Electrolysis Electrodes: Mesh Vs. Solid

Electrolysis Electrodes: Mesh Vs. Solid

Misinformation

There is a lot of misinformation in the ionized water industry regarding the relative merits of solid vs. mesh electrolysis electrodes. Images of corroded or calcified mesh electrodes, as well as misleading information about the superiority of solid plates, can be seen on the websites of many Enagic distributors. Many claim that solid electrodes are more durable, have greater longevity, and simply last longer. It is often falsely claimed that solid electrodesare stronger and can withstand the high power needed to â€œionize waterâ€; whereas, the â€œflimsyâ€ â€˜meshâ€™ electrodes quickly degrade: a solid piece of metal can withstand more than a flimsychain-link fence (although the Enagic solid electrodes are only about the thickness of a credit cart, which one could also say is â€œflimsyâ€).

Fact

In reality, a properly designed mesh electrode for electrolysis of water may not only last longer, but it is well known in other industries to be the most effective. Indeed, mass production of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, generation of chlorine/hypochlorous acid, as well as the production of sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide,all use and focus on a mesh type design. The reason is because a mesh design is far more efficient with lower resistivity (less heat resulting in less degradation)compared to solid electrodes. (*see references at end of article).

The textbelow is from a scientific article (Sullivan, J. et al.)showing that you will get a higher current density (at the same applied voltage) with mesh plates compared to other types:

Further, as solid electrodes have no way to organize or channel the current being delivered, solid electrodes have an inconsistent saturation of electrons. Electrons move across the solid electrode finding the path of the least resistance. Generally, this would result in an inconsistent delivery of power and less efficient and effective electrolysis results. This concept is especially crucial to redox potential performance.

Mesh electrodes force the current to be organized by providing more â€œchannelingâ€ to direct the electron flow. The applied current or power very evenly saturates the mesh-electrode, which increases the amount of surface area that is receiving the electrical current that is used for electrolysis.

Another scientific article (Zang, Y. et al.Penn State University) states:

Mesh cathodesâ€¦provide a higher surface area material than flat plate electrodesâ€¦Cyclic voltammetry tests showed that the electrochemically active surface area of [mesh] could be three times larger than a flat sheet.

Here aresome more scientific articlesunrelated to the alkaline water ionizers that also demonstratethe superiority of mesh over solid electrodes:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319910023712

http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan/publications/2010-Rader%26Logan-IJHE.pdf

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319910017039

The following graph validates the ability of mesh electrodes to achieve target current densities at lower applied voltages, therefore demonstrating their higher efficiency compared to solid electrodes:

Patents on mesh electrode design

Here are just a few patents that all use the mesh design for electrolysis outside the alkaline water ionizer industry because mesh is more efficient:

http://www.google.com/patents/US20130146474

http://www.google.tl/patents/WO2004079051A1?cl=en

http://www.google.com.ar/patents/US20040108222

http://www.google.com/patents/CA1220761A1?cl=un

The Enagic unit is still obviously effective with the solid electrodes, but the truth is, solid is not necessarily a better design. Of course, compared to a poorly-designed mesh it could be. Perhaps the real reason that Enagic doesnâ€™t use mesh plates is because mesh electrodes for water ionizers is a patented technology, and therefore Enagic would infringe on that technology if they tried to use it.

Corrosion/degradation of electrodes

Finally, pictures of corroded and calcified mesh electrodes can be widely seen on the internet, decrying the inferiority of the mesh electrode design. The following is a typical example:

But in fact, images such as these only demonstrate what happens when ionizers are not properly maintained or do not employ anti-scaling technology, resulting inelectrode calcification (limescale). The â€œsludgeâ€ buildup causes the plates to heat up, eventually debonding the platinum coating. Any electrode design, regardless of whether it is solid or mesh, is susceptible to this phenomenon if not properly maintained. The following pictures are from an actual SD501 with solid plates, showing both calcification (left) as well as exposed titanium (right):

Therefore, both solid and mesh electrodes are vulnerable to the same degradation, especially if there is no anti-scaling system to prevent calcium buildup.

In light of this information, it can be seen that there is no inherent inferiority with a mesh-type electrolysis electrode, and the evidence shows that mesh electrodes are widely used throughout various industries utilizing electrolytic processes. As is the case with any technology, either electrode design (solid or mesh), if poorly designedor improperly maintained, can result in the production of lower quality/therapeutic water.

*The following are some references which mention the use of mesh electrodes in industrial applications:

Stainless Steel Mesh used in the Photo-catalytic & Solar Production of Hydrogen Gas:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319914018874

http://www.imaps.org/abstracts/system/new/abstract_preview.asp?abstract=2014imaps063

Nickel Mesh used for Oxygen Production:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00614373

Titanium Mesh used for Chlorine/Hypochlorous Acid Production:

http://www.severntrentdenora.com/Products-and-Services/Seawater-Electrochlorination-Systems/SANILEC/750_0040.pdf

Stainless Steel Mesh for the Production of Sodium Hydroxide:

http://worldofchemicalsmedia.blogspot.com/2013/12/6-methods-used-in-sodium-hydroxide.html

Titanium Mesh used in the Production of Hydrogen Peroxide:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013468607004811

In addition to the use of traditional mesh designs, other technologies, which are not flat, include gauze, mesoporous, and nano-tube configurations, which attest to the fact that â€œsolid electrodesâ€ are not some novel superior design:

Platinum Gauze:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac00284a079

Mesoporous:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp808175d

Nano-tube:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319910002375

Articles