Laserred's MMO anode.

[TheGandalf]

Hello.

I purchased a MMO anode, from laserred's eBay acc.

 

"MMO coatedexpanded titanium mesh anode"

Coating: Iridium/Ruthenium Oxide

 

Does anyone have Experience with this anode? Wich materiel is best for cathode?

 

I wan't to make some Chlorate!!!

 

Could i use Stainless steel, or titanium?

 

Greetings

Morten // TheGandalf

Edited July 28, 2016 by TheGandalf

[WindowLicka]

I bought one of them too. I've yet to use it though. I asked the same question (kinda) and was tols that I could use Stainless Steel for the cathode.

Did you buy just the mesh or was it mounted (welded) to a titanium rod? I just bought the mesh and dont have any titanium rods laying around so I've yet to make any chlorate with mine yet.

Plus chlorate is what? $8 a pound? So much easier to buy it and save the MMO mesh and the cell for a later date when the powers that be place chlorate on the unobtainable list. The day will come even though it's so necessary for fireworks. Nothing hard about requiring licensed pyrotechnicians to show credentials and their license to get whatever chemical they decide to restrict from the hobby community.

 

But as for your question...... I'm probably not the best person to give advice you dig...

​

 

[TheGandalf]

Hmm... I bought The mesh too!

 

Could i just put The wires directly on The anode, and cathode? Instead of The ti rods?

[Arthur]

Titanium is resistant to the chemicals in use, most other metals are not.

[Mumbles]

I would not use stainless in a chlorate cell. Most of the reports of using stainless cathodes, bowls, trays, mesh, etc. are not all that promising. Take a look for yourself.

 

http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/1629-making-potassium-per-chlorate/page-1

 

The thread that the above links to search results from may be intimidating, but well worth a read. Blog posts by WSM and Swede are also invaluable. Take some time and go through them. You'll learn everything you need to about setting up a cell, and some troubleshooting you may go through.

 

Edit: Apparently the link to the search page didn't work. If you click on the link, there should be a search bar in the top right that has a button that says "this topic". Just type stainless in, and you should find about 188 hits as individual replies.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Mumbles

[TomasBrod]

I got the exact one going to setup cell in next few days. I will use a hacksaw to cut the mesh because it is way too large. Would be OK only for a bucket cell lol. I will try to nut and bolt a wire directly to a not-submerged part of the electrode and insulate it with a lacquer or asphalt. This is experiment, will see how it works.

WSM, memo, Kevin and other members are doing this electrolysis and produced a lot of valuable information in active making potassium (per) chlorate thread. It starts in a funny way, then I skipped 200 pages and then there WSM describes his setup and operation.

article article

While reading various forums it seems to me that laserred is a single hero selling those anodes for us amateurs. Matchstick found a source/manufacturer of mmo, but the discussion ceased two years.

[taiwanluthiers]

MMO I believe is used in saltwater chlorination setup. It turns saltwater into chlorine so that you don't need to add pool tablets, but rather just add pool salt to the water and the chlorinator does the rest.

 

The MMO anode will make chlorate reliably, with a computer power supply, and is next to foolproof. If you use potassium salt it will make potassium chlorate which will drop out of the solution immediately, and you can just keep removing the crystal and adding more salt. I ended up getting many kilos of the stuff this way.

[schroedinger]

Use titanium for cathode. It just keeps out so many problems. Also you don't need to add any chromatekto the cell, which is a plus. Alsoit ladt forever.

 

If you don't have a strap welded to it, you can place the anode so that it extend through the lid. You need to need to make sure none of the produced chlorine touches the leads. Coppper wil, be gone in less then a day.

[WSM]

Hello. I purchased a MMO anode, from laserred's eBay acc.

"MMO coatedexpanded titanium mesh anode"

Coating: Iridium/Ruthenium Oxide

(1) Does anyone have Experience with this anode? Wich materiel is best for cathode?

I wan't to make some Chlorate!!!

(2) Could i use Stainless steel, or titanium?

Greetings Morten // TheGandalf

 

You've take the first step on an interesting journey. First I'll quickly answer your two main questions:

 

1) Yes, lots of us here have experience with laserred's material (my current research is using his MMO to make sodium chlorate from sodium chloride salt)

2) Either can work, but the best (cleanest) cathode to use is CP titanium. CP means commercially pure, and has very few alloying metals in it (it's typically more than 99% pure titanium). Any CP grade should be fine for a cathode plate.

 

If you use stainless steel, we suspect you'll be adding unwanted metal ions to your chlorate (like nickel, chromium, iron and/or others). Titanium doesn't do that (it's known as a "valve metal" and is one of the best things to use in a harsh, marine environment).

 

If you have other questions, ask. Many folks here can answer them, but ask what you really want or need to know. I don't think anyone here wants to lead someone by the hand, but we're willing to give guidance or helpful suggestions.

 

Enjoy the journey.

 

WSM

[Simoski]

Hi

 

I live in South Africa and have both MMO coated titanium mesh and platinum coated titanium mesh. There is a small anode manufacturing plant nearby - http://www.nmtelectrodes.com and thats where I get em from. I am going to sell them on eBay if anyone shows interest here. Is anyone interested in buying?