A New Galvanic Element.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1897-Accepted, 28th Aug., 1897
A New Galvanic Element.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (which has been communicated to me from
abroad by Constantin Nikolajewitsch Sedneff, of St. Petersburg, Russia, Nobleman)
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a galvanic element, which differs from those heretofore
known by the fact that the electrodes are separated from each other by diaphragms,
and the electrodes themselves are placed in liquids which do not attack said
electrodes.
A distinction is made, between an exciting liquid and a depolarizing liquid.
Notwithstanding the electrolytic action which takes place, both liquids should
remain of approximately uniform conductivity, that is to say, the polarized hydrogen
reduces the depolarizing liquid, whilst the reduced depolarizer is re-oxidized by
mutual decomposition, so that in this case there is a <
circulating-depolarization."
An example of this is illustrated in Figure 1.
In the cell a is a zinc electrode in a solution of common salt. Sulphuric acid
contained in the cell 6 is separated from the cell a by a diaphragm D. In the
cell c and separated from the cell b by a diaphragm D are a carbon electrode and
a mixture of hydrochloric acid, chloride of sodium and water. Oxygen goes to the
cell a, and hydrogen goes from the cell a to cell b. It reduces the sulphuric
acid. Oxygen goes from cell c to cell b, and oxidizes the reduced sulphuric acid.
The hydrogen which goes from cell b to cell c replaces the sodium in the
common salt and forms hydrochloric acid, whilst the sodium in its nascent state
decomposes the water and forms "soda lye." In this manner an exchange is
commenced which continues so long as current is taken from the element. If the
element is to have less resistance, the cells b and c may be united to form one
single cell as shewn in Figure 2.
By this means an oxygen-containing substance is placed opposite to the hydrogen
which oxygen-containing substance has its oxygen continually being regenerated, in
contradistinction to the mode of depolarizing heretofore practised, in which the
hydrogen is oxidized simply by placing opposite thereto an oxygen-containing
substance.
The electrodes and the electrolyte may be of any desired kind, so long as the
depolarizing liquid fulfils the requirements of the above stated principle. It is
however essential that a diaphragm should be employed which allows only hydrogen,
oxygen and water to pass through, but does not allow the chemicals suspended in
the water to pass through. Such a diaphragm might consist for instance of pressed
plates of graphite and loam or of a framework-filling of asbestos fabric or the like,
and of an impregnation of such salts (such as calcium carbonate or the like) which
are caused by the action of the acids of the depolarizing liquid to become converted
into insoluble salts such as calcium sulphate, which form a solid deposit in the
diaphragm in such a manner that the "converted" framework forms a kind of
dividing filter between the two liquids without undergoing any further alteration.

page_text: In general, the composition of the diaphragm may be of any desired kind.
The difference between it and the diaphragms heretofore used is best explained by
the following example:-
In one cell there is a zinc electrode in sodium lye; separated from this by a
diaphragm, and situated in another cell is a carbon electrode in sulphuric acid.
The operation in the case of the diaphragms usually employed is, namely, such
that a mixture of zinc and sodium sulphate is gradually formed by endosmose in
both cells. But in the case of the new diaphragms no such mutual exchange takes
place, the passing over of hydrogen resulting from the drawing off of the current
producing in the sulphuric acid cell a reduction of the sulphuric acid so as to form
amorphous sulphur.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
and in what
claim is
1. A galvanic element with "circulating depolarization," characterized by a
depolarizing mass which is composed in such a manner that the oxygen of the
depolarizer becomes continuously regenerated by the production of exchange
operations, substantially as described.
2. In the element specified in the first claim, the use of a diaphragm which is
only permeable to water and gases, substantially as described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.