Electrochemical measurements strongly depend on the stability of a suitable reference electrode without which no meaningful fundamental data can be obtained. 

• No "custom-made" stable/robust reference electrodes are available for use in molten salts
• Current fabrication process suffers from voltage drifts

INL's Solution: Formation of a thin oxide layer on the metal surface instead of a thin wire in its oxide.

• Combines a thermal process with an electrochemical (anodization) process to create two specific reference electrodes.
• Electrodes consist of an outer (surface) metal oxide on the metal (of interest) core.
• Both tested in eutectiv LiCl-KCl melt: NO OBSERVED VOLTAGE DRIFTS
• Two other potential reference electrode systems (Sn/SnO2 and W/WO3)
• The developed approaches have not been tried in academia/industry

Advantages

• Simple in design 
• Easily controllable experimental parameters
• Inexpensive fabrication process

Industry Applications

• Instrumentation manufacturers for electrochemical industry
• Government research service providers/contractors
• University-based research groups and other academic institutions
• National and International labs

INL is seeking to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available.