Corrosion, coating and batteries investigations

Citation

(1999), "Corrosion, coating and batteries investigations", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 46 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.1999.12846ead.018

Corrosion, coating and batteries investigations

Keywords Solartron, Electrochemistry, Software

Solartron has launched an eight-channel computer-controlled multiplexer that claims to increase through-put in a wide variety of electrochemical experiments. Designated the 1281, this new instrument enables automated monitoring of up to eight different test cells with a single high performance laboratory potentiostat/galvanostat. In Solartron's opinion the multiplexer's "potentiostat-per-channel" architecture makes it ideal for investigations into corrosion, battery and coating performance, and advanced sensor development.

The Solartron 1281 provides a high accuracy switched ten-pole connection between eight individual electrochemical cells and a laboratory potentiostat/galvanostat, such as the Solartron 1285. The multplexer's AC and DC pass-through performance of laboratory instrumentation, facilitating investigations involving polarisation sweeps, cyclic voltammetry and impedance analysis.

Unlike conventional signal scanning systems which disconnect stimulus and measurement between channels, the 1281's (local) potentiostat-per-channel architecture reportedly holds the potential on each channel while the measurement sequence progresses, ensuring that the cells remain polarised during the experiment.

This allows the 1281 to hold independent - and different - polarisations on seven channels while the main potentiostat is running, say, a Tafel plot on the eighth. Each independent potentiostat offers 16-bit programming resolution over a ±7.799V range and has current-carrying capabilities suitable for use with larger electrodes: a stacking option is available enabling the parallel analysis of 16, 24 or 32 cells.

Signal cables from the cell to the multiplexer are independently shielded, allowing use with, for example, the Solartron 1287's high-accuracy four-terminal "driven-shield" connections. According to Solartron, this connection technology allows the 1287 to offer outstanding measurement precision, resolution and stability, enabling detailed studies into corrosion inhibitor performance. Each 1281 multiplexer channel is fully floating, enabling high resolution switched measurements both in the field - on grounded structures such as storage tanks and pipelines - and in the laboratory, when using say, autoclaves, which are grounded for safety reasons.

Stand-alone set-up and monitoring of experiments are said to be simplified by the MuxIT software supplied with the 1281. Optionally available is the Scanner software which adds multi-cell capabilities to Solartron's CorrWare, the de facto standard for DC electrochemistry experiment management. Windows-based CorrWare simplifies experiment management and provides full data analysis and display, including powerful curve fitting facilities.

Details available from Solartron Ltd. Tel: +44 (0)1252 376666; Fax: +44 (0)1252 543854; E-mail: ptaylor@solartron.com Web site: www.solartron.com