Ruthenium Palladium Oxide-Coated Titanium Anodes for Low-Current-Density Oxygen Evolution

A coating composition, ruthenium-palladium oxide, for use on titanium anodes for low-current-density oxygen evolution is presented. Coated titanium anodes hold the promise of producing higher-purity deposits with less power consumption in primary metal electrowinning, but their cost and long-term stability have limited their commercial acceptance. A coating based on stabilized with another precious metal, Pd, has been commercially demonstrated, but limited information regarding its structure, electrochemical activity, and stability has been published. In this study, the structure, properties, and stability of various compositions of coatings are reported. These coatings exhibit a compact mud-cracked surface. X-ray diffraction indicates the presence of two separate phases, and , within the coating. The electrochemical activities of the coatings are similar to , and the stability of these coatings as determined by accelerated life testing is at least four times better than .