Recent developments in Ebonex(R) electrodes: Cable electrodes

Ebonex (R) ceramic materials(#) have been known to electrochemists and engineers for well over a decade. In spite of the obvious advantages of the material as an electrode substrate in aqueous electrolytes, very few commercial applications have been realised other than at small commercial scale. Properties such as superior corrosion resistance compared with other well known electrode systems in aggressive media, and conductivity in the same range as carbon systems, all point to a material technology that has much to offer. So why has Ebonex (R) remained a 'Cinderella' instead of developing into a technology of proven utility in Electrochemistry? This paper considers some of the problems experienced in commercialising electrode systems based on Ebonex (R) ceramics, and reviews the development of a new class of products based on the marriage of Ebonex (R) particulates and cable manufacturing technology. This work, being jointly undertaken in the UK by Electrochemical Design Associates Inc (EDA) and BICC Cables plc, in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth, is now at a stage where proof of concept has been demonstrated and we are confident that successful price-performance characteristics can be engineered by the programme. The table below compares predicted performance for cathodic protection.