Metal finishing Q&As since 1989
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Putting a voltage on a fishing lure by using dissimilar metals
Q. Is it possible to have one metal attached to another with a non-conductive plastic and both immersed in salt water and have the voltage between the two dissimilar metals be
+0.65 volts?
product designer, hobbyist - Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
September 28, 2017
A. Hi Richard. Certainly if you put two dissimilar metals into a conductive solution with no metallic connection between them, you have built a battery, and if you pick the right metals you can get about 0.65 V.
Of course, we can't tell you whether whether this will accomplish whatever it is you have in mind. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 2017
Q. My problem is that I can't find the metals that would give a positive 0.65 volts between them. I want to make a fishing lure in which the lure is the anode and a stainless steel hook is attached to the lure by a short piece of plastic. Any ideas?
Richard Baerg [returning]- Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
September 28, 2017
A. Hi. You need to consult the galvanic series (electrochemical series) and see if anything lines up close enough to 0.65 V for whatever your need is. Aluminum, zinc, or magnesium might do it -- but for the second time, you are keeping it so abstract that no one can know if 0.66 or 0.64 would be unsatisfactory, or 0.50 or 0.99 would be fine. And as long as there is no metallic connection, there is no current flow, so neither one is an anode or a cathode anyway. Best of luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 2017
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