Lightning protection systems shall work correctly for many years. Therefore it is essential to assure the immutability of their components under different environments and extreme conditions.
End of the 18th Century. Discovery of the electrical nature of lightning and the possibility of avoiding its damages by giving the lightning current a path to ground. This led to the installation of air terminals, down-conductors and earthing on the highest and most important existing buildings, thus avoiding many of the personal and economical damages caused by fires and breaks due to lightning.
The air terminal protects a recovery plant of ethyl acetate, a flammable and volatile material that can become explosive.
The copper coating must be maintained after driving the rod into the ground, protecting the electrode against corrosion
