Electrochemical Properties of the Platinum Metals

For a number of years Dr. Pourbaix has been well known for his original method of treatment, based on thermo-dynamic equations, of the changes occurring when a metal is immersed in an aqueous solution. His graphical method, which compresses a great deal of information into a relatively simple diagram, has helped to elucidate a number of problems concerning corrosion, cathodic protection and other electrochemical phenomena. This article summarises the general basis of treatment and describes the work recently completed in his laboratories on the platinum metals.