Electrode arrangement for the electrochemical analysis of electrolytic components of a liquid

A method for the electrochemical analysis of a species of ions in a sample liquid comprising providing an electrode arrangement having

• a base body made of an insulating material and
• a removable closure part which, together with the base body, forms a closed hollow chamber,
• a measurement electrode and a reference electrode held on the base body,
• said measurement electrode and said reference electrode having wettable surfaces towards said closed hollow chamber,
• said reference electrode comprising an electron-conducting lead-off contact element and a reference electrolyte containing a species of ions which makes a reversible electrochemical reaction with the lead-off contact element to provide a reference potential independent of the liquid to be analyzed,
• said closed hollow chamber containing a liquid preconditioning electrolyte prepacked by the manufacturer in phase boundary contact with said measurement electrode and said reference electrode and containing the species of ions to be analyzed and the species of ions which makes a reversible electrochemical reaction with the lead-off contact element of the reference electrode,
• said phase boundary contact of said reference electrode and said preconditioning electrolyte being such that nonspecific exchange of ions between said reference electrolyte of the reference electrode and said preconditioning electrolyte in said closed hollow chamber is possible,
• maintaining said boundary contact of said preconditioning electrolyte with said measurement electrode and said reference electrode from prepacking by the manufacturer to removal of said preconditioning electrolyte before an analytical measurement,
• removing said preconditioning electrolyte from said hollow chamber before an analytical measurement,
• bringing said sample liquid into phase boundary contact with said measurement electrode and said reference electrode, and
• measuring the voltage between said measurement electrode and said reference electrode.