Fig. 2. Section perpendicular to the surface of a silver electrode from which silver was dissolved anodically. Magnification 500X. by x -r a y fluorescence; a n d chemical analysis showed that the slime was s u b s t a n t i a l l y all silver.F i g u r e 1 shows a p h o t o m i c r o g r a p h of some of the slime particles. U n d e r the microscope they a p p e a r e d s h i n y a n d looked metallic. F i g u r e 2 shows a section p e r p e n d i c u l a r to the edge of a s p e c i m e n from which some silver had been dissolved. The surface is v e r y rough, and contains several p r o m o n t o r i e s which look as t h o u g h t h e y were a b o u t to be cut off b y the dissolution process.It is concluded t h a t the anode slime on silver consists of metallic silver; p r e s u m a b l y the anode slime on other m e t a l s also consists of particles of the electrode metal. It seems likely t h a t the m e c h a n i s m of slime f o r m a t i o n is as follows. O r d i n a r y solutions c o n t a i n m a n y impurities, some of which adsorb on m e t a l surfaces and cause "passivation." It is typical of silver p a r t i c u l a r l y t h a t electrodeposition from simple salt solutions results in the g r o w t h of only a few crystals, most of the surface of the electrode r e m a i n i n g inactive. It seems p r o b a b l e t h a t in dissolution a s i m i l a r p a s s i v a t i o n occurs, a n d t h a t dissolution occurs o n l y at isolated points. A p p a r e n t l y some sections of the m e t a l surface r e m a i n passive a n d are cut off by dissolution from the sides, f o r ming the silver particles w h i c h c o n s t i t u t e the anode slime.The e x p e r i m e n t a l w o r k described in this note was p e r f o r m e d by W. R. Young, to w h o m the a u t h o r is v e r y grateful. ManuscriptThe alkali nitrates through potassium and silver nitrate were chosen for transport experiments as a series of salts similar in conductivity and charge type; the sizes and masses of the cations, however, are widely variant. Thus the series appears to be one in which the effects on mobility of size and mass of ions may be tested.
ExperimentalThe t r a n s p o r t e x p e r i m e n t s were done in a cell which has b e e n described p r e v i o u s l y (1). In all cases the electrodes w e r e of solid Ag s u r r o u n d e d b y m o l t e n AgNO3. W h e n s t u d y i n g salts other t h a n AgNO~, cells were used which c o n t a i n e d a c a p i l l a r y constriction b e t w e e n the alkali n i t r a t e which filled the u p p e r portion of the cell and the AgNO~ at the b o t t o m in contact w i t h the silver. The m i x i n g t h a t did occur took place in the c a p i l l a r y and is not i mp o r t a n t because it has b e e n s h o w n t h a t t h e r e is v e r y little v o l u m e change w h e n these salts are m i x e d with AgNO,. C u r r e n t s of about 50 m a for 1000 to 5000 sec w e r e used w h e n v o l u m e changes in the c a p i l l a r y w e r e observed and several r e a d i n g s w e r ...