ELECTRODE COATINGS CONTAINING NANOMATERIALS OR MICROFIBERS

1 . An apparatus comprising:

an electrode having a core substrate wherein the electrode is in an aqueous solution and producing a product via an electrochemical process; and

a coating layer on the substrate, wherein the coating layer includes nanomaterial.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the core substrate includes titanium.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrode is a gas-evolving electrode.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a gas-evolving electrode.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the nanomaterial includes glass microfibers.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nanomaterial includes glass microfibers.

7 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the nanomaterial includes glass microfibers.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution includes sodium chloride or potassium chloride.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the nanomaterial includes glass microfibers.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer includes one or more precious metal oxides of ruthenium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, platinum, and palladium.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the coating layer further includes oxides of one or more of titanium, tantalum, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, lanthanides, actinides, and tin.

12 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the coating layer includes one or more precious metal oxides of ruthenium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, platinum, and palladium.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the coating layer further includes oxides of one or more of titanium, tantalum, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, lanthanides, actinides, and tin.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the microfibers have a thickness or diameter of less than about 1 micron and a length of at least 10 times the thickness or diameter.

15 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the microfibers have a thickness or diameter of less than about 1 micron and a length of at least 10 times the thickness or diameter.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer includes an amount of nanomaterial of from between about 2% to about 20% dry weight of the coating.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer includes an amount of glass microfibers of from between about 2% to about 20% dry weight of the coating.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nanomaterial includes nanoparticles.

19 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the nanomaterial includes nanoparticles.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical process is a chlor-alkali membrane-cell process or diaphragm-cell process.

21 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrochemical process is a chlor-alkali membrane-cell process or diaphragm-cell process.

22 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode and aqueous solution produce a salt.

23 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrode and aqueous solution produce a salt.

24 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrode and aqueous solution produce sodium hypochlorite.

25 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the electrode and aqueous solution produce sodium hypochlorite.

26 . An apparatus comprising:

an electrode having a core substrate wherein the electrode is in an aqueous solution and producing a product via an electrochemical process; and

a coating layer on the substrate, wherein the coating layer includes microfibers.

27 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the microfibers include glass microfibers.

28 . The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the glass microfibers have a diameter less than 5 microns.

29 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the microfibers have a diameter less than 10 microns.