SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 27 February 2019
STP160920170230

Electrochemical Measurements in Thin Electrolyte Layers Using Sintered Silver/Silver Chloride Electrodes

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There remains a need to be able to make electrochemical measurements in thin films in a way that allows accurate assessment of the electrochemical kinetics. Methods used to date suffer from uneven current distribution and can cause modifications of the thin electrolyte, both of which can affect the kinetics measured. The present work investigates the use of commercially available sintered silver/silver chloride (SSSC) electrodes as combined reference electrodes/counter electrodes to allow electrochemical measurements in thin electrolyte films. A range of working electrode type, electrolyte geometry, and electrolyte compositions were studied. Where possible, direct comparisons were made between results using the SSSC and a standard three-electrode arrangement. In all cases, the SSSC results well reproduced those obtained with the conventional arrangement. In addition, a range of electrochemical measurements in thin films, including during ASTM B117, Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus, salt spray testing, were conducted and demonstrated the utility of this arrangement. Limitations of the use of SSSC electrodes are also discussed, including the fact that currents above 1 mA led to polarization of the SSSC electrode of approximately 20 mV. Although this paper focused on one particular cell configuration, the concept of combined reference electrodes/counter electrodes can be extended to different configurations requiring measurements of corrosion behavior either through continuous electrochemical impedance spectroscopy/linear polarization resistance monitoring or polarization scans.

Author Information

Khullar, Piyush
Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, US
Kelly, Robert, G.
Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, US
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Details
Developed by Committee: G01
Pages: 294–322
DOI: 10.1520/STP160920170230
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7664-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7663-8