THE POTENTIAL OF FRESHLY GENERATED METAL-SURFACES DETERMINED FROM THE GUILLOTINED ELECTRODE - A NEW TECHNIQUE

A new technique is described which allows measurement of the transient electrochemical processes occurring on freshly bared metal surfaces in situ. The technique, which employs a travelling chisel to guillotine the specimen, provides a means of measuring the potential of the freshly generated electrode surface and its subsequent evolution with time, both in open circuit and under galvanostatically applied current. Data are presented for the behaviour of the guillotined aluminium electrode in neutral aqueous electrolyte solution to demonstrate the implementation of the new technique and illustrate the information it produces.