MMO anodes from china?

[RuthlessIridium]

Hi everyone

 

I recently bought a couple MMO electrodes from a trust worthy supplier but who's quite expensive.

 

I've read up a little bit on MMO anodes and I decided to design my own and find a supplier on alibaba who can manufacture them.

 

So far I've contacted more than 8 manufacturers and I've settled on two who seem pretty legit and reliable.

 

The issue I'm facing rn is that the prices they quoted me are quite different, one is 45% more expensive than the other, and honestly I dont know who to go with.

 

The anodes I want to order are 24x8cm and the MMO coating has the following requirements : 12g/m², 50% Ruthenium 50% Iridium. Mesh is 3x6mm grade 1 Titanium.

 

Im hoping I could find someone here who had a similar experience maybe ? Or at least any helpful tips on how I can make a good decision.

 

Thank y'all very much.

[Arthur]

Unless your electrochemistry experience is extreme then you will change your design often as you make tests and changes to the cell.

 

SO FAR I'm not finding any learned writings on the subject in Institute journals or papers. Remember that big production costs lots of electricity and much current produces serious heat especially when conducted down titanium conductors. NO-ONE is going to make you a specially coated electrode to your specification unless you want ton quantities regularly.

 

There definitely is a supplier of suitable MMO in the USA and one in the UK and one in France who supply moderate quantity orders. Getting known and trusted on here will open more contacts. Remember that MMO makes chlorate but NOT perchlorate.

[RuthlessIridium]

Very interesting indeed, I've went through the works of WSM and Swede, an absolute treasure for (per)chlorates synthesis, but I'm really wondering on what kind of changes (to the cell) would those be ? MMO anodes aren't cheap of course, and with the set I currently operate and the designs I've made based on them, I'm not expecting too many hurdles or serious road blocks to come up, even if they do I can make them work.

 

For electricity it's the least of my worries, the molecules I'm synthesizing are worth 1000x whatever the electricity would cost, the issue of heating is definitely something I will take into consideration, but everything has a solution.

The "no one makes specially coated electrodes unless in bulk orders" is exactly what I'm worried about, I simply dont know whether I can trust the suppliers to actually make up a custom concoction of precious metal salts just to coat my couple orders, or if there is actually a supplier I can count on.

Is there anyway I could get the contacts of the UK supplier for the MMO anodes ?

[Arthur]

Remember that titanium is a poor conductor of electricity (about 4% of the conductivity of copper) so you will need fat conductors to get the current into the electrode (4mm DIA struggles with 20 A) seek 6mm or bigger connectors, and expect the terminals to the wires to be big, expensive and possibly custom. It's no good getting the lead in hangers so hot that the solution evaporates.

[RuthlessIridium]

4% ! Dang that sucks

The connectors are 12mm dia 40mm long (~effective length) Ti rods, not very long, I'm expecting to put in about 96 amps of current shared by 2 anodes and 3 cathodes.

 

The connections to the electrodes themselves will be made with a couple flattened copper pipes with holes stacked up for each pole.

 

I'm also considering adding some sort of cooling element into the cell, something that recirculates water inside of it, not sure of it's necessity tho.

 

Good thing is that I haven't finalized any order just yet, I can make as many mods as I need to.

[6afraidof7]

I have no experience with overseas anodes, but I have had Teflon plating / injection molding / assembly pricing from overseas with that much pricing difference from multiple manufacturers. From what I have dealt with, there is a difference in quality, competence and capabilities related to cost.