Iron Foam Electrode (Porous Fe Substrate)

Iron foam is a porous, open-cell iron-based scaffold used as a conductive substrate for porous-electrode concepts, materials screening, and specialised electrochemical prototyping. The 3D pore network enables electrolyte permeation and provides continuous conduction pathways, allowing researchers to deposit or infiltrate active materials across a high-accessibility architecture.

Material behaviour and practical considerations

Iron is mechanically robust and widely relevant for fundamental and applied research, but it can be reactive depending on pH, dissolved oxygen, complexing species, and applied potentials. As a result, iron foam is often chosen when iron-based surface chemistry is part of the hypothesis (e.g., studying oxide formation, deposition behaviour, or iron-containing catalyst concepts), or when researchers want a cost-effective porous metal scaffold for early-stage design iteration.

Key attributes include:

• 3D porous geometry for thick or structured electrode builds
• Good mechanical integrity for cutting, handling, and clamping
• Scaffold for coatings (slurry infiltration, electrodeposition, thin films)

To improve reproducibility, standardise surface pre-treatment (cleaning, oxide conditioning), wetting time, and clamp geometry. Where corrosion is expected, consider electrolyte and potential limits and document conditioning steps carefully.

Compatibility and integration

Iron foam can be used with potentiostats/galvanostats for CV, CA/CP, and EIS, and installed in standard electrochemical cells, flow-through designs, and prototype fixtures. Defining the active area and maintaining consistent contact pressure are important for meaningful comparisons.

Typical applications

• Materials research and screening where Fe surfaces are relevant
• Porous current-collector concepts for structured electrodes
• Deposition/corrosion studies and porous-interface investigations
• Early-stage prototypes for flow-through electrochemical designs
  
  

Why choose ScienceGears

ScienceGears supports selection, cut-to-size supply, and integration advice with electrochemical cells and instrumentation for reliable AU/NZ lab deployment.