ering the swelling of the surface of the membrane and the easiness of ion-exchange process on it, the soaking solution had better contain lead ion.When the surface of the membrane was polished or cut off to get rid of the thin layer of silicone rubber and the membrane was soaked in the test solution, many air bubbles adsorbed on its surface and the measurement of the potentials was impossible. The potentials of the polished membrane were unstable even after it was soaked for a long time. When a small amount of silicone oil was applied to the surface of the polished membrane, the air bubble did not adsorb in the test solution and the potentials of the membrane became stable and steady. These results mean that the surface of the membrane should be very smooth and that the intimate contact be-tween it and the solution is indispensable. In order not to contaminate the test solution or weaken the membrane, mechanical method for exposing the particles of PbS on the surface should not be applied.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTThe authors thank S. Kisaka and K. Sugihara for their encouragement in this work. Thanks are also due to Y. Hioki and H. Yamao for their X-ray and electron microscopic measurements.