A reservoir-cupped incised electrode for spectrographic analysis and its use for the determination of magnesium in underground water

In order to simplify the spectrographic technique for aqueous solutions, a simple and stable electrode was devised. A copper rod of 5mmφ×7cm commonly employed as the ordinary standard electrode was incised vertically at the center of its top as the groove being 10cm in depth and 0.8mm in width, whilst a polyethylene reservoircup of 18mmφ×10mm was fitted to the rod as the brim of cup being lower 1mm from the top of the incised electrode. The groove pulled up the solution in the reservoir-cup successfully to the top of the electrode and from 1.7ml to one drop of the solution was subjected to the spectrographic analysis by means of the Feussner spark method. This new electrode might be used successively without re-construction for various sample solutions only by washing the rod and the cup with 6N hydrochloric acid and water. The dependence of the method on various factors-consumption of the solution during the sparking, temperature increase in the cup, and the relation between the form of the electrode and the strength of the spectral lines was examined. The determination of magnesium in some underground water was carried out by employing the electrode and reasonable results were obtained.