9. Troubleshooting
Table 9 ·
| Trouble | Cause | Solution | Note |
| Current signal noise | Air bubble adsorbs on the rotating electrode surface. | · Take out the electrode from the solution, rotate the electrode over 1000 rpm, and then dip the rotating electrode into the solution while rotation. |
· Air bubbles on the electrode surface are formed easily after the gas purge. · Air bubbles may occur during the electrochemical measurements sometimes. |
| Volume of solution is not suitable. | · 65 ± ml solution is suggested to use for avoiding the data noise, when the cell (100 ml) in the RRDE-3A Ver. 1.2 package is used. | · Dipping around 5 mm of the rotating electrode tip into the solution is supposed to avoid the turbulence noise effectivelly. | |
| Dirty or unevenness of electrode surface. |
· Polish the electrode. · If the electrode surface is modified, please re-modify the electrode so that the modification layer is thin and flat. |
|
|
| Rotating electrode is attached to the shaft in askew direction. | · Remove the electrode from the shaft, and connect it to the shaft again. |
|
|
| RRDE-3A Ver. 1.2. is not well grounded. | · Connect the RRDE-3A Ver. 1.2. and potentiostat to the same ground. |
|
|
| Air bubble adsorbs on the reference electrode tip. | · Flip the reference electrode and move off the air bubble. | · Alteration of the sample solution temperature may cause generation of the air bubbles. | |
| Defective reference electrode. | · Exchange the reference electrode for a new one. |
|
|
| The connecting resistance between carbon brush and shaft is changed after long time use. |
· Remove the carbon brushes from the shaft, clean the carbon powder on the shaft, and then setup the carbon brushes up again. · In the case that carbon brushes are consumed greatly by frictionafter long time use, please replace them. |
· The damage of the carbon brushes may possibly be induced by the big shock during the transportation. | |
| Shaved carbon brush powder is piled on the bearing surface after long time use. | · Open the motor cover and remove the shaved carbon powder with such as a cotton swab. | · The carbon powder stored on the bearing may possibly cause the ring current noise in most cases. | |
| The big vibration of the shaft tip after long time use. | · Adjust and fix the screw of the shaft to motor. If not help, please replace the shaft. |
· The shaft damage may possibly occur due to the big shock of the transportation. · Distorted contact pin on the shaft often causes the vibration. |
|
| Adnormal lower current | High resistance between carbon brushes and shaft. | · Remove the carbon brushes, and then set new ones up. |
|
| Different quantity of redox agents. | · Prepare the sample solution again. |
|
|
| High resistance contact pin on the shaft and disk electrode. | · Exchange the shaft for a new one. |
|
|
| Current over flow | The reference electrode is not immersed in the solution. |
· Dip the reference electrode tip into the electrolyte solution. · If the solution volum is not enough, please increase the solution untill soaking the electrode tips. |
|
| Unsuitable potentiostat setting, or fault of the potentiostat. |
· Adjust the current sensitivity setting. · Fix the potentiostat or update the application software of the potentiostat. |
|
|
| No current flow | The rotating electrode or counter electrode is not immersed in the solution. |
· Dip the tip into the electrolyte. · If there is shortage of the solution, please increase the solution untill soaking the electrode tips. |
|
| Disconnection of the electrodes with electrode leads of potentiostat. | · Connect them securely. |
|
