificial anodes exhibit good self-corrosion properties, low current efficiency, and excellent self-regulating performance of anode current output. They are used for the cathodic protection of metals against corrosion in ships, mechanical equipment, marine engineering, seaport facilities in seawater and freshwater environments, as well as pipelines, cables, and other facilities in low-resistivity soil.

Zinc has a density of 7.14 g/cm3, an open-circuit potential of -1.03 V, and a current efficiency greater than 65% in soil with ΔE = 0.2 V. It is typically used in water with resistivity less than 500 Ω·m and can also be employed in soil with resistivity less than 15 Ω·m. High-purity zinc is often used to manufacture extruded ribbon anodes or serve as fixed reference electrodes and grounding cells. Zinc can also be made into bracelet-type anodes, primarily used for underwater and subsea pipelines. One type is fabricated into blocks and welded onto steel supports to form a circular shape, while another is directly made into semi-circular rings that clamp onto the pipeline.

Zinc ribbon without backfill is used for zinc grounding cells. Special applications include zinc grounding cells, reference electrodes, grounding cells, and protection against AC interference. Aluminum has a density of 2.7 g/cm3, an open-circuit potential of approximately -1.05 V, and a current efficiency greater than 70%. It is typically used in environments with resistivity less than 150 Ω·m. Aluminum anodes are generally not used in soil.