Improvements in Galvanio Batteries.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1893-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1893
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Galvanio Batteries.
A communication from TITO ROSATI, EMILIO RIGHETTI, and GIULIO
O'CONNELL, of 1, Piazza S. Lorenzo, Florence, Italy, Engineers.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a construction of galvanic cell comprising a
plate or cylinder of lead and a plate or cylinder of carbon, or it may be of a metal
that acts positively with regard to lead, these two plates or cylinders (hereinafter
called plates) being immersed in water acidulated with a mixture of nitric and
sulphuric acids or with another similar mixture.
The chemical reactions which take place in such a cell are the following
The lead is attacked by the acid solution and becomes oxidised thereby
generating an electric current between the said metal and the carbon plates.
This current decomposes the water in the solution which consequently yields
oxygen to the oxide of lead that has already become formed, and produces
peroxide of lead which immediately combines with sulphuric acid and forms
sulphate of lead. The salt during the passage of the electric current yields up
a part of its acid, and forms an insoluble white basic sulphate of lead that is
continually precipitated to the bottom of the cell and forms a bye product of
considerable commercial value. The hydrogen evolved in the nascent state on the
negative plate is oxidised by the nitric acid to form water.
By the formation of an insoluble basic sulphate the conductivity of the exciting
liquid is maintained practically constant. Moreover, by reason of the immediate
oxidisation of the nascent hydrogen, the carbon is kept constantly depolarised, and
as the basic sulphate of fluid is not decomposed in the cell, it does not produce
any incrustation on the carbon or on the lead whilst it is being precipitated. The
lead employed in galvanic batteries according to this invention should be chemically
pure or of such a quality that it will be attacked by sulphuric acid. As the metal
does not occur in commerce in a perfectly pure state, but always in combination
with copper or other metals such as zinc and antimony which render it unattackable,
by sulphuric acid there must be added to it another metal such as tin the propor-
tion of which will vary according to the quantity of impurities present in the
lead. The tin renders the lead easily attackable by sulphuric acid. It is of great
advantage to amalgamate the lead plates, in a similar manner to that in which the
zinc plates used in other galvanic batteries are amalgamated.
The acidulation of the exciting liquid can be varied according to the use to
which it is desired to apply the cell or battery.
Thus for industrial purposes, as for examples in electro-chemistry, and in the
production of light or motive power, the acidulation may be pushed even to the
extent of mixing the acids and water in equal proportions.
The cell being without a diaphragm, and its exciting liquid being acidulated with
acids that are very good conductors its internal resistance is very small, and as its
electro-motive force about 1.5 volt, and even more if the degree of acidulation
be great it will be seen that the cell is capable of developing greater energy, than
that usually obtainable from galvanic cells of other constructions as heretofore
used.
The cell is also very constant, so that it can be employed for a great variety of
purposes as for examples telegraphy, telephony, electric deposition of metals, and

page_text: for the production of light, and motive power, with the great advantage of con-
suming comparatively only very cheap materials, lead being considerably cheaper
than zinc, which is usually employed, and also with the great advantage of
producing as a bye product a compound of lead suitable for use in the arts and the
value of which will suffice to defray the cost of the cell.
Furthermore the lead will be consumed only to a very slight extent when the
circuit is opened.
For obviating the production of injurious nitrous exhalations, especially when
used for domestic purposes as for example for operating a bell in which case the
acidulation is comparatively slight, a layer of suitable liquid such as turpentine may
be placed upon the exciting liquid.
Dated this 13th day of June 1802
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
A communication from TITO ROSATI, EMILIO RIGHETTI, and GIULIO
O'CONNELL, of 1, Piazza S. Lorenzo, Florence, Italy, Engineers,
1, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to a construction of galvanic cell comprising a
plate or cylinder of lead and a plate or cylinder of carbon, or it may be of a metal,
that acts electro-negatively with regard to lead, these two plates or cylinders
(hereinafter called plates) being immersed in water acidulated with a mixture of
‘nitric and sulphuric acids, or with an equivalent exciting solution.
The chemical reactions which take place in such a cell are the following:
The lead is attacked by the acid solution and becomes oxidised thereby
generating an electric current between the said metal and the carbon plates. This
current decomposes the water in the solution which consequently yields oxygen to
the oxide of lend that has already become formed, and produces peroxide of lead
which immediately combines with sulphuric acid and forms sulphate of lead. The
salt during the passage of the electric current yields up a part of its acid, and
.forms an insoluble white basic sulphate of lead that is precipitated to the bottom
- of the cell and forms a bye-product of considerable commercial value. The
hydrogen evolved in the nascent state on the negative plate is oxidised by the nitric
acid to form water.
By the formation of an insoluble basic sulphate, the conductivity of the exciting
liquid is maintained practically constant. Moreover, by reason of the immediate
oxidation of the nascent hydrogen, the carbon is kept constantly depolarised,
and as the basic sulphate of lead is not decomposed in the cell, it does not produce
"any incrustation on the carbon or on the lead whilst it is being precipitated.
The lead employed in galvanic batteries according to this invention should be
chemically pure or of such a quality that it will be attacked by sulphuric acid. As
the metal does not occur in commerce in a perfectly pure state, but always in
combination with copper or other metals such as zinc and antimony which render
it unattackable by sulphuric acid, there must be added to it another metal such as
tin, the proportion of which will vary according to the quantity of impurities
present in the lead. The tin renders the lead easily attackable by sulphuric acid.
It is of great advantage to amalgamate the lead plates in a similar manner to that
in which the zinc plates used in other galvanic batteries are amalgamated.
The degree of acidulation of the exciting liquid can be varied according to the
use to which it is desired to apply the cell or battery.

page_text: Thus for industrial purposes, as for examples in electro-chemistry, and in the
production of light or motive power, the acidulation may be pushed even to
the extent of mixing the acids and water in equal proportions.
The cell being without a diaphragm, and its exciting liquid consisting of acids
that are very good conductors, its internal resistance is very small, and as its.
electro-motive force is about 1.5 volt, and even more if the degree of acidulation
be great, it will be seen that the cell is capable of developing greater energy
than that usually obtainable from galvanic cells of other constructions as heretofore.
used.
The cell is also very constant, so that it can be employed for a great variety of
purposes, as for examples telegraphy, telephony, electric deposition of metals, and
for the production of light and motive power, with the great advantage of
consuming comparatively only very cheap materials, lead being considerably cheaper
than zinc which is usually employed, and also with the great advantage of producing
as a bye product a compound of lead suitable for use in the arts and the value of
which will suffice to defray or nearly so the cost of the cell.
Furthermore the lead will be consumed only to a very slight extent when the
circuit is opened.
For obviating the production of injurious nitrous exhalations, especially when
used for domestic purposes, as for example for operating a bell, in which case the
acidulation is comparatively slight, a layer of suitable liquid such as turpentine oil
may be placed upon the exciting liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
A galvanic cell or battery comprising a positive element of pure lead or lead
alloyed with another metal, for example tin, whereby it is rendered attackable by
sulphuric acid, a negative plate of material such as carbon, and an exciting liquid
containing sulphuric acid, or consisting of a dilute mixture of sulphuric and nitric
acids substantially as herein described.
Dated this 1st day of March 1893
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.