A Tungsten Reference Electrode for Use in Corrosive Media—A Comparative Study with Other Reference Electrodes

Tungsten reference electrodes (TREs) were prepared by dipping tungsten wires into buffered solutions. The use of these electrodes for voltammetric and potentiometric measurements was compared to that of silver-silver chloride, silver-silver nitrate, and saturated calomel electrodes (SCEs). Comparative studies were conducted at 5, 27, and 65 C in HCl-H₂SO₄, NaOH, TM-01-77,¹  and buffered solutions for a period exceeding six months. The salt bridges of the tungsten electrodes were less likely to clog than those of the other reference electrodes. The potentials of the tungsten electrodes were slightly less reproducible than those of the silver-silver chloride electrodes (SSCEs), but more reproducible than those of the other reference electrodes. If necessary, the filling solution of the tungsten electrode can be varied to match the pH value of the test solution.