Closed Circuit Potential (CCP)

What Does Closed Circuit Potential (CCP) Mean?

Closed circuit potential (CCP) refers to a difference that exists in electrical potential, which normally occurs between two device terminals attached to a circuit involving no external load. Closed circuit potential is the opposite of the open circuit potential.

Corrosionpedia Explains Closed Circuit Potential (CCP)

Current will only flow in a circuit. There can be multiple or continuous paths that exist to and from the electromagnetic field sources. Any interruption that exists in the circuit, such as a wiring problem, an open switch or a resistor failure can cause the current flow to stop. In such cases, the electromagnetic field can still be present, but currents and voltages surrounding the circuit will cease or change immediately.

An example of a closed circuit potential is a household battery that contains carbon zinc cells. In a closed circuit, the electrons pass through the zinc within an electrode cell, and in this process the zinc sacrifices itself. This is the same process that applies to the cathodic protection of buried or submerged steel infrastructure. The zinc forms a sacrificial anode in the closed circuit potential, therefore promoting corrosion attack at only the anode side in a closed circuit galvanic cell.