Liquid Metal/Metal Oxide Reference Electrodes for Potentiometric Oxygen Sensor Operating in Liquid Lead Bismuth Eutectic in a Wide Temperature Range

Potentiometric oxygen sensors with LBE/PbO and In/In2O3 reference electrodes coupled with yttria partially stabilized zirconia (YPSZ) have been developed for use in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) over the temperature range from 200 to 450 °C. The performance of sensors with LBE/PbO and In/In2O3 reference electrodes was evaluated comparing the oxygen activity measured in oxygen saturated LBE (from 200 to 450 °C) with these sensors to the one measured by sensors with Bi/Bi2O3 and air/LSM (strontium-doped lanthanum manganite) electrodes, using same solid electrolyte and measurement setup. The sensors with LBE/PbO and In/In2O3 reference electrode performed well down to 200 °C while the sensor with Bi/Bi2O3 showed significant deviations at 200 °C.