A New Reference Electrode for Na/MCl2 Batteries.

The use of aluminum as a reference electrode in the neutral and basic chloroaluminate molten salts poses certain problems related to the uncertainty and irreproducibility in the measured electrode potentials as well as lack of stability in long-term studies. A new reference electrode based on an insoluble transition metal chloride, e.g., NiCl{sub 2} is proposed to address these problems. Ni/NiCl{sub 2} forms an electrode of the second kind with high exchange current density and long durability and would be an ideal choice for the electrochemical studies in neutral and basic chloroaluminate melts, including Na/NiCl{sub 2} cells.