Method of in-situ formation of a stable reference electrode for in-tank plating bath analysis
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorsBruce M. Eliash, Vilambi N. R. K. Reddy, Frank A. Ludwig, Nguyet H. Phan
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Abstract
A method of forming a reference electrode having a continuously stable reference voltage and particularly well-suited for use in an in-tank electrochemical sensor. The method utilizes an inert substrate and a counter electrode, both immersed in electroplating fluid. Current is passed between the inert substrate and the counter electrode to strip and subsequently replate the inert substrate, which then serves as the reference electrode. The steps of stripping and replating the reference electrode are periodically repeated to maintain the stability of the reference electrode voltage.
Claims10
A method for forming a reference electrode having a stable reference voltage and adapted for use in an in-tank electrochemical sensor, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one inert substrate;
- providing at least one counter electrode;
- providing a liquid containing a metal which is electroplated onto said inert substrate;
- passing a level of current between said inert substrate and said counter electrode for a time to thereby remove contaminants which are present on said inert substrate to provide a stripped inert substrate wherein said current applied to remove contaminants from said inert substrate is a current waveform with a current density of about 100 to 1000 milliamperes per square centimeter;
- and
- passing a level of current between said stripped inert substrate and said counter electrode for a time to electrodeposit a layer of said metal from said liquid onto said stripped inert substrate to form said reference electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.