The galvanostatic dissolution of a parent metal Me in an electrochemical cell of the type Me/MeX/Me (MeX=cation-conducting solid electrolyte) causes periodic oscillations of the anodic overvoltage in a certain range of current density, pressure and temperature. The amplitude of these oscillations is a function of the applied mechanical pressure and their frequency depends on the electric current density. In the present study the electrode kinetics of transference cells of the type (+) Cu/AgBr/Ag (-) and (+) Cu/CuBr/Ag (-) have been investigated by galvanostatic measurements and linear sweep voltammetry, in order to obtain a better understanding of the nonlinear kinetics. During anodic dissolution the anode surface develops a porous structure which is correlated to the dislocation density of the anode. Linear sweep voltammetry measurements suggest that the rate-limiting step of anodic copper dissolution is the formation or the diffusion of metal adatoms on the metal electrode surface. A qualitative model for the influence of the processes on the oscillatory kinetics is proposed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B,V. All rights reserved.