Electrolysing Sodium Chloride: Silver vs Graphite

[Fezziwig]

If I was to electrolyse a hot sodium chloride solution I'm pretty sure a copper electrode would react to make copper chloride. Whereas I would have used graphite electrodes if the solution was cold, this reaction should produce sodium chlorate which can obviously be quite reactive with organic compounds. The only other thing I have in the house is some spare silver. It's no platinum but it is more inert than copper. Would silver or graphite be safe, or should I only attempt this with platinum?

 

[Borek]

Silver is not that noble, especially in the chlorides solution it can be relatively easy oxidized to AgCl.

 

[eigenperson]

What are you actually trying to do here?

Neither the oxygen gas nor sodium chlorate in aqueous solution, even at 100 degrees, should start a fire with your graphite electrode. Graphite requires very high temperatures to ignite.