As the "heart" of the modern electrochemical industry, titanium electrodes, with their exceptional stability and catalytic activity, play an indispensable role in numerous industrial fields. However, at the end of their useful life, they become a valuable resource rich in precious metals. This article will provide an in-depth understanding of the basics of titanium electrodes, their types, and how Huatuo Precious Metals company transforms this "waste" into a valuable secondary resource.

Titanium Electrodes: The Pillar of Industrial Electrochemistry

Titanium electrodes, also known as titanium-based metal oxide-coated anodes ( DSA anodes or dimensionally stable anodes ), are based on a titanium substrate (wire, rod, tube, plate, mesh) coated with a precious metal coating, imparting excellent electrocatalytic activity and electrical conductivity.

Compared to traditional graphite and lead anodes, titanium electrodes offer several significant advantages:

• Stable electrode dimensions; the interelectrode spacing remains constant during electrolysis, ensuring stable cell voltage operation.

• Low operating voltage and low energy consumption, reducing energy consumption by approximately 20%.

•  Long service life. In the diaphragm process for chlorine production, coated titanium anodes are resistant to chlorine and alkali corrosion, with a service life of over 5-7 years.

• They overcome the dissolution issues of graphite and lead anodes, preventing contamination of the electrolyte and cathode products, and improving product quality.

• They increase current density, doubling output with the same electrolysis plant and cells.

Main Types and Applications of Titanium Electrodes

Classification by Reaction Type

Based on the gas evolution at the anode during the electrochemical reaction, titanium electrodes are primarily divided into two categories:

• Chlorine Evolution Anodes ( Ruthenium-Coated Titanium Electrodes )

They are used when the chloride ion content in the electrolyte is high, typically in hydrochloric acid environments, seawater electrolysis, and saline electrolysis. Products include ruthenium-iridium-titanium anodes and ruthenium-iridium-tin-titanium anodes. These anodes are widely used in the chlor-alkali industry.

• Oxygen Evolution Anode ( Iridium-Coated Titanium Electrode )

These are generally used when the electrolyte is sulfuric acid. Products include iridium-tantalum anodes, iridium-tantalum-tin-titanium anodes, and high-iridium-titanium anodes. In addition, there are platinum-coated anodes—they use a titanium substrate coated with platinum. The coating thickness is generally 0.5-5μm.

Classification by Application

Titanium electrodes have a wide range of applications, primarily including:

• Chlor-alkali Industry: Electrolysis of brine to produce chlor-alkali

• Environmental Treatment: Wastewater treatment, swimming pool disinfection, hospital wastewater treatment, wool spinning mill wastewater treatment, etc.

• Energy and Chemical Industry: Electrolysis of seawater to produce chlorine, sodium hypochlorite production, electrolytic synthesis of organic compounds

• Electrometallurgy and Electroplating: Electrodeposition of metals, copper recovery from etching solutions, electroplating, etc.

• Cathodic Protection: Titanium anodes for MMO cathodic protection (titanium anode strips, titanium conductive strips)

How do titanium electrodes produce titanium mesh and titanium plate waste?

Although titanium electrodes have a long lifespan, they are not designed for permanent use. Under continuous operating conditions, the precious metal coating on the titanium electrode surface gradually wears out over time. When the coating activity decreases to a certain level, the electrode can no longer meet production requirements and needs to be replaced.

The typical replacement cycle for titanium electrodes depends on the operating environment and usage conditions:

• In the chlor-alkali industry, the lifespan of titanium anodes can reach over 5-7 years.

• In the electrolysis of brine to produce sodium chlorate, the service life can reach 6 years.

• Under normal conditions, titanium anodes can provide stable operation for over 4,000 hours, with some even lasting 5,000-15,000 hours.

When a titanium electrode reaches the end of its service life, the titanium substrate itself typically remains intact due to its excellent corrosion resistance. These replaced titanium electrodes (including titanium mesh, titanium plates, and other forms) become valuable titanium electrode scrap.

Notably, the value of a used titanium electrode lies not only in the titanium substrate itself, but also in the precious metal coating remaining on its surface. This coating contains rare and precious metals such as iridium, ruthenium, and platinum, which can be recycled and reused.

Huatuo's Titanium Electrode Scrap Recycling Strategy

As a professional rare and precious metal recycling company, Atop Rare and Precious Metal Materials Technology Co., Ltd. is actively engaged in the recycling and resource utilization of titanium electrode scrap. We promote the recycling of titanium electrodes through the following strategies:

Professional Identification and Sorting Capabilities

Our dedicated technical team can accurately identify different types of titanium electrode scrap, including:

• Ruthenium-coated titanium electrodes (chlorine anodes)

•  Iridium-coated titanium electrodes (oxygen anodes)

• Platinum-coated titanium electrodes

We utilize different recycling processes for different types of titanium electrodes to maximize the extraction of precious metals.

Efficient Recycling Process

For the recycling of titanium and titanium alloy scrap, the industry has established established processing methods, including pre-treatment steps such as shot blasting, pickling, and drying. We continuously optimize our recycling processes to ensure:

• High recovery rates: Maximum extraction of the titanium substrate and precious metal coating

• Environmentally friendly processing: The entire process complies with environmental standards and avoids secondary pollution

• Resource maximization: The titanium substrate can be reused repeatedly, aligning with the principles of a circular economy

Global Recycling of Titanium Electrode Scrap - Huatuo Precious Metal

We have established a global recycling network for titanium electrode scrap and forged long-term, stable partnerships with numerous electrochemical companies and scrap metal recyclers, ensuring the timely and efficient recycling of these valuable secondary resources.

Currently, our company has branches in Hong Kong, Italy, India, Indonesia, the United States, Canada, and Argentina, efficiently recycling titanium electrode scrap.

As a crucial foundation of the modern electrochemical industry, the recycling of titanium electrodes after disposal not only holds significant economic value but is also a crucial component of sustainable resource utilization. Through professional recycling, we not only recover valuable rare and precious metals but also reduce our reliance on primary minerals, contributing to the development of a circular economy.

As a professional player in this field, Huatuo Precious Metals Company will continue to be committed to the innovation and promotion of titanium electrode waste recycling technology, and work with global partners to promote the recycling of resources and contribute to sustainable development.