Process of Manufacturing Metallic Electrodes for Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Mar., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process of Manufacturing Metallic Electrodes for Galvanic Batteries.
I, FRIEDRICH MARX, of No. 91 Grossbeeren Strasse, Berlin, in the Kingdom of
Prussia, German Empire 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 :-
The method of manufacturing metallic electrodes in use up till now, consisted in
working into the required form the metal obtained by a smelting process and then
placing the same into the battery.
I have observed, that the working effect of metallic electrodes may be considerably
increased by avoiding the smelting process in their manufacture and instead depositing
the metal by electrolysis or precipitation by other metals in a loose state.
I base my process on the fact that the metals gained in the smelting process on
account of their mechanical compactness and dense molecular combination are capable
of resisting chemical actions to a considerable extent and consequently the electrolyte
can only operate slowly on the same.
If on the other hand the metal for the electrode be obtained by precipitation
with other metals or electrolysis, a loose mass almost of a spongy nature is gained,
which is easily attacked by chemical reagents. If now the metal gained by electrolysis
or precipitation with other metals, be used as electrodes for galvanic batteries, the
current generated by the battery will be much stronger than by those batteries in
which the metal employed has been obtained by the smelting process, for the reason
that the electrolyte can combine more thoroughly with the electrodes and thus the
chemical reaction will take place more vigorously."
Of course the decomposition of a certain amount of metal will only produce the
corresponding amount of electricity so that the sum of the amount of electricity
generated remains the same in both cases, whether the electrodes are made of metal
obtained by the smelting or electrolytical process or that of precipitation by other
metals. The advantage of the present invention however is that electrodes of metal
gained by the latter process, on account of the increased energy of the chemical
reaction, will be used up or decomposed in much shorter time, so that the batteries
need not to be so large as was formerly necessary whilst the strength of the current
does not get less.
It needs hardly be mentioned, that the electrodes must be renewed more often.
For the practical application of my invention I proceed in the following manner:
The porous loose mass of metal gained by the electrolytic process or by precipitation
with other metals is first carefully washed to clean it of any salts which it may contain
and to prevent Jater oxidation. The metal is then either rolled or hammered to a
concrete mass, which may then be coated with plumbago or metallic oxides in order to
exclude the oxygen of the air. It is often advantageous to roll into the mass a woven
wire fabric or rough metal plate which if necessary, may be used to carry the
connection binder.
A further modification which may be advantageously employed in the practice
consists in depositing the metal which is to form the electrode, directly on a conductor
(metal plate) to which it is fixed by rolling, after having been washed as above
described. The mechanical treatment is of importance in so far as by this means the
electrode becomes capable of resistance to a certain extent and then again the
oxydizing effect of the air is diminished because the surface of the metal will be made
denser by the mechanical pressure.
In the case of zinc it is advantageous, to add quicksilver, which is accomplished by
adding a soluble quicksilver salt to the electric bath in the one case or by adding
metallic quicksilver to the precipitated metal.

page_text: As an example, showing how much stronger electrodes manufactured on this
principle work, it may be mentioned that an ordinary battery of iron and carbon in a
solution of common salt gave the following result: 0, 1 Amp. and 0, 35 Volt. (the
iron having been gained by the smelting process) whilst a battery of the same size in
which the iron was gained by electrolytic process and then worked mechanically gave
the result 0, 9 Amp. and 0, 85 Volt.
I am aware, that metals gained by electrolytic process have been worked up for
electrodes, but this was always achieved by first melting, then casting and rolling the
same into the required form. The gist of the present invention consists in avoiding
the smelting process entirely and to use the loose chemically active metal, after having
been worked directly as an electrode.
The process above described may be employed for every sort of metal, which has up
till now been used for electrodes but practice has proved, that the manufacture of
zinc, iron and copper electrodes may be conducted on my principle with particular
advantage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The process of manufacturing metallic electrodes for galvanic batteries, by
purifying from the presence of salts the metallic deposit obtained by the electrolytic
process or by precipitation with other metals and then working mechanically the mass
so purified into the required form, substantially as specified.
2. The process of manufacturing metallic electrodes for galvanic batteries, by
purifying from the presence of salts the metallic deposit obtained by the electrolytic
process or by precipitation with other metals and then rolling into the mass so purified
a woven wire fabric or metal plate in the manner substantially as described:
3. The process of manufacturing metallic electrodes for galvanic batteries by
electrolytically precipitating or with other metals precipitating the metal on a
conducting plate then washing the same and fixing it on the plate by rolling, in the
manner described.
Dated this 16th day of December 1889.
FREDK. WALKER & HYDE,
4, Little Moorfields, E.C., Agents for Applicant.