Platinum and Platinum-Plated Anodes

Platinum is an excellent material for sacrificial anodes due to its remarkable conductivity and resistance to corrosion. However, its high cost makes it impractical for direct use in most industrial applications. Instead, platinum is often plated onto other metals such as titanium, niobium, and tantalum, allowing the benefits of platinum without the prohibitive cost.

Platinum-Plated Anodes in Industry

Platinum-plated anodes have been used in the industry since 1922, initially in the electrochemical sector. Early applications used platinum-plated tantalum and tungsten substrates, and later, platinum-plated titanium became more common due to its superior cost-effectiveness and performance.

• Platinized Niobium and Tantalum 

Niobium and tantalum are commonly used as substrates for platinum plating. The platinum layer allows for the excellent electrical properties of platinum while reducing the amount of precious metal used. In the past, platinum-plated tantalum anodes were prevalent, but their high cost limited widespread adoption compared to platinum-plated titanium. Nonetheless, tantalum offers advantages in terms of electrical conductivity and extremely high breakdown voltage.

• Platinized Titanium

Titanium, although highly reactive, can form a protective oxide film in the presence of chlorine-containing solutions. This oxide layer increases in thickness within a certain voltage range, but if it breaks down, pitting corrosion can occur. Titanium’s high resistivity due to this oxide layer makes it unsuitable for use as an anode material by itself. However, when titanium is plated with platinum, the platinum layer shields the titanium and ensures optimal performance by preventing oxide formation. The exposed titanium beneath the platinum coating is effectively protected.

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