EXCHANGE BETWEEN METALS AND THEIR IONS IN SOLUTION

Abstract

The mechanisms by which a metal specimen can acquire radioactivity when immersed in a tracer solution of its own ions are discussed. Consideration is given to the roles of exchange current, adsorption, local cell electrolysis, corrosion, and self-diffusion within the metal. It is shown that exchange current cannot be measured by the tracer method unless conditions are unusually favorable, and that too little attention has been paid to the role of internal diffusion. Some experimental results with silver are presented and the importance of internal diffusion is shown.