Metal Anodes

Metal anodes are consumables used in a variety of electrochemical processes such as corrosion protection (sacrificial anodes) and electroplating (plating anodes). They are usually made of aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, magnesium, titanium, zinc, or various alloy systems. Aluminum anodes and aluminum alloy anodes are lightweight, non-ferrous metal anodes with good corrosion resistance, ductility and strength. Copper anodes, brass anodes, and bronze anodes are made of non-ferrous metals that combine good corrosion resistance, ductility and strength with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. Magnesium anodes and magnesium alloy anodes have low density, good ductility, moderate strength, and good corrosion resistance. Titanium anodes and titanium alloy anodes are valued for their high strength-to-weight ratio. Zinc anodes and zinc oxide anodes are used to prevent the corrosion of iron. Metal anodes that are made of cadmium, lead, or tin are also available.

There are many different types of metal anodes. For example, sacrificial anodes and offshore sacrificial anodes are used in cathodic protection. These metal anodes are made of a metallic element or alloy which corrodes more easily than the metal to protect. The electrons that are removed from the sacrificial anode are conducted to the protected metal, which then becomes the cathode. This cathode is protected from oxidation because reduction (rather than corrosion) occurs on the protected metal’s surface. For example, when zinc and iron are kept in contact and in the presence of oxygen and water, the zinc loses electrons to the iron. Without this zinc sacrificial anode, the reduction of oxygen to hydroxide would occur on the iron’s surface instead of on the metal anode.

Sacrificial anodes are used in vessels, pipelines, marine, and naval applications. These metal anodes are also used to protect the voids in the glass linings of mild-steel hot-water tanks. In addition, sacrificial anodes are used to prevent corrosion in the lock gates of canals and other waterways. Plating anodes, as their name suggests, are used mainly in plating and electroplating applications. Other types of metal anodes are used in membrane cells, mercury cells, diaphragm cells, perchlorate cells, and sodium chlorate cells. Typically, plating anodes and electroplating anodes are made of brass, bronze, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, tin or zinc. Alloys for these metal anodes include cadmium-tin, copper-tin, copper-zinc, tin-lead, tin-zinc, zinc-aluminum, zinc-magnesium, and zinc-nickel.

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Part Numbers for Metal Anodes