IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES AND THE UTILIZATION OF THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN BERGER SPENCE of 31 Lombard Street London in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, and JOHN EDLINGTON CHASTER of 1 Poyning's Road
Junction Road London N. in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of our Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC
BATTERIES AND THE UTILIZATION OF THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM, to be as
follows:-
In a copper-zinc element battery in which a solution of caustic alkali is used as
the exciting liquid & the depolarizing substance surrounding the copper to be
oxide of copper, we find that the zinc & caustic alkali can be again recovered or
manufactured into articles of commerce; also that the oxide of copper that
surrounds or covers the copper element & which becomes reduced by the action of
the galvanic cell in preventing polarization, into metallic copper, we collect and
either melt and run into the ordinary copper of commerce or we may by drying &
igniting in presence of air reconvert into oxide of copper to be used again in the
galvanic cell.
°
The zinc being dissolved by the caustic alkali, we find that if the spent or
partially spent solution be withdrawn from the galvanic cells the zinc therein
contained can be obtained as the oxide of zinc of commerce. To gain this end we
pass into the clear solution, carbonic acid which throws down the zinc as the white
carbonate of zinc leaving carbonate of the alkali in solution.
The white carbonate of zinc when collected, washed, dried & ignited gives off
carbonic acid (which may be used again in another portion of the spent liquid)
leaving oxide of zinc.
The solution of the alkaline carbonate obtained by the above mentioned process
may be evaporated & crystals of alkaline carbonate be obtained in the usual
commercial form, or we prefer to boil the alkaline carbonate with caustic lime so
that we convert the alkaline carbonate into caustic alkali which when evaporated
sufficiently we decant from the carbonate of lime (formed by the double
decomposition in boiling) to be used over again for acting upon a fresh quantity of
zinc in the galvanic cell.
The caustic lime above mentioned as being required may be obtained as the
by-product in heating in a suitable apparatus, carbonate of lime, the carbonic acid
of which is evolved at a strong heat & is used to precipitate the zinc carbonate from
the clear, spent or partially spent caustic alkaline liquid of the galvanic battery.

page_text: The carbonate of lime formed in this last stage may be collected, dried & ignited
in order to yield again fresh quantities of carbonic acid & caustic lime which have
previously been shown are required in our process.
We may also reduce the oxide of zinc into metallic zinc by any of the ordinary
metallurgical methods in use.
To enable us to easily collect from the several cells of a galvanic battery in
which a solution of caustic alkali is used, we prefer by means of circulating the
liquid of the entire series into one or more cisterns or tanks from which we
withdraw from time to time the spent or partially spent liquid also that we may
recharge with fresh caustic alkali.
The circulation of the liquid may be accomplished in various ways which however
we do not wish to claim.
But what we claim is the circulating of the liquid in this copper zinc element
excited by a solution of caustic alkali into one or more cisterns or tanks in order
that we may readily withdraw the spent or partially spent liquid also that we may
recharge with fresh caustic alkali.
We claim the recovery of the caustic alkali or convertion into alkaline carbonate
& metallic zinc or oxide of zinc as we may prefer in the manner hereinbefore
mentioned.
Finally we either convert the finely divided copper obtained by the process of
depolarization in the galvanic cell into metallic copper or reconvert into the oxide
as before mentioned.

page_text: JOHN BERGER SPENCE Merchant 31 Lombard Street London E.C. and JOHN
EDLINGTON CHASTER Electrical Engineer 1 Poynings Road Junction Road
London N. do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
GALVANIC BATTERIES AND THE UTILIZATION OF THE PRODUCTS THEREFROM and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
In a copper zinc element battery in which a solution of caustic alkali is used as
the exciting liquid & the depolarizing substance surrounding the copper to be
oxide of copper.
The oxide of copper that surrounds or covers the copper
elements & which becomes reduced by the action of the galvanic cell in preventing
polarization into metallic copper, we collect & either melt & run into the ordinary
copper of commerce or we may by drying & iguiting in presence of air reconvert
into oxide of copper to be used again in the galvanic cell. We find that the zine &
caustic alkali can be again recovered or manufactured into articles of commerce;
also the zinc being dissolved by the caustic alkali; we find that if the spent or
partially spent solution be withdrawn from the galvanic cell the zinc therein
contained can be obtained as the oxide of zinc of commerce. To gain this end we
pass into the clear solution carbonic acid, which throws down the zinc as the white
carbonate of zinc, leaving carbonate of soda in solution. The white carbonate of
zinc when collected, washed, dried, & ignited gives off, carbonic acid, which may
be used again in another portion of spent liquid leaving oxide of zinc..
The solution of the alkaline carbonate obtained by the abovementioned process
may be evaporated, & the crystals of alkaline carbonate be obtained in the usual
commercial form; or, we prefer to boil the alkaline carbonate with caustic lime, so
that we convert our alkaline carbonate into caustic alkali, which when evaporated
sufficiently we decant from the carbonate of lime formed by the double
decomposition in boiling, to be used over again for acting upon a fresh quantity of
zine in the galvanic cell.
The caustic lime above mentioned as being required, may be obtained as the
by-product in heating in a suitable apparatus carbonate of lime; the carbonic acid
of which is evolved at a strong heat & is used to precipitate the zinc carbonate
from the clear, spent or partially spent caustic alkaline liquid of the galvanic
battery. The carbonate of lime formed in this last stage may be collected, dried &
ignited in order to yield again fresh quantities of carbonic acid & caustic lime
which have previously been shown are required in our process. We may also
reduce the oxide of zinc into metallic zinc, by any of the ordinary metallurgical
methods in use. To enable us to easily collect from the several cells of a galvanic
battery in which a solution of caustic alkali is used, we prefer by means of
circulating the liquid of the entire series into one or more cisterns or tanks, from
which we withdraw from time to time the spent or partially spent liquid; also that
we may recharge with fresh caustic soda. The circulation of the liquid may be
accomplished in various ways; which however we do not wish to claim.
Finally, we either convert the finely divided copper, obtained by the process of
depolarization in the galvanic cell, into metallic copper or, reconvert into the oxide
as herein before mentioned. The oxide of zine which has been dissolved by the
caustic alkali may also be precipitated by means of neutralization with an acid
capable of neutralizing the caustic alkalies & forming salts of the alkalies such as
the sulphates chlorides nitrates & acetates but these we do not claim as we consider
the aforesaid process more practicable.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The circulating of the liquid in the copper zinc element excited by a solution
of caustic alkali into one or more cisterns or tanks, in order that we may readily
withdraw the spent or partially spent liquid, and also that we may re-charge with
fresh caustic alkali.
2. The recovery of the caustic alkali or conversion into alkaline carbonate &
metallic zinc or oxide of zinc as we, may prefer in the manner herein before
mentioned.
J. BERGER SPENCE.
JOHN EDLINGTON CHASTER.