Nickel foamAnode substrate, large area sheets
An open-pore structure. Our HXP-an anode is NiFe-LDH grown directly on this substrate.
Quote this option→Nickel foam and felt substrates
Nickel foam, nickel felt, titanium felt and stainless fibre felt used on the anode side as electrodes, electrode substrates or PTLs
Porous metals for the anode side, used as the electrode itself, as a substrate to deposit catalyst on, or as a porous transport layer (PTL). We confirm dimensions and thickness and supply only the quantity you need. It is the same substrate our own anodes are grown on.
Unless you are putting the catalyst down yourself, a finished electrode suits you better than a bare substrate. The HXP-an anode is NiFe-LDH grown on this substrate, and standard-format electrodes ship in about 2 weeks. The lead time below is for sourcing the bare substrate, which is a different figure.
WaterTreatmentCirculationCell / stackDryingAnalysisCompression- HXP-an standard electrode formats
- 200 × 300 mm · 300 µm / 100 × 100 mm · 3 mm
1Understand
What this part does and what decides it
Why it matters
The substrate is the floor the catalyst sits on and, at the same time, the path that collects current and carries the evolved bubbles out. Coarse pores release gas easily but leave less surface for catalyst; fine pores add surface but trap bubbles once current density goes up, and the voltage becomes unsteady. Choosing a pore structure trades surface area against gas release.
IN OUR OWN SYSTEMS
Our HXP-an anode is NiFe-LDH grown directly on a 130 ppi class nickel foam. The active phase is grown on the substrate surface rather than painted on as particles, so the pore structure and surface condition of the substrate carry straight through into the result. That is why we read the substrate together with the synthesis process rather than as a material on its own.
Background
How foam and sintered fibre differ
They are made differently. Foam is nickel deposited onto a sponge-like skeleton, after which the template inside is burned away, so the void space runs through as one connected structure. Sintered fibre is metal fibre laid over itself and bonded only where the fibres touch, so the gaps between fibres form the path. Felt and sintered sheet are two names for the same family. That is where the uses split. Foam has coarse voids and can be had in millimetre thicknesses, so gas leaves it easily. Sintered fibre comes out thin, around 0.3 mm, and loses less thickness under compression. Fibre diameter varies by grade; on the ones we have handled it is 20 µm for the titanium felt and 22 µm for the sintered nickel fibre sheet.
- Foam
- Connected open pores; a wide thickness range and easy gas release
- Sintered fibre (felt or sheet)
- Fibre bonded at its contact points; thin, and it loses less thickness under compression
PPI and porosity are not the same number
PPI counts how many pores fall within an inch. A higher number means finer pores. Porosity is the share of the total volume that is empty space. The two measure different things, so a high PPI does not imply a low porosity. Foam is conventionally specified in PPI and sintered fibre media by porosity. That is why the table below splits into two groups with different columns, and why the two figures cannot be read side by side.
What decides the choice
Settle two things, material and structure, and the rest is a question of dimensions. Material follows from the electrolyte and the potential window. Nickel is the standard on the anode side in alkaline electrolysis, and our own anode is grown on nickel foam. Where nickel does not survive the conditions, titanium is the one to look at. Stainless arrives as large stock sheet, so it is what we use when the format has to be cut large. The sheet size is in the table. Structure follows from the use. Whether you are depositing catalyst and running it as the electrode, or setting it as a PTL that only passes gas and water, changes the void you need. Tell us which it is and we narrow it down from there.
- Nickel
- The standard in alkaline conditions; the material our HXP-an anode is grown on
- Titanium
- Electrolyte and potential conditions nickel does not survive
- Stainless
- Arrives as stock sheet, for cutting to large formats
2Choose
The options and the models we handle
What you can choose
Start here and we adjust to your conditions. We can usually source what is not listed.
Nickel feltWhen a sintered fibre structure is required
A sintered fibre structure, so compression behaviour differs from foam. We have used it as an electrode substrate ourselves. We confirm dimensions and thickness before sourcing.
Quote this option→Titanium feltElectrolyte or potential conditions where nickel does not suit
For conditions nickel does not survive. We have used it as an electrode substrate ourselves. We start from material compatibility.
Quote this option→Stainless fibre feltWhen you need large sheets
A sintered fibre sheet. It arrives as stock sheet, so it cuts to large formats. If you plan to use it as an electrode substrate, we start from compatibility with your electrolyte and potential window.
Quote this option→The table below splits into two groups: nickel foam sits in the foam group, the other three in the sintered fibre group. Everything here goes on the anode side. The carbon paper (GDL) our HXP-ca cathode uses is not on this page, so see the electrode pages if you are looking for a cathode substrate. There is no fixed range for porosity and thickness. Tell us what you need and we specify it to the manufacturer. Anything we do not hold as standard takes time to source, so tell us when you need it.
Models we supply
Foam is specified in PPI and sintered fibre media by porosity, which is why the two groups carry different columns. The stainless fibre sintered sheet comes in several grades under one name, so thickness and porosity differ by grade. We could not confirm a range from manufacturer documents that covers every grade we handle, so the table leaves the figures out and we fix the grade at order.
Foam — open pore, specified in PPI
| Model | Thickness | Size | PPI | Quote this |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HXP-an laboratory-grade substrateNickel foam | 3 mm | 99 × 99 mm | 130 | Quote this→ |
HXP-an stack-grade substrateNickel foam | 0.3 mm | 200 × 300 mm | 130 | Quote this→ |
HXS-30 stack substrateNickel foam | 5 mm | 194 × 304 mm | 120 | Quote this→ |
Sintered fibre — specified by porosity, with a choice of material
| Model | Material | Thickness | Size | Porosity | Quote this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nickel felt | Nickel | 0.3 mm | 200 × 200 mm | 70% | Quote this→ |
Titanium felt | Titanium | 0.30 mm | 440 × 580 mm | 70% | Quote this→ |
Sintered nickel fibre sheet | Nickel | 0.25 mm | 215 × 290 mm | 60% | Quote this→ |
Sintered stainless fibre sheet | Stainless | By grade, fixed at order | 1180 × 1500 mm stock sheet | By grade, fixed at order | Quote this→ |
This item is supplied without naming the manufacturer. The specification and what we have verified are set out here in full.
3Order
What to settle before a quotation
What often goes wrong
Only what has come up more than once in real enquiries.
If I order a standard format electrode, can I also evaluate the substrate itself?
A standard format suits the coating and OER performance; the conditions are fixed, so it is not the right thing for comparing substrates. If you want to vary the substrate, take the substrate rather than the electrode.
Why do custom dimensions take so long?
If it is not a size we hold, the substrate is sourced first and synthesis follows. Together we allow up to approximately two months. If timing is tight, we check first whether it can be cut from a standard size.
What we confirm before quoting
Once these are set, selection and quotation happen in one step. If they are not, we start there.
- Substrate type: nickel foam, nickel felt, titanium felt or stainless fibre felt
- Dimensions, thickness and number of pieces
- How it will be used: as the electrode, as a substrate for catalyst, or as a PTL
- Electrolyte type and temperature (for titanium felt enquiries)
Supply terms
- Supply scope
- Cutting and domestic delivery; we carry the purchase and customs
- Supply unit
- Cut to the dimensions and sheet count you need
- Porosity and thickness
- No fixed range; specified to the manufacturer per order
- Warranty
- We verify conformity to the manufacturer specification. Performance under your fabrication and operating conditions is not covered
- Basis for specifications
- Figures not in the table, fibre diameter among them, are confirmed against current manufacturer data before we order
Send us the checklist
Fill in only what you know. We ask about the rest.
Request a quote for this item