Eltech Systems Corporation

Diamond Shamrock Corporation

Electronor Corporation

Gerald R Pohto

John E Bennett

Thomas A Mitchell

Richard O Olson

Andrew J Niksa

Marilyn J Niksa

Thomas J Schue

Thomas R Turk

Douglas J Wheeler

Andy W Getsy

Michael Joseph Kubrin

Leslie K Lakatos

Kenneth L Hardee

Lynne M Ernes

Jeries I Bishara

Carl W Brown, Jr

Richard L Romine

Barry L Martin

Homer L Turley

Thomas F Florkiewicz

Zane A Wade

John J Jahn

H Kirk Fowler

Frank Solomon

Jean M Hinden

James R Brannan

Anthony J Vaccaro

Edward M Halko

Charles P Tomba

Robert C Sutter

Yury Genodman

Donald J Groszek

Kevin B Garland

Janet S Gregg

Lawrence J Gestaut

Daniel W Gibbons

Vaselios H Thomas

Claude M Brown

Daniel P Hagel

Michael J Kubrin

Thomas A Liederbach

Edmund L Cimino

An electrolytic cell comprising a walled enclosure including a cathode sidewall has busbar structure external to the cell. The busbar structure can include a gird bar releasably secured at the sidewall. It also may include a foraminous interface member between the gird bar and the sidewall, as well as have a small cathode busbar member on the sidewall. The small busbar member is typically located above and adjacent to the gird bar. Particularly when the gird bar and foraminous interface member are present, there can be internal support members for the cathodes directly secured to the inside face of the cathode sidewall. Furthermore, intercell connection may be handled directly to the outside face of the cathode sidewall. The overall structure can provide reduced potential for sidewall stress corrosion cracking, reduced cathode manufacturing cost, and accommodation of stress relief for the cathode weldment.

Diaphragm cell cathode structure

A compound electrode incorporating a lead substrate utilizes the lead as a support structure. This support structure provides a surface that engages a valve metal expanded metal mesh. The mesh member has a front and back surface with the back surface facing the lead support structure. At least the front surface of the mesh member is an active surface. Securing of the mesh member to the lead support structure in electrical connection permits the lead support structure to serve as a current distributor for the mesh member. The mesh member may engage the surface of the lead support structure by pressing or rolling the mesh onto the lead. Other engagement means can include the use of fasteners, or welding and the like. The resulting structure can be particularly useful as an electrode assembly for use in an electrolytic cell that serves for the electrowinning of a metal.

Lead electrode

An electrolytic cell comprising a walled enclosure including a cathode sidewall has busbar structure external to the cell. The busbar structure can include a gird bar releasably secured at the sidewall. It also may include a small cathode busbar member on the sidewall. The small busbar member is typically located above and adjacent to the gird bar. there can be internal support members for the cathodes directly secured to the inside face of the cathode sidewall. Furthermore, intercell connection may be handled directly to the outside face of the cathode sidewall. The overall structure can provide reduced potential for sidewall stress corrosion cracking, reduced cathode manufacturing cost, and accommodation of stress relief for the cathode weldment.

Diaphragm cell cathode busbar structure

This invention relates generally to an electrically conductive valve metal mesh of extreme void fraction. More particularly the invention relates in a most important aspect to an application thereof for an electrode structure in such a way as to prevent the corrosion of steel, including reinforcing steel in concrete, by cathodic protection.

Expanded titanium metal mesh

A compound electrode incorporating a lead substrate utilizes the lead as a support structure. This support structure provides a surface that engages a mesh member, e.g., a valve metal expanded metal mesh. The mesh member has a front and back surface with the back surface facing the lead support structure. At least the front surface of the mesh member is an active surface. Securing of the mesh member to the lead support structure in electrical connection permits the lead support structure to serve as a current distributor for the mesh member. The mesh member may engage the surface of the lead support structure as by pressing or rolling the mesh onto the lead. Other engagement means can include the use of fasteners, or welding and the like. The resulting structure can be particularly useful as an electrode assembly for use in an electrolytic cell that serves for the electrowinning of a metal.

A cell, particularly a membrane cell, that will generally be oriented in an at least substantially vertical positioning, is provided with an array of blade electrodes. The blade electrodes are Delta shape in cross-section, having a flat back face and forwardly sloping sides meeting at a forward edge. Such electrodes can be secured to a current distributor bar, typically on a flat front face of the bar. The forward edge of an electrode blade may be placed opposite a counter electrode of the same or different structure, with a membrane separator usually interposed therebetween. Electrical connection can be made to the electrode blades from the distributor bar, and to the distributor bar through boss electrical connectors. Baffles, which may also be secured to the distributor bar, help establish a front chamber, containing the electrode blades, in front of the baffles, and a back chamber behind the baffles. Electrolyte circulates through the front chamber and recirculates through the back chamber.

Cell with blade electrodes and recirculation chamber

A process is disclosed, as well as apparatus useful therefor, for continuously electroplating a strip of reticulated foam using multiple electroplating zones that each contain electroplating bath. In each zone there is a cathode and an anode. In at least one electroplating zone there is an insoluble anode, typically as the sole anode. In some of the electroplating zones soluble anodes may be used. As a first cathode, there can be provided a cathode roll outside of the electroplating bath. The reticulated foam is guided in the bath past the anodes, as well as past cathodes, e.g., including a cathode roll which may be positioned outside of the bath. The resulting electroplated foam emerging from the bath has an improved electroplate weight distribution and the process achieves enhanced efficiencies and economies of operation.

Continuously electroplated foam of improved weight distribution

An existing, usually used radial lead anode in an electroplating cell is machined to a specific radius. This provides a curved, machined surface for the lead anode to serve as a support structure. A thin gauge, dimensionally stable sheet anode of a multitude of side-by-side strip anodes is formed, with each strip anode being typically formed to a larger radius then the radius of the support structure. The sheet anode strips may be precurved into a series of chords. The strip anodes are flexed into place onto the surface of the lead support structure. Fastening these strips and the support structure together can be accomplished by a series of fastening means attached to the back of each strip anode, which means can project into or through holes in the lead support structure. Electrical connection can be provided, such as through the fastening means, with the lead support structure serving as a current distributor member. The lead support structure, which may be slightly soluble in cell electrolyte, is protected by the sheet anode. Moreover, the sheet anode is readily removable, such as for renovation of an active anode coating.

Anode electroplating cell and method

An anode for cathodically-protected steel-reinforced concrete is embedded in an ion-conductive overlay on the concrete structure. The anode comprises at least one sheet of highly expanded valve metal mesh having a pattern of voids defined by a network of valve metal strands connected at a multiplicity of nodes. This provides a redundancy of current-carrying paths through the mesh which ensures effective current distribution throughout the mesh even in the event of possible breakage of a number of individual strands. The surface of the valve metal mesh carries an electrochemically active coating. At least one current distribution member is welded to the valve metal mesh. The entire area of the structure to be protected, excluding non-protected openings for obstacles and the like, is covered by a single piece of the mesh, or several pieces in close proximity with one another.

Cathodic protection system for a steel-reinforced concrete structure

An electrode assembly which will find use such as in electroplating, is made from a hollow and thin walled, elongate and deflectable outer metal electrode member. This member is usually rounded, e.g., typically circular, in cross-section and has major inner and outer faces. Representative of this outer member would be a titanium tube. The electrode assembly also has a removable and elongate, inner metal electrical current distributor member. This inner current distributor member will typically be rectangular in cross-section. Representative of this inner member is a rectangular copper bar. As assembled, this typical assembly can have the edges on the outer face of the copper bar engage the inner face of the titanium tube. In putting together this particular assembly, the hollow tube is compressed, such as from circular to elliptical shape. The copper bar current distributor is inserted into this misshapen tube. When the pressure on the electrode member tube is released, the resulting spring reaction of the tube flexes it back onto the corners of the copper bar. These corners bite into the interior face of the titanium tube. This procedure is reversible when the electrode assembly is in need of refurbishing.

Tubular electrode with removable conductive core

Electrodes such as mesh electrodes can be in configurations where they are separated from electrode back pans by standoffs. The mesh electrodes are very adherently secured to the standoffs. When the electrodes are in need of repair, removal and refurbishing can be a problem. There is now disclosed a method of electrode repair which in large part retains original structure by first removing the mesh electrode and then at least substantially the top of the standoff. A replacement standoff assembly is placed against the retained portion of the original standoff and secured thereto. Refurbished or new electrode mesh can be adhered to the resulting replacement standoff. This may include welding of mesh electrode strands utilizing weld nuggets which are substantially the size of the strands. The refurbishing technique can maintain original separation distances between the back pan and the electrode. The structure provided can be in an 'as new' condition without need for repair at an off site location from where the electrode will be used.

Repair of mesh electrode spaced from electrode pan

Expanded metal mesh and anode structure

Growing community of inventors

Mentor, OH, United States of America

Gerald R Pohto