Abstract
Silver amalgam electrodes were found to provide polarization‐free contacts for the measurement of the conductivity of compressed 
powder pellets. Correlation of the conductivity data with x‐ray diffraction studies established the presence of a deformed hexagonal phase as an important factor in determining pellet conductivity. Deformation can be induced by compression, but care must be taken to avoid transformation into the face‐centered cubic phase with some resultant decrease in conductivity. Preliminary evidence is presented that hexagonal deformation can be induced by suitable thermal or mechanical pretreatment of the 
powder.