Gamry Instruments MultiPort User manual

MultiPort
Electrochemical Cell Kit
Operator’s Manual

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Limited Warranty
Gamry Instruments, Inc. warrants to the original user of this product that it shall be free of defects resulting
from faulty manufacture of the product or its components for a period of one year from the original
shipment date of your purchase.
Gamry Instruments, Inc. makes no warranties regarding either the satisfactory performance of this Cell Kit
or the fitness of the product for any particular purpose. The remedy for breach of this Limited Warranty
shall be limited solely to repair or by replacement, as determined by Gamry Instruments, Inc., and shall not
include other damages.
Gamry Instruments, Inc. reserves the right to make revisions to the product at any time without incurring
any obligation to install same on systems previously purchased. All product specifications are subject to
change without notice.
There are no warranties which extend beyond the description herein. This warranty is in lieu of, and
excludes any and all other warranties or representations, expressed, implied or statutory, including
merchantability and fitness, as well as any and all other obligations or liabilities of Gamry
Instruments, Inc.; including but not limited to, special or consequential damages.
This Limited Warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have others which vary from state to
state. Some states do not allow for the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages.
No person, firm or corporation is authorized to assume for Gamry Instruments, Inc., any additional
obligation or liability not expressly provided herein except in writing duly executed by an officer of Gamry
Instruments, Inc.

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If You Have Problems
Please visit our service and support page at www.gamry.com/service-support/.
This page contains information on installation, software updates, and training. It also contains links to the
latest available documentation. If you are unable to locate the information you need from our website, you
can contact us via email using the link provided on our website. Alternatively, you can contact us one of
the following ways:
Internet www.gamry.com/service-support/
Telephone [phone]:00 AM - 5:00 PM US Eastern Standard Time
[phone] Toll-free US & Canada Only
Replacement parts for this kit are available from Gamry Instruments, Inc. Do not ask us to supply metal
samples in materials other than C1018 Mild Steel. See the Introduction section of this manual for a source
of metal samples.
Disclaimer
The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate as of the time of
printing. However, Gamry Instruments, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors that might appear.
Copyrights and Trademarks
MultiPort™manual copyright 2013, 2017 Gamry Instruments, Inc.
VistaShield™copyright 2017 Gamry Instruments, Inc.
Viton®is a registered trademark of The Chemours Company.
Kalrez®is a registered trademark of DuPont Performance Elastomers.
Pyrex®is a registered trademark of Corning Incorporated.
ACE-Thred™ is a trademark of Ace Glass, Inc.
No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of
Gamry Instruments, Inc.

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MultiPort Cell Kit
Operator’s Manual
Copyright 2017 Gamry Instruments, Inc.
Revision 1.41
November 30, 2017
988-00013

Copyrights and Trademarks--Checking for Shipping Damage
1
Table of Contents
Limited Warranty...........................................................................................................................ii
If You Have Problems ....................................................................................................................iii
Disclaimer .....................................................................................................................................iii
Copyrights and Trademarks ............................................................................................................iii
Introduction...................................................................................................................................2
Chemical Compatibility of the MultiPort Cell Kit .............................................................................4
Unpacking and Checking Your MultiPort Cell Kit ............................................................................5
Checking for Shipping Damage .........................................................................................5
Parts List ...........................................................................................................................6
Assembly .......................................................................................................................................7
General Information..........................................................................................................7
Main Cell Assembly...........................................................................................................9
Bridge Tube and Reference Electrode................................................................................11
Counter Electrode .............................................................................................................11
Gas-flow Overview and Terminology.................................................................................11
Pre-saturation of the Purge Gas ............................................................................12
Gas Dispersion Tube............................................................................................12
Attaching Gas Tubing to the Cell .......................................................................................13
Sample Holder Assembly ..................................................................................................13
Inserting the Sample Holder into the Cell ..........................................................................15
Electrode Connections ...................................................................................................................17
Customizing Your Cell....................................................................................................................18
Addition of Corrosive Agents .............................................................................................18
Temperature Sensing and Control .....................................................................................18
Addition of a pH Electrode................................................................................................18
Getting a Stir Bar into the Cell ...........................................................................................18
Selected Specifications ...................................................................................................................20
Troubleshooting.............................................................................................................................21
Index.............................................................................................................................................23

Introduction--Checking for Shipping Damage
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Introduction
The Gamry Instruments MultiPort™Cell Kit was designed for simple, reliable operation. The cell is normally
used to run electrochemical tests on standard cylindrical metal specimens. You can also customize the cell for
use with other sample types.
A commercial source of suitable cylindrical specimens is the P/N 410 series from Alabama Specialty Products.
They have cylindrical samples available in several hundred different metals. They can be contacted at:
Metal Samples Co., Inc.
152 Metal Samples Road
P.O. Box 8
Munford, AL 36268 USA
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Your Corrosion Cell kit was shipped with one Metal Samples, Inc. P/N 410 Series samples. The sample material
is C1018 mild steel.
The MultiPort uses four of the seven standard ports to implement its required functions. You can customize the
cell by rearranging some of Gamry’s standard fittings, or making or buying additional fittings, electrodes,
sensors, or adapters.
Too often, temperature control is neglected in designing electrochemical experiments. Temperature is an
important variable in the rate of both heterogeneous and homogeneous chemical reactions. Comparing test
results recorded at different temperatures can be vital in gaining a full understanding of a chemical system. For
these reasons, Gamry sells a special jacketed version of the MultiPort cell body. When this cell is connected to a
circulating water bath, accurate temperature control of your experiments becomes possible.
A reference electrode is not included in the cell kit. Requirements for this electrode vary too
much from user to user to make its inclusion in the standard kit practical. Gamry Instruments sells three
types of reference electrodes (SCE, Ag|AgCl, and Hg|Hg2SO4) that are suitable for use with your EuroCell
kit. Order your reference electrode separately.

Introduction--Checking for Shipping Damage
3

Chemical Compatibility of the MultiPort Cell Kit--Checking for Shipping Damage
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Chemical Compatibility of the MultiPort Cell Kit
The components in the MultiPort Cell Kit were selected to be as chemically inert as possible. In normal use, the
only materials in contact with the test solution are:
•The corrosion sample
•Borosilicate glass (Pyrex®or equivalent)
•Unfired glass frit
•PTFE
•Polyethylene
•Ace Glass’s FETFE O-ring material
Chemical resistance tables for most of these materials are available (try searching the Internet). One exception is
FETFE, which is a elastomer proprietary to Ace Glass, which consists of PTFE particles in a fluorinated rubber
base similar to Viton®. According to Ace Glass, it offers slightly better chemical resistance than Viton®.
The black ACE-Thred™ fittings supplied with the cell do not normally come in contact with the cell electrolyte.
These are nylon fittings, so you can use nylon’s properties (which are generally available) as an indication of
these fitting’s suitability for use in any specific chemical environment.
Gamry’s MultiPort was not designed for use in electrolytes that dissolve glass (extremely basic solutions or HF-
containing solutions).
The simple construction of the polyethylene stoppers used to seal the unused port makes them easily adaptable
as a vent for purge gas: you simply poke a hole in the flat surface of the stopper. While they provide chemical
resistance to most aqueous electrolytes, they may not be a good choice for use with some aggressive solvents. If
polyethylene is not suitable for your application, glass and PTFE stoppers are available from most laboratory
supply houses. If you use these “more solid” stoppers, do not forget the need to vent purge gas from the cell.
Caution: The glass components in the cell and the glass frits used in the reference bridge
tube are not suitable for use with extremely basic solutions or solutions containing hydrofluoric acid. We do
not know of any substitute cell components that will completely overcome this limitation. If you need to
work with solutions that will damage the cell, we recommend that you design and build an all-plastic cell.
Caution: The nylon bushings in the ACE-Thred™ fittings and the FETFE O-rings may not be
suitable for use in some electrolytes (particularly non-aqueous media). If you need better chemical
resistance than that offered using the standard ACE-Thred components, ACE Glass (www.aceglass.com) can
provide replacement fittings made from PTFE and Kalrez®, which are extremely resistant to chemical attack.
Contact Gamry Instruments, if you need help selecting the proper replacement fittings.