Method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conducting particles

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support;
• wherein said particle contacting surface is an inner surface of a rotating generally funnel-shaped element, and the particles are caused to move upwards along the surface through a centrifugal force.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support;
• wherein said particle contacting surface is an upper surface of a rotating generally disk-shaped element, and the particles are caused to move outwards along the surface through a centrifugal force.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a gravitational force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support;
• wherein said particles have an average diameter, and said bed has an upper surface spaced a distance from the anode which distance is between about 1 to 50 times the average diameter of the particles.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support;
• wherein said bed has an upper surface spaced a distance from the anode which distance is between about 1 and 15 mm.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support;
• wherein said particle contacting surface has a roughness parameter of between about 0 and 10.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode, wherein the force has a direction and the particle contacting surface is at an angle between about 15 and 85° relative to the direction of the force;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support;
• wherein said particles have an average diameter, and said bed has an upper surface spaced a distance from the anode which distance is between about 1 to 50 times the average diameter of the particles;
• and
• wherein said particle contacting surface has a roughness parameter of between about 0 and 10.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode, wherein the particle contacting surface is at an angle between about 5 and 75° relative to horizontal;
• avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• a step for allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode, wherein the force has a direction and the particle contacting surface is at an angle between about 15 and 85° relative to the direction of the force;
• a step for avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• a step for providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support.

A method of electrodepositing metal on electrically conductive particles, comprising:

• a step for allowing a force to cause a bed of electrically conductive particles to flow across a particle contacting surface of a cathode support spaced from an anode, wherein the particle contacting surface is at an angle between about 5 and 75° relative to horizontal;
• a step for avoiding sustained contact between the particles and the anode without use of a separator;
• and
• a step for providing an electrical current between the bed of particles and the anode, thereby electrodepositing metal on said electrically conductive particles as they flow across the particle contacting surface of the cathode support.