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I am building a fuel cell with a carbon cloth cathode (this one specifically: 0.03 mg/cm² 20% Platinum on Vulcan - Carbon Cloth Electrode).

How can I wire this electrode with copper wire into a circuit? I was looking at silver epoxy but it seems to be either very expensive or have a relatively high resistance which is not great since the fuel cell will likely produce very little current/voltage. Please let me know if there is another way.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Clamp along one edge it between two flat metal bars. Bolt your wire to one of the bars. \$\endgroup\$
    – JRE
    Commented Apr 17, 2019 at 19:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ Or, take a look at how these folks did it. \$\endgroup\$
    – JRE
    Commented Apr 17, 2019 at 19:03

2 Answers 2

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You might try a mechanical connection if the material is strong enough. Maybe fold a piece copper foil at one end and secure it with an alligator clip.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks, would clipping the clip directly onto the cloth yield a similar result? \$\endgroup\$
    – Evan
    Commented Apr 17, 2019 at 18:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ Sure, but the alligator clips have sharp teeth that might damage the cloth. If you don't have copper foil, aluminum foil might work as we (some Al foil is plastic coated on one side), or even a pair of quarters. \$\endgroup\$
    – Robert Endl
    Commented Apr 17, 2019 at 20:14
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You can try using a conductive adhesive (e.g. silver paint) I have tried it myself. Insert your wire in and after that, paint it from both sides at both entrances on the cloth and let it dry.

I suggest:

Silver paint 503 is a flexible, high-temperature conductive material designed for a wide variety of uses, and adheres to most substrates.

Source: Electron Microscopy Sciences - Silver Conductive Adhesive 503 - product page

Also: Electron Microscopy Sciences - Silver Conductive Adhesive 503 - technical data sheet

I believe it is around 40$, but you might find it cheaper.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Anwar Elhadad - Thanks for adding some more detail to your answer. I have added "blockquote" formatting for the text you copied from elsewhere (which is the site standard formatting whe nyou copy text from elsewhere), and also added a link back to a webpage with that text, which I believe is the product manufacturer's website (and not just one of the many resellers). \$\endgroup\$
    – SamGibson ♦
    Commented Oct 5, 2021 at 0:48
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yeah, Thank you. I thought we were not allowed to link products, that is why I did not. \$\endgroup\$
    – Anwar Elhadad
    Commented Oct 6, 2021 at 12:27

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