Improvements in the Manufacture of Active Material for Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1895-Accepted; 21st Sept., 1895
COMPLETE. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Active Material for Secondary
Batteries.
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I, SIEGFRIED HAMMACHER, of Andreas Strasse 32 Berlin in the Kingdom of
Prussia and Empire of Germany, Manufacturer 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 for its object to prepare the active material of electrical
batteries by chemical means in such a manner that the original powdered mass is
not only compounded into a porous and coherent body, but that it is also caused to
possess more electro-motive power than when ordinary oxide of lead is employed.
Experiments have proved that the oxides of lead such as minium and the like
when applied in excess form bodies in watery solution with the compounds of the
phenol group, phenol, cresol and the like which distinguish themselves as basic
phenylates, cresylates and so forth.
The method employed for carrying out industrially the above indicated discovery
consists either in allowing the phenylates to be formed immediately in the oxides
of lead by simply mixing the oxides with the watery solution of the phenol bodies
and drying the mixture or in mixing the basic phenylates which may be prepared
separately with the oxides of lead with or without the assistance of a solvent for
the phenylates.
The dry mass can then be formed in the usual manner in a dilute acid.
The exact method preferably employed for carrying the invention into effect is
as follows:-
The following members of the phenol series are applicable, that is to say:
Carbolic acid, and creosote, as also are naphtalene and phtallic acid.
To one part of phenol for instance are taken
9 parts water and
90 parts oxide of lead
And the same are mixed and kneaded together into a paste. This paste is then
kneaded into electrode frames or perforated plates, dried in a drying stove and
then charged in the recognised manner by the electric current.
The resulting
mass constitutes a basic phenylate of lead which is an excellent conductor as it
contains 4 parts of lead to one part phenol. This basic phenylate of lead is
hydrated, gelatinous, and is converted by drying into a vitreous hard body.
The aforesaid basic phenylate of lead might also be prepared in another way,
namely by washing it out from the above described paste.
The phenylate of lead thus obtained could then be mixed with oxides of lead
and thus be prepared a filling material which could be charged into electrode
frames or perforated plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
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The improvement in the manufacture of an active mass for electrical secondary
batteries characterised by the use of basic phenylates, cresylates or similar

page_text: compounds of lead which are either mixed mechanically with the metallic oxides
or produced by a chemical re-action of the watery solutions of phenol and the like
upon the metallic oxides.
Dated this 20th day of May 1895.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
31 High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
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