What to check first when something looks wrong with the electrodes or your test cell. The cause is usually the conditions or the assembly rather than the electrode.
- Look first atConditions and gaskets
- One at a timeChange one thing, then measure again
- When you contact usSeven conditions and photos
How to read this chapter
First timeFind the line for what you are seeing in the find-by-symptom table. If your numbers differ from the datasheet, start with the conditions.
Done this beforeGo to the section on what to send, and contact us with it ready.
On this pageFind by symptom
Find by symptom
| What you see | Suspect first | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A received electrode has creases, tears or delamination | Crushing in transit, a manufacturing defect | Do not build a cell with it; send us photos. Format and appearance defects are replaced free of charge |
| The assembled cell leaks electrolyte | A gasket out of its seat or shrunk, debris on a sealing face, a crushed edge | Take it apart, reseat the gaskets and wipe the sealing faces. If it still leaks, settle the gasket thickness again |
| Cell voltage higher than the datasheet at the same current density | Temperature not reached, a different concentration, too little settling, under-clamping, a different area basis | Match the conditions using the list in the performance chapter and measure again |
| A room-temperature measurement does not match the datasheet | Different measurement conditions | That is expected: the datasheet cell curves were taken at temperature. Compare under the same conditions |
| Current stops rising before 1.8 V | The instrument's current limit | Lower the upper voltage limit and measure |
| Values differ from the datasheet in a neutral or chloride electrolyte | Published figures are for alkaline conditions | Treat the datasheet as a reference point only |
What to send
With the following to hand, our engineer can reproduce the same conditions and work through the cause with you.
| Group | Contents |
|---|---|
| Electrode | Anode or cathode, the format and size, the catalyst if it is a cathode (Pt/C or PtRu/C), and the date received |
| Conditions | The temperature actually reached, electrolyte concentration, settling time, clamping torque, and the membrane and ionomer |
| Measurement | Measurement mode and scan rate, the area basis for current density, whether iR correction was applied, and the raw data |
| Evidence | Photos of the electrode, the gaskets and the opened cell |
What this chapter is based on
- HXP-an datasheetPDF · 4.6 MB
- HXP-ca datasheetPDF · 908 KB
- Electrode operation noteWeb
Ask the engineer who built it
If your case is not covered here, send us the operating condition and what you observed. The engineer who designed the system answers directly.