The properties of electroactive ruthenium oxide coatings supported by titanium-based ternary carbides

Electroactive oxide coatings on titanium, known in industrial chlorine production as dimensionally stable anodes (DSA), are of limited service life owing to the dissolution of active oxide, but also due to low corrosion stability of titanium, at high anodic potentials and elevated temperatures. In order to improve the anode stability, ternary carbide, Ti₃SiC₂, could be a promising material for the coating support, since chemical corrosion stability of Ti₃SiC₂ is significantly higher if compared to Ti. In this work, the possibility of the sol-gel preparation of RuO₂-TiO₂ coating on Ti₃SiC₂ is investigated and comparison of the basic characteristics of sol-gel processed oxide coating, Ru_0.5Ti_0.5O₂, applied onto Ti₃SiC₂ and Ti, is reported. Microscopic investigation of the coating surface showed that considerably less cracked coating is formed onto the Ti₃SiC₂ support. Slightly higher voltammetric currents are registered for Ti₃SiC₂-supported coating in H₂SO₄ and NaCl solution. The activity for chlorine evolution is higher, while the currents of oxygen evolution reaction are lower for Ru_0.5Ti_0.5O₂/Ti₃SiC₂ anode in comparison to Ru_0.5Ti_0.5O₂/Ti anode. Even though these preliminary results on the basic electrochemical properties of Ru_0.5Ti_0.5O₂/Ti₃SiC₂ anode and chemical stability of Ti₃SiC₂ are promising, the accelerated stability test in NaCl solution showed that coated Ti₃SiC₂ is not anodically stable and lasts considerably shorter than Ru_0.5Ti_0.5O₂/Ti anode prepared and tested under the same conditions.