METHOD FOR ELECTRODEPOSITION ON A CONDUCTIVE PARTICULATE SUBSTRATE

• US 20170241034A1
• Filed: 02/18/2015
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Dyke, Amy Elizabeth, Dunleavy, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,443,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/002 Cell separation, e.g. membranes, diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 21/10 Agitating of electrolytes; Moving of racks
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/20 of iron
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/009 Deposition of ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/006 Nanoparticles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of electrodepositing a metal on an electrically conductive particulate substrate. There is provided a method of electrodepositing a metal on an electrically conductive particulate substrate comprising the steps of: (i) providing a cathode; (ii) providing an anode formed from the metal to be electrodeposited; (iii) providing the substrate, cathode and anode within an electrodeposition bath comprising an electrolyte; and (iv) providing a voltage between said anode and cathode causing metal ions to flow from the anode to the cathode, wherein a separator is provided between the anode and the cathode.

Claims

1. A method of electrodepositing a metal on an electrically conductive particulate substrate comprising the steps of:

providing a cathode;

providing an anode formed from the metal to be electrodeposited;

locating the substrate, cathode and anode within an electrodeposition bath comprising an electrolyte; and

applying a voltage between said anode and cathode, thereby causing metal ions to flow from the anode to the cathode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a separator is provided between the anode and the cathode.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said separator is a semipermeable membrane.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said separator is an organic liquid which is immiscible with the aqueous electrolyte, said separator and aqueous electrolyte thereby forming a biphasic system comprising two immiscible liquids.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has an average longest dimension of less than 10 mm.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the substrate is a nano-scaled carbon particulate.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying agitation using at least one agitation device, thereby preventing particle agglomeration.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrodeposited metal is a ferromagnetic metal.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising using a magnetic field to capture magnetic metal coated particulate substrate from the electrodeposition bath.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the particulate substrate comprises non-electrically conductive particles coated with electrically conductive coatings.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is implemented as a batch process.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the captured substrate is an electrically conductive particulate comprising an electrodeposited metal thereon.

13. A conductive particulate substrate material comprising at least one layer of an electrodeposited metal thereon, manufactured by the method of claim 1.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is implemented as a continuous process.

14. A conductive particulate substrate material with an average largest dimension of less than 10 mm comprising at least one layer of an electrodeposited metal thereon.