The wire/cable in my chamber (for protein electrophoresis) was cut in half. I tried to re-join it by knotting the two ends. But the current still run unevenly among running wells.
I want to ask "what is the material makes up the wire/cable?" so that I can try to weld it. The brand of the chamber is Biorad.
I would appreciate any other suggestions to repair the wire/cable.
Thank you so much!
The thin platinum wire is very brittle and snaps easily. It is very hard to work with. If you try to weld it, the solder will probably corrode from the electrical current. Platinum is used because it is virtually inert and can stand up to having current run through it without corroding. I suggest you send the gel box back to the manufacturer for repair, if they offer that service.
I agree with Adam,particularly if the broken wire lies on the anode side (+) of the apparatus. Otherwise if you can get some platinum wire with roughly the same gauge as the electrode wire, you may try to join the ends of the broken wire by intertwining them with a piece of wire making the junction
I agree also. If your department has a shop I would expect that they have repaired many electrophoresis apparatus with such breaks. I f you plan to do it your self Pierre's approach is a good idea. No matter how you fix it the expense will be surprisingly high because platnum wire is not cheap. Good luck.
I failed trying to weld it. I guess that purchasing a new one is the only option for me now. Thank you all for the advices.
Your question is a bit vague about where the break is. Is it somewhere in the part that is immersed in the buffer or is it in the place where it attaches to the + or - red or black leads that connect to the power supply?
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