Graphite anode disolving

There are different grades of Graphite which may have a bearing on yours dissolving so quickly. Did you have rods or plates? How thick were they? What percentage of graphite was it? Did you have your Neg. & Pos. cables connected properly from your charger to the piece being cleaned?
Information will be vital to help you come to a conclusion.
 
I bought a bar (10"x1.25"x3/8") from a hobbyist at a flea market. He said it was 99% pure.

The bar has now thinned by 1/16" in some places. Electrodes were correct. Red on the anodes, black on the cast iron.

I just got 4 plates off of ebay that I placed in my tank with a waffle base, so I can see if anything happens to these.

If you put a very pure graphite bar/plate/rod under running water does it seem to dissolve? When I took that bar out of the tank and washed it off to get a better look, it seemed like it would slowly dissolve if I kept it under running water.

Thanks,
Mark
 
The whole purpose of cleaning with a sacrificial element is to giving up something to get the results you're trying to obtain. Thus....you are dissolving the graphite in order to clean your cast iron. The measurements you gave would be o.k. if you had several (4+) distributed in your tank. I have 4 in my tank but they are much wider than what yours are (12"x4"x3/8"), and I get really good results. The graphite will bleed over time and usage thus you will see the results when you run water over them when rinsing (normal thing) and they will continue to do so. You may also from time to time check the tightness of the connections to the plate where you have made the tap for connecting your leads. I use stainless steel hardware on mine which is re-usable when replacing the graphite plates. You will need to replace your water solution when the water gets so dark that you can hardly see the piece you are cleaning...again normal dissolving of the graphite.
Hope this has been helpful.....
 
The info is helpful. Thanks

The 4 new plates are similar in size to yours. They were $7 bucks apiece. Is that the going rate? I'm going to keep my eye open for extra sheets now that I know they will need to be replaced in time.


I'll buy some stainless steel hardware when I replace the connections. I just grabbed what I could find in my hardware box to give the plates a try.

My solution is almost pure black now that I've done about 15 pieces in it. I was holding off until I get a bigger tank. The high waffle bases that I need to clean are a bit too big for the bucket I'm presently using.
 
Price seems somewhat acceptable. Think I paid a little less for mine but it was back last fall.
Couple more things....1) If you run your charger at a higher rate (above 10Amps) your plates will dissolve at a higher rate.
2) If you anticipate not using your e-tank for an extended period of time it is best that you empty the solution and not let them just set there and soak which will also shorten their life.
 
My graphite anodes do eventually dissolve over time. I can probably clean 30-40 skillets on a pair (I use 2 connected with a "jumper" cable). I never change my solution, even when it turns black and has crud floating on top. I stir it every couple of days, add water that was lost to evaporation, occasionally may add a little more washing soda after a couple of weeks in operation, and the tank keeps cleaning every bit as good as the first day it had fresh water. When my anodes dissolve too far to use, I will usually change the solution. When I dump the tank, I find a lot of black sludge settled in the bottom. My plates are 12" x 12" x roughly 3/4" thick, although the thickness isn't solid-it is about 3/8" solid with hundreds of round 3/8" projections that resemble cleats on the old turf shoes from the 80's.
 
i was wondering the same thing. I bought 4 from ebay 1/4x4x12" Graphite plates. been running pretty much 24/7since the middle of February and this is whats left of 2. I thought they would last longer. on the good side no more cleaning lawnmower blades. where does every one else buy plates from.
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KevM said:
i was wondering the same thing. I bought 4 from ebay 1/4x4x12" Graphite plates. been running pretty much 24/7since the middle of February and this is whats left of 2. I thought they would last longer. on the good side no more cleaning lawnmower blades. where does every one else buy plates from.
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Click to expand...

Given they've been in use 24/7 for 2 months that doesn't seem too bad. If I were you I'd flip the next set top to bottom every couple of weeks to ensure even wear. You'll probably come close to doubling their service life.
 
KevM said:
i was wondering the same thing. I bought 4 from ebay 1/4x4x12" Graphite plates. been running pretty much 24/7since the middle of February and this is whats left of 2. I thought they would last longer. on the good side no more cleaning lawnmower blades. where does every one else buy plates from.
Image
Click to expand...

I think we may have bought from the same eBay seller. Were they listed at $7.50 each? Seller something like creeklady and sent from Missouri?
 
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