5. Initial instrument operation

Completing all front and back panel connections, the following procedures need for initial use to connect Electrochemical Analyzer or potentiostats

1. Push rear panel power switch to the ON (“|”) position.

2. Tighten motor shaft assembly onto stainless steel cell holder.

3. Remove the electrode by holding the screw and turning the electrode body counterclockwise.

4. Polish the electrode by following the instructions in the Polishing Kit (PK-3 kit). See Chapter 7 for more information.

5. Replace the electrode (See chapter 7). Note that a slight upward pressure must be applied to the electrode body to start the threads. When the electrode is replaced with another working electrode, the power switch should be turn "OFF".

6. Place a test solution in the cell vial. A common test solution is 1 mM potassium ferricyanide in 1 M KCl.

7. Place the reference and counter electrodes inside two holes of the teflon holder and attach the cell leads. Start purging the solution with inert gas as described previously. For this initial experiment, purging 5-10 minutes will be adequate. Please regulate gas pressure carefully.

8. If the RDE is being used with the potentiostats, the control of the rotation rate is able to control manually from the front panel or remotely via TTL CONTROL using the potentiostats software.

9. The instrument is ready to use. Now the electrode will begin to spin when the RUN command is initiated in the software.

10. After the experimental run, the motor shaft assembly can be raised and the electrodes can be rinsed or polished as needed. The system is then ready for the next experiment.

Notice
1. The range of rotation speed of RRDE-3A is from 100 to 8000 rpm.
2. Please run the electrochemical measurement after indication of LCD of RRDE-3A becomes constant.
3. Depending on room temperature, it takes several minutes until a low-speed rotation becomes stable. Please let sufficiently RRDE-3A apparatus warm up.
4. For the REMOTE speed control, please use a CHI Model or Model 2325 electrochemical analyzer.
5. If it is used at high-speed rotation, a whirlpool may occur in the cell around the rotation axis of the electrode, and the oxygen in the air will be dissolved. In addition, noise maybe caused.
6. Please set rotating speed to less than 3000 rpm, in order to make the life-time of motor and carbon brush longer.
7. Please use an inert gas. Please avoid the use of explosive gas, like hydrogen gas, it could cause a risk of gas leakage.
8. During rotation there are times when the motor become high sound with the rotation speed, but there is no influence to the measurement.
9. RRDE-3A is non explosion-proof device.

Typical test parameters are

Working electrode : RRDE (Platinum ring and platinum disk)
Reference electrode: Ag/AgCl
Counter electrode : Platinum wire
Test solution : 2 mM Ferricyanide/1 M KCl
Initial E : +600 mV
Final E : -100 mV
Scan Rate (Volt) : 10 mV/S
Rotation Rate : 100 to 6,000 rpm
Sensitivity : 10-4