Electrical Resistivity of Possible Plate Materials

Here are a few possible metals I have heard used or questioned for use as Cell Plates:

Copper, Cu
ohm-cm 0.00000170
ohm-cir-mil/ft 10.2
ohm-in 6.69e-7
ohm-m 1.70e-8
ohm-mm²/m 0.0170

Gold, Au
ohm-cm 0.00000220
ohm-cir-mil/ft 13.2
ohm-in 8.66e-7
ohm-m 2.20e-8
ohm-mm²/m 0.0220

Silver, Ag
ohm-cm 0.00000155
ohm-cir-mil/ft 9.32
ohm-in 6.10e-7
ohm-m 1.55e-8
ohm-mm²/m 0.0155

Platinum, Pt
ohm-cm 0.0000106
ohm-cir-mil/ft 63.8
ohm-in 0.00000417
ohm-m 1.06e-7
ohm-mm²/m 0.106

Nickel, Ni
ohm-cm 0.00000640
ohm-cir-mil/ft 38.5
ohm-in 0.00000252
ohm-m 6.40e-8
ohm-mm²/m 0.0640

Nickel 200
ohm-cm 0.00000960
ohm-cir-mil/ft 57.7
ohm-in 0.00000378
ohm-m 9.60e-8
ohm-mm²/m 0.0960

Tungsten, W
ohm-cm 0.00000565
ohm-cir-mil/ft 34.0
ohm-in 0.00000222
ohm-m 5.65e-8
ohm-mm²/m 0.0565

Inconel Alloy 600
ohm-cm 0.000103
ohm-cir-mil/ft 620
ohm-in 0.0000406
ohm-m 0.00000103
ohm-mm²/m 1.03

Titanium, Ti
ohm-cm 0.0000554
ohm-cir-mil/ft 333
ohm-in 0.0000218
ohm-m 5.54e-7
ohm-mm²/m 0.554


304L
ohm-cm 0.0000720
ohm-cir-mil/ft 433
ohm-in 0.0000283
ohm-m 7.20e-7
ohm-mm²/m 0.720

316 or 316L as same
ohm-cm 0.0000740
ohm-cir-mil/ft 445
ohm-in 0.0000291
ohm-m 7.40e-7
ohm-mm²/m 0.740

Extruded Graphite
ohm-cm 0.000750
ohm-cir-mil/ft 4510
ohm-in 0.000295
ohm-m 0.00000750
ohm-mm²/m 7.50


The Best currently stable conductive plastic, polyaniline, has the same conductivity as the above graphite - which are 100 time less conductive than copper!
These plastics are extremely difficult to process and am guessing cost a Lot. I understand they are commercially available from Sigma Aldrich... not checked.
Plastics that are more conductive do exist, but break down fast loosing conductivity.

There are near future plans to combine carbon nanotubes with polycarbonate to create near metal levels of conductivity by Shay Curran (associate professor of physics at University of Houston) and David Carroll (Wake Forest University). They have between them been working on projects in this field for the last decade. Lets see if they produce something soonish :)

Hope you guys find this all useful :D

Now added to the list.


Nickel 200
ohm-cm 0.00000960
ohm-cir-mil/ft 57.7
ohm-in 0.00000378
ohm-m 9.60e-8
ohm-mm²/m 0.0960


Nickel 200 makeup:
Carbon, C <= 0.15 %
Copper, Cu <= 0.25 %
Iron, Fe <= 0.40 %
Manganese, Mn <= 0.35 %
Nickel, Ni >= 99.0 %
Silicon, Si <= 0.35 %
Sulfur, S <= 0.010 %

Will try and dig up the corrosion figures for all these another time.

for me it is Tungsten - am just getting a quote for sheets of the stuff over the next few days maybe, if it checks out for corrosion resistance.

else 316 Stainless till I find out the right alloy I guess....

thanks for this, very nice list! I didn't realize that Pt was more resistant than Ni. It's also nice to have these numbers to calculate the resistance in my cell from the SS. Knowledge is power... but ignorance is bliss, thanks for making me powerful and unhappy... jerk ;)

Thanks Shane, Owen_

and good luck with your own project's too ;)