Titanium anodes(MMO)are made by coating precious metal iridium salts on titanium substrates and sintering them at high temperatures.They are widely used in wet metallurgy industries such as electroplating(deep hole high demand electroplating of copper and electroplating of gold in the circuit board industry)and electrolysis.The preparation and application of electrodes have been quite mature,with a history of 40 years.Compared with traditional platinum plated electrodes in alkaline copper processes,titanium anodes have advantages that platinum plated electrodes cannot match:

1.Technical characteristics

High current efficiency and excellent antibacterial and corrosive properties;The electrode has a long service life;Can operate with higher current density:"10000A/M2 belongs to oxygen evolving anode based on industrial pure titanium"

2.High catalytic activity

As is well known,the platinum plated electrode is a high overpotential(1.563V,relative to mercurous sulfate)electrode,while the MMO anode is a low oxygen evolution overpotential(1.385V relative to mercurous sulfate)electrode,which is more prone to oxygen evolution in the anode oxygen evolution zone.Therefore,during electrolysis,the cell size is relatively low,which saves more electricity.This phenomenon has been clearly demonstrated in alkaline copper plated walls after copper foil post-treatment.

3.Pollution free MMO

The anode coating is a ceramic oxide of precious metal iridium,which is a relatively stable oxide that is almost insoluble in any acid or alkali.The oxide coating is about 20-40µm,and the overall oxide content of the coating is relatively small.Therefore,MMO anodes will not cause pollution to the plating solution,which is basically the same as platinum plating electrodes.

4.High cost-effectiveness

The service life of the platinum plated electrode(coating thickness of 3.5mm)has been maintained,and the price of the MMO anode is about 80%of that of the platinum plated electrode.The MMO electrode has better electrochemical stability in alkaline copper electroplating electrolyte,as well as excellent electrolytic activity and durability.From the cost analysis of our company's MMO anode and PT electrode,it is evident that MMO electrodes are cost-effective.

5.Due to the use of pulse period reversal(PPR)for copper applications in printed circuits,we know that the use of platinum titanium insoluble anodes is prohibited.Chloride in sulfuric acid electrolyte exists in this current environment,which can cause the platinum layer to peel off after a period of time.However,using size stable anodes can avoid this phenomenon and enable non dissolving anode technology to successfully achieve performance advantages in this application.

6.The anode requires minimal maintenance.No need to stop production for cleaning and replenishing anodes,replacing anode bags,and recoating anodes(increased productivity and reduced labor costs);

7.The lifespan of insoluble anodes depends on the type,operating current density,and contact with various electroplating chemicals.