ELECTRICAL POTENTIALS OF GLASS ELECTRODES IN MOLTEN SALTS

Electrical potentials across fused silica and Vycor glass tubes in molten sodium-silver nitrates were measured. The mobility ratio of sodium and silver ions in the silica glass and the distribution coefficient for these ions between the glass and melt were calculated from electrolyses of the ions into the glass. The potential of this glass electrode as calculated from equations based on the ion-exchange theory for membrane potentials agreed with the measured potential. Thus the ion-exchange theory, based on ionic mobilities and ionic preference in the bulk of the glass, was verified for glass electrodes.