What occurs during the cathodic protection process at the cathode?

During the cathodic protection process, the focus is on protecting a metal structure from corrosion. When a structure acts as a cathode, reduction reactions occur, which are essential to the cathodic protection principle. This involves the gain of electrons by the metal, which effectively reduces the metal's susceptibility to corrosion.

In practical terms, the application of a cathodic protection system results in the reduction of metal cations to their elemental form at the cathode, thereby preventing the dissolution of the metal and inhibiting anodic reactions where metal loss would normally occur.

Other processes that involve oxidation, such as those that typically occur at an anode, are not desirable in this context, as they lead to the deterioration of the structure. Similarly, corrosion and forms of localized corrosion like pitting are adverse outcomes that cathodic protection seeks to prevent. Thus, understanding that reduction processes are occurring at the cathode is crucial for comprehending how cathodic protection effectively extends the life of metal structures in corrosive environments.