Solid Battery Excitant
Year: 1886

page_text: I, EDWARD DWIGHT KENDALL, a citizen of the United States, of Brooklyn, in
the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, Chemist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the saine .
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
.
My composition, which I term "Solid Battery Excitant," consists of a bi-sulphate
or bi-sulphates of an alkali or alkalies, or sulphuric acid, or both in combination
with chromic acid.
Heretofore, the only battery excitant containing chromic and sulphuric acids that
has been prepared, has been in liquid form and therefore very troublesome to
transport and store, and likely to cause injury in case of breakage of the containing
bottles; a solid battery excitant, containing the said acids, that simply by solution
in water would yield an efficient battery fluid, has been a great desideratum.
My new compound may be conveniently prepared according to my invention as
follows:
A
Two parts by weight of potassium bichromate in powdered or granulated form
are incorporated with about two to three parts of sulphuric acid of sp. gr. about 1.84,
and thoroughly mixed together in a suitable receptacle not attacked by the acids,
etc, present, such as earthenware, enamelled iron or lead-lined vessels. The
resulting mixture is rendered fluid or semi-fluid by the heat produced by the
reaction between the bichromate and the acid, and the formation of potassium
bisulphate and chromic acid.
The reaction which takes place is typically represented by the following
formula:
K₁ Cг. On + 4 H₂ SO₁ = 2 Cr O₂ + 2 K.HSO + 2 H₂ SO¸ + H₂ O
but varies somewhat with the proportions and conditions.
The mass while warm and fluid or semi-fluid, may be poured into or otherwise
transferred to suitable moulds to form rods, plates, cakes, or other desired form and
allowed to cool and solidify; or it may be spread upon a flat surface, and when
cool and solid broken up into cakes, granulated or powdered.
If the mass be
constantly stirred while cooling, it will appear when cold in the form of irregular
crystalline fragments, which is also a convenient form for use.
Lavine 171

page_text: The material thus produced in the form of lumps, cakes, powder, or other desired
form, is then ready to be used in a Grenet or other form of battery to which it is
adapted, by simply dissolving it in water and pouring the solution into the cell;
or still more conveniently, by putting the compound into the cell and filling the
latter with water, in which the compound freely and rapidly dissolves.
The solution made from my compound is in every respect the equivalent of, or
even superior to, the well-known "electro-poron "fluid. The cakes, lumps, powder,
or other form of my material may be wrapped up in sheets of lead foil, or put up
in jars or otherwise suitably packed for transportation and sale.
I do not confine myself to the exact proportions of bichromate and sulphuric
stated, as these may be varied within moderate. limits; nor to the use of sulphuric
acid of a particular sp. gr., as somewhat stronger or weaker acid may be used.
In lieu of potassium bichromate, other bichromate or chromates may be employed.
For example, sodium bichromate or potassium or sodium mono-chromate may be
used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The herein-described process, consisting in mixing together an alkali-chromate
or bichromate in the solid form, and sulphuric acid.
2. The herein-described process, consisting in mixing together potassium
bichromate in the solid form, and sulphuric acid.
3. The herein-described process, consisting in mixing together potassium
bichromate in the solid form and sulphuric acid, the materials being at a suffi-
ciently high temperature to keep the mass melted, substantially as described.
4. The herein-described battery excitant containing an alkali bi-sulphate and
chromic acid.
5. The herein-described battery excitant in solid form, containing free sulphuric
acid and chromic acid.
6. The herein-described battery excitant in solid form, consisting of an alkali-
bisulphate, free chromic acid, and sulphuric acid in excess.
7. The herein-described battery excitant in solid form, consisting of potassium-
bisulphate, free chromic acid, and sulphuric acid in excess.