In many cases non-zinc anodes outperform actual zinc anodes, depending upon the type of metal you need to protect and the nature of the water in which the metal being protected is immersed. It all has to do with the voltage of the anode when referenced against a standard.
Chemical engineers use their knowledge of chemistry, physics, engineering and biology to find solutions to challenges involving things like materials manufacturing and food processing.
Chemical engineers will apply chemistry knowledge to the process of converting chemicals or raw materials into viable products for human use. They run large scale chemical reactions, and focus on processes to get molecules to react with one another at scale and with a desired process yield.