Detonationology
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Making Platinum Electrodes
For several months now, I have been quite interested in making a chlorate and perchlorate cell; however, I have been deterred by the cost of platinum
and platinum elecroplated electrodes. What is the most viable route to electroplating platinum onto copper or titanium strips? What Pt salt is most
accessible, lowest cost and yields the most metallic platinum?
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MrHomeScientist
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I think hexachloroplatinic acid is the go to candidate for this sort of reaction, if I remember right. Your answers may lie somewhere in the
Technochemistry subforum!
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jock88
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By the time you purchase enough Pt salts to make the anode (and probably not succeed in making the thing anyways) you will have a Pt anode purchased.
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szuko03
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It just seems that with perchlorate being so cheap its almost not worth it. I understand that simply obtaining something is why people do things but
Platinum is pricey and not something I would want to buy to experiment with I mean not until I have done the same types of experiments with less
costly materials.
Also if someone can get precious metal salt that yields a greater monetary value of its elemental form after extracting at a consumer level I want to
be the first to know please 
Chemistry is a natural drive, not an interest.
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phlogiston
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It is not straightforward to get a good plating. Someones struggles with this have been documented on this forum before IIRC.
Furthermore, you will need an excess of the solution to make a plating bath large enough to submerge your anode and avoid depleting it too rapidly
while plating (you'll want the composition of the bath to remain more or less constant).
If you are just after the (per)chlorate as cheaply as possible, don't take this route. The amount of money you will spend setting up and perfecting
the process will afford you several ready-made anodes.
Its a nice challenge though.
-----
"If a rocket goes up, who cares where it comes down, that's not my concern said Wernher von Braun" - Tom Lehrer |
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papaya
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It's also should be possible to make "clad" Pt anodes, if you own some length of Pt wire (from some type of thermocouples). Pt is soft so it'll be
possible to hammer the wire into some kind of foil and then everything is clear I think. One trouble will be Pt's high resistiance, but this one could
overcome with shorter pieces of wire all connected to a common joint.
[Edited on 5-5-2015 by papaya]
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Detonationology
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It is certainly a costly gamble to attempt to make my own electrodes, indeed. I want to be able to make my own KP without having to rely on online
pyro suppliers, but I suppose that the best bet would be to keep my eyes out for a decently priced anode on ebay (unless someone can inform me of a
more economical and reputable source).
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jock88
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An old Pt crucible is the way to go for a serious anode imo.
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=5050&a...
post of 30/12/11
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hyfalcon
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Paint and bake your Pt salts onto your titanium substrate and add some Ru salts in along with it.
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Detonationology
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How thick must the Pt plate layer be in order to be effective? What is the approximate minimum amount of Pt needed per square inch in order to have a
decent anode that isn't going to smudge off after 1 use?
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hyfalcon
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Read grasshopper:
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=9783
[Edited on 6-5-2015 by hyfalcon]
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