Nickel wire meshes

The cathode is manganese dioxide (Mn02) mixed with carbon and a binder pressed onto nickel wire mesh grid. The anode is a sheet of lithium metal. The electrolyte is a mixture of propylene carbonate, 1,2 dimethoxyethane, and lithium trifluoromethane sulphonate. These layers are wound in a jelly-roll with a polypropylene separator and placed in a stainless steel container. 

Replacement of pure nickel wire mesh metal hydride electrode substrates with copper and nickel-plated steel on expanded metal and perforated sheet... 

Nickel — (Ni, atomic number 28) is a silvery white metal that melts at 1455 °C. It is hard, malleable, ductile, and ferromagnetic. Nickel is available in many forms including foil, powder, flakes, sheet, wire, mesh, spheres, and rods. Nickel electrodes find extensive use in rechargeable alkaline batteries such as Ni-Zn, Ni-Cd and -> Ni-MH batteries [i]. In these applications, the (simplified) reaction taking place at the Ni electrode is ... 

Woven media can be called woven wire, woven fabric, wire mesh, wire cloth etc. Precision woven wire cloth is a versatile, wear-resistant filter medium which has been widely used for many years and is available in a large variety of weaves made from many metals. The most frequently used metal is stainless steel, in either type 304 or type 316. The basic difference between the two types is the addition of molybdenum to the type 316 for increased corrosion resistance. Both are otherwise 18-8 alloys, i.e. 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Acmally type 304 is 18-20% chromium and type 316 is 16-18% chromium. 

The simplest action for a lesser voltage drop seems to be reducing of the electrode distance. However, this needs additional precautions. First of all, an improved precision of the electrolyzer components is indispensable, otherwise membrane crushing is to be expected. Furthermore, the necessity of hydrophilic membrane surfaces was discussed in section Technical Structure of Membranes for Qilor-Alkali Electrolysis. The ultimate possibility of minor electrode distance is zero gap, i.e., both electrodes are in contact with the membrane. Actual constmctions of this principle use an elastic element of fine, interwoven nickel wire for current feeding on the cathode side which presses the cathode (fine mesh) and the membrane onto the anode (e.g., [11]). 

One of the first comparative studies of the DMTM process at pressures above 100 atm in an empty copper reactor (Appendix I) and in the presence of catalysts (Cu, Ag, nickel—chromium steel, glass) was performed in [87]. A comparison of the results revealed no fundamental differences, although the authors pointed to a poor reproducibility of the experimental data, with the scatter in the yield reaching 50% even under similar conditions. As another possible reason for this, the authors mentioned the fact that the reactor walls are made of copper, which can act a catalyst. In a subsequent paper [147], with a wider variety of catalysts (Cu, Ag, Zn, Ni, and Monel), the authors could only state that nickel is more effective compared to other tested catalysts and that massive catalysts are more efficient than wire meshes. The latter, most likely, just demonstrates that the methanol yield increases with decreasing catalyst surface. 

There are several types of mesh available, and these are identified by mesh thickness, density, wire diameter and weave pattern. Table 4-9 identifies most of the commercial material now available. The knitted pads are available in any material that can be formed into the necessary weaves, this includes stainless steels, monel, nickel, copper, aluminum, carbon steel, tantalum, Hastelloy, Saran, polyethylene, fluoropolymer, and glass multi-filament. 

Membrane and diaphragm cells use punched plate, expanded mesh, or woven wire cathodes of nickel, nickel-plated steel, or stainless steel. In most modern membrane cells, some type of activated or catalytic cathode is used. 

---