Abstract
Published thermodynamic approaches to calculate the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramic pH sensor potential are reviewed. A thermodynamic approach related to the Gibbs free energies of reactants and products is proposed to calculate the YSZ pH sensor potential, identify the YSZ pH sensors as primary pH sensors and to determine solution pH at high temperatures. YSZ thimbles have been used with a silver powder internal element prepared in the presence of dry air to generate a redox system, Ag|O2, sensitive to pH. YSZ (Ag|O2) pH sensors have been tested over a temperature range of 100 to 300 °C in lithiated boric acid solutions which are related to pressurized water reactor coolant chemistry. The test results have good agreement with the thermodynamic calculation from 100 to 300 °C. The thermodynamic calculation can be applied to a variety of YSZ pH sensor internal elements including Cu|Cu2O, Hg|HgO, Ag|Ag2O, Ag|O2, whereas earlier published calculations are not generally applicable.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D.D. Macdonald and L.B. Kriksunov, Electrochim. Acta 47 (2001) 775.
L.W. Niedrach, J. Electrochem. Soc. 127 (1980) 2122.
L.W. Niedrach and W.H. Stoddard, J. Electrochem. Soc. 131 (1984) 1017.
D.D. Macdonald, S. Hettiarachchi and S.J. Lenhart, J. Solut. Chem. 17 (1988) 719.
D.D. Macdonald, S. Hettiarachchi, S. Herking, K. Makela, R. Emerson and M. Ben-Hai, J. Solut. Chem. 21 (1992) 849.
T. Tsuruta and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electrochem. Soc. 128 (1981) 1199.
T. Tsuruta and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electrochem. Soc. 129 (1982) 1221.
S. Hettiarachchi and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electrochem. Soc. 131 (1984) 2206.
S. Hettiarachchi and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electrochem. Soc. 134 (1987) 1307.
S. Hettiarachchi, K. Makela, H. Song and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electrochem. Soc. 139 (1992) 13.
S.N. Lvov and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electroanal. Chem. 403 (1996) 25.
M.J. Danielson, O.H. Koski and J. Myers, J. Electrochem. Soc. 132 (1985) 296.
K. Ding and W.E. Seytried, Science 272 (1996) 1634.
K. Eklund, S.N. Lvov and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electroanal. Chem. 437 (1997) 99.
S.N. Lvov, H. Gao and D.D. Macdonald, J. Electroanal. Chem. 443 (1998) 186.
J.D. Gilchrist, ‘Extraction Metallurgy’, 3rd edn (Pergamon Press, 1989).
E.H. Oelkers, H.C. Helgeson, L.S. Everett, A.S. Dimitri, J.W. Johnson and A.P. Vitalii, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 24 (1995) 1401.
J.O’M. Bockris and S.U.M. Khan, ‘Surface Electrochemistry’ (Plenum, NewYork, 1993).
D.M. Himmelblau, J. Chem. Eng. Data 5 (1960) 10.
G.B. Naumov, B.N. Ryzhenko and I.L. Khodakovsky, ‘Handbook of Thermodynamic Data’, USGS-WRD-74-001 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, W., Charles, E. A thermodynamic approach to calculate the yttria-stabilized zirconia pH sensor potential. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 33, 1025–1033 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026217808475
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026217808475