Explosion bonding of bipolar electrode backplates

Claim 1

A method for mechanically and electrically connecting the anode and cathode backplates of a bipolar electrode comprising the steps of: placing a spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor in a spaced relation of at least 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) from an anode backplate made of a valve metal and parallel thereto; placing a layer of detonating explosive having a detonation velocity of less than 120 percent of the sonic velocity of the metal having the highest sonic velocity in the system, on the outside surface of one of the metal layers; initiating the explosive so that detonation is propagated parallel to the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor such that the pressure on collision of the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor with the anode backplate is greater than the elastic limit of the metal having the lowest elastic limit in the system; and connecting the cathode backplate having a metallic makeup selected from the group of iron, mild steel, stainless steel or nickel to the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor such that about 10 percent of the total area of the anode backplate or the cathode backplate is bonded to the strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide the current conducting properties while the remaining area is an air space between the strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide a means for the hydrogen to vent before it attacks the anode backplate.

Claim 2

A method for mechanically and electrically connecting the anode and cathode backplates of a bipolar electrode comprising the steps of: placing a spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor in a spaced relation of at least 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) from an anode backplate made of a valve metal and parallel thereto; placing a layer of detonating explosive having a detonation velocity of less than 120 percent of the sonic velocity of the metal having the highest sonic velocity in the system, on the outside surface of one of the metal layers; initiating the explosive so that detonation is propagated parallel to the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor such that the pressure on collision of the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor with the anode backplate is greater than the elastic limit of the metal having the lowest elastic limit in the system; and connecting the cathode backplate having a metallic makeup selected from the group of iron, mild steel, stainless steel or nickel to the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor such that about 10 percent of the total area of the anode backplate or the cathode backplate is bonded to the strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide the current conducting properties while the remaining area is an air space between the strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide a means for the hydrogen to vent before it attacks the anode backplate.

Claim 5

A method for mechanically and electrically connecting the anode and cathode backplates of a bipolar electrode comprising the steps of: placing a spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor in a spaced relation of at least 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) from an anode backplate made of a valve metal and parallel thereto; placing the cathode backplate having a metallic makeup selected from the group of iron, mild steel, stainless steel or nickel, on top of the spaced series of solid copper electrical conductor in a spaced relation of at least 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) from the solid copper electrical conductor and parallel thereto such that a sandwich of the spaced series of solid copper electrical conductor between the two backplates is formed having about 10 percent of the total area of the anode backplate or the cathode backplate in contact with the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide the current conducting properties while the remaining area is an air space between the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide a means for the hydrogen to vent before it attacks the anode backplate; placing a layer of detonating explosive having a detonation velocity of less than 120 percent of the sonic velocity of the metal having the highest sonic velocity in the system, on the outside surface of one of the backplates; sealing the entire sandwich structure in a box such that the sandwich structure may be submerged in water; and initiating the explosive to that detonation is propagated parallel to the spaced series of solid copper electrical conductor such that the pressure on collision of the three components of the sandwich exceeds the elastic limit of two of the metallic substances having the lowest elastic limit in the system to form a permanent bond.

Claim 6

A method for mechanically and electrically connecting the anode and cathode backplates of a bipolar electrode comprising the steps of: placing a spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor in a spaced relation of at least 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) from an anode backplate made of a valve metal and parallel thereto; placing the cathode backplate having a metallic makeup selected from the group of iron, mild steel, stainless steel or nickel, on top of the spaced series of solid copper electrical conductor in a spaced relation of at least 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) from the solid copper electrical conductor and parallel thereto such that a sandwich of the spaced series of solid copper electrical conductor between the two backplates is formed having about 10 percent of the total area of the anode backplate or the cathode backplate in contact with the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide the current conducting properties while the remaining area is an air space between the spaced series of strips of solid copper electrical conductor to provide a means for the hydrogen to vent before it attacks the anode backplate; placing a layer of detonating explosive having a detonation velocity of less than 120 percent of the sonic velocity of the metal having the highest sonic velocity in the system, on the outside surface of one of the backplates; sealing the entire sandwich structure in a box such that the sandwich structure may be submerged in water; and initiating the explosive to that detonation is propagated parallel to the spaced series of solid copper electrical conductor such that the pressure on collision of the three components of the sandwich exceeds the elastic limit of two of the metallic substances having the lowest elastic limit in the system to form a permanent bond.