Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Electroplating of Stainless Steel Mesh with Platinum

September 30, 2008

We are in the process of developing a cost effective method of breaking water down to its gaseous components, i.e hydrogen and oxygen.

To achieve this we have passed a water vapor through a platinum mesh screen with some success. However, the cost of the platinum screen is exorbitant and prohibits its use on an ongoing industrial production line.

The crux of the matter is to replace the platinum screen with a platinum coated screen, substrate of say stainless steel wire mesh.

Question : Can you please pass on the technical requirements and/or methods used in electroplating or chemical coating stainless steel with platinum. The coating would be .05mm. The mesh would be 80, and the wire 0.132 diam. The units to be coated would be circular at a diam of 60mm.

Rex Lowe
Partner in the new venture - Johannesburg, South Africa

Hi, Rex. Platinum clad titanium would be more common and is widely used for DSA (dimensionally stable anodes), in chlorinators and other applications. You might look into that.

As for electroplating of stainless steel with platinum, that should be fine, but you need to have a nickel strike (Wood's Nickel) on the stainless steel to gain adhesion first. You might be able to sputter (PVD) platinum onto stainless as an alternative, but someone more knowledgable in that field would need to confirm that. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 30, 2008

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Thank you Ted for your response.
We have tried to find suppliers of titanium wire mesh, with not much success. The specs would be .012 diam wire, and the mesh is 80. If you know where we could find this product, we would be grateful.

Rex Lowe
manufacturers - Johannesburg, SAfrica
October 19, 2008

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I think that Siemens (water technologies) do supply such anodes.

Saludos.

Guillermo Castorena G.
- SLP, Mexico
January 7, 2009