In this section:
Open Circuit Potential .............................................................. 3-1
Open Circuit Potential
The Open Circuit Potential (OCP) of an electrochemical cell is the voltage between the reference and
working electrodes. When the open circuit potential is measured, a voltmeter with high impedance is
used to measure the voltage with no current or voltage applied to the cell.
Because of its high input impedance, your galvanostat can be used to make OCP measurements
when configured for 4-wire measurements, as shown in the next figure. In this setup, the instrument is
configured to source 0 A and measure voltage.
If you measure the OCP before performing any test, you do not have to change any test leads
between measurements, because your potentiostat or galvanostat can automatically change
functions.
Figure 43: Measuring the Open Circuit Potential
To ensure proper instrument operation, the potential difference between the reference electrode
(RE) and counter electrode (CE) terminals and between the working electrode (WE) and working
electrode sense (WES) terminals should not exceed 5 V.
Section 3
Open Circuit Potential
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General
