Patent ID: 7374647

Claim:
An anode comprising a core; at least one spray coated electrically conductive layer of material on said core having a thickness of from 0.005 mm to 0.050 mm and a pore-free surface, the material of said layer being selected from the group consisting of at least one of tantalum, niobium, hafnium, zirconium and an alloy composed of any one of tantalum, niobium, hafnium and zirconium; and a second spray coated electrically conductive layer of material on said one layer having a thickness of from 0.005 mm to 0.050 mm and a pore-free surface, the material of said second layer being selected from the group consisting of at least one of platinum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, palladium, and an alloy of platinum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and palladium; and a third spray coated electrically conductive layer between said one layer and said second layer, the material of said third layer being selected from the group consisting of at least one of tantalum, niobium, hafnium, zirconium and an alloy of any one of tantalum, niobium, hafnium, zirconium.