Electrical conductivity of NaCl ¦ graphite interface

It was observed that a steady d. c. current flows through the cell graphite ¦NaCl¦ graphite even at voltages very small compared to the decomposition potential difference. The activation enthalpy of the small signal conductance (1·20±0·05) eV differs from the enthalpy of the bulk conductivity. The interface conductance is neither in simple relation to the conductivity of the crystal, nor to the partial conductivities of anions and cations. The nonlinearity of the cell and the independence of interface conductance from some properties of the bulk can be explained by the finite rate of electrochemical reactions, ensuring the charge transfer across the interfaces.