electrodes in plate form can be electrocatalytically coated and secured to a current distributor , such as by welding to a base plate , and may be serviceable , e . g ., as anodes , in cells electrolyzing brine . recoating of plate electrodes can require removal from the cell , removal of old coating , application of fresh coating , then returning and securing the freshly coated electrodes to the cell . there is now provided a covering innovation for the original electrode plates . in the covering innovation , the original plates do not need to be separated from a base member of the cell . in the method of covering , there is utilized an outer envelope member , tightly engaging the original plate electrode . the envelopes can have an electrocatalytic coating on their outer surfaces . the resulting electrodes are thus a combination of an old inner plate and a new outer envelope , with an outer surface coating on the envelope . the envelopes can be secured to the inner plate and / or to a current distributor such as a base plate .