Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.35, No.4, 1316-1321, 1996
In-Situ Electrode Formation in a Swiss Roll Reactor
The Swiss roll electrochemical reactor design, which is comprised of concentric spiral electrode coils, has a superior electrode packing density and reaction capacity in comparison with more conventional designs. Because platinized-titanium surfaces are mechanically unstable at low platinum loadings, use of the Swiss roll design with such electrodes requires in situ electrodeposition of platinum onto the titanium surfaces after fabrication. Methodology is described to examine the resultant Pt distribution across the width and along the length of expanded Ti mesh after in situ electrodeposition. Four major control variables, i.e., total electroplating charge, plating current density, number of pulses used to deliver the charge, and first coil to receive a current pulse, explain 86% of the experimental variance in a linear effects model. Resulting Pt distribution, when normalized for the extent of platinization, is surprisingly uniform on the entire extent of the electrode coils. The major discrepancies from uniform deposition occurred on the Ti electrode coil which acted as the counter electrode during the first electrodeposition, indicating a surface modification which affects the electrodeposition process.