Improvements relating to the Production of Porous Materials, and to the Manufacture of the same into Electrodes or Plates for Electric Batteries.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec. 1891-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ERNEST AUGUSTE GEORGES STREET, Electrical
Engineer, of 17, Rue Freilhard, Paris, and LUCIEN ALFRED WILHELMINE
DESRUELLES, Electrician, of 18, Avenue Percier, Paris, in the Republic
of France.]
Improvements relating to the Production of Porous Materials, and
to the Manufacture of the same into Electrodes or Plates for
Electric Batteries.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to plates or electrodes for primary batteries and for
secondary batteries or accumulators, and comprises the production of improved
compounds or agglomerates, and the manufacture of such plates or electrodes
therefrom.
The main object of the said invention is to obtain electrodes of great porosity,
so that, in proportion to their size, they will have a large amount of surface in
contact with the electrolyte.
An important feature of the said invention is the use of albumen or substances
containing albumen as an agglutinant in the production of the improved compounds
or agglomerates.
In making the improved agglomerates, the active material which is to constitute
the electrode is reduced to powder or to grains of greater or less size, and is mixed
with porous material, such as any porous calcareous substance which is insoluble
and cannot be attacked by acids, or which may be rendered insoluble and incapable
of being attacked by acids.
To this mixture is added albumen, or a substance containing albumen, in suitable
proportions, which may be varied according to the character of the active material
employed in the electrode.
After the intimate mixture of the substances above named, the mass is moulded
under pressure or by passing it through dies, or in any other convenient manner, to
impart to it the desired form.
After this moulding operation, the agglomerate is introduced into a stove or
other heating apparatus, and is heated to a suitable temperature, which has the
effect of coagulating the albumen, thus rendering it insoluble and enabling
agglomerates of great strength to be obtained and to be shaped as required.
The improved method herein described of producing agglomerates is advan-
tageous in the manufacture of electrodes formed of derivatives or compounds of
lead, such as suboxides, oxides or peroxides of lead, mixed with substances, such as
plumbago, which will increase the conductivity of such electrodes. In making
agglomerates containing suboxides, oxides or peroxides of lead, in cases, where it is
undesirable to heat the agglomerate to a temperature such as would change the
character of the said derivatives or compounds of lead, it is especially advantageous
to use albumen or substances containing albumen, which coagulate at a com-
paratively low temperature.
In some instances, rods or plates or network of carbon or other suitable materials
which conduct electricity and which cannot be attacked by the electrolytes used in
the battery, are enclosed in the agglomerate made as herein before described. Or
the improved agglomerate is combined in any other convenient manner with carbon
or other suitable electrical conducting material. Suitable metals may, if desired
be cast around the agglomerates to conduct the current or to diminish the

page_text: resistance of the electrode. Moreover the albumen may, if desired, be coagulated
by other well-known and suitable processes, instead of by heat.
In some instances, it may be desirable to make the improved agglomerate without
the addition of the aforesaid porous substance.
Electrodes manufactured as above described are not liable to disintegration, the
agglutinant employed being insoluble.
Dated this 18th day of March 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Production of Porous Materials, and
to the Manufacture of the same into Electrodes or Plates for
Electric Batteries.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 relates to the production of improved compounds or agglomerates
and to the manufacture from the same of electrodes or plates to be used in
electrical batteries, such electrodes or plates being applicable for primary batteries
or for secondary batteries or accumulators.
The main object of the said invention is to obtain electrodes of great porosity, so
that, in proportion to their size, they will have a large amount of surface in contact
with the electrolyte.
An important feature of the said invention is the use of albumen or substances
containing albumen as an agglutinant in the production of the improved compounds
or agglomerates.
In making the improved agglomerates the active material which is to constitute
the electrode is reduced to powder or to a granular condition and is mixed with
porous material.
We use for this purpose any suitable calcareous or other porous
substance which is insoluble and cannot be attacked by the liquids in the cell or
gases generated therefrom or which may be rendered insoluble and incapable of
being attacked by such acids or gases.
To this mixture is added albumen, or a substance containing albumen, in suitable
proportions, which may be varied according to the character of the active material
employed in the electrode.
After the intimate mixture of the substances above named, the mass is moulded
under pressure by passing it through dies, or in any other convenient manner, to
impart to it the desired form.
After this moulding or shaping operation, the agglomerate is introduced into a
stove or other heating apparatus and is heated to a suitable temperature which has
the effect of coagulating the albumen thus rendering it insoluble and imparting to
the agglomerate a very advantageous condition of rigidity and tenacity.
The improved method herein-described of producing agglomerates is advan-
tageous in the manufacture of electrodes formed of derivatives or compounds of
lead such as the suboxides, oxides or peroxides of lead, mixed with substances, such
as plumbago which will increase the conductivity of the electrodes. In the case of
electrodes for primary batteries we sometimes use an oxide of manganese instead of
an oxide of lead. In making agglomerates containing suboxides, oxides or per-
oxides of lead in cases where it is undesirable to heat the agglomerate to a
temperature that would change the character of the said derivatives or compounds
of lead, it is especially advantageous to use albumen or substances containing
albumen such as the serum of blood which coagulate at a comparatively low

page_text: temperature; or instead of albumen we sometimes use pitch or other suitable
substance to serve the same purpose as the albumen.
The proportions in which we mix or combine the above substances may be varied
but very good results are obtained with the following proportions, viz., peroxide of
lead or of manganese 4 kilogrammes, porous material 3 kilogrammes, plumbago
3 kilogrammes, and white of egg one litre.
In some instances rods or plates or a grid or grating of carbon or other suitable
electrical conducting materials which cannot be attacked by the electrolytes used
in the battery or the gases generated therefrom are enclosed in the agglomerate
made as hereinbefore described. Or the improved agglomerate is combined in any
other convenient manner with carbon or other suitable electrical conducting
material. Suitable metals may, if desired, be cast or placed around the
agglomerates to conduct the current or to diminish the resistance of the electrode.
Moreover the albumen may if desired, be coagulated by other well known and
suitable processes instead of by heat.
As the agglutinant existing in the electrodes manufactured as above described
is insoluble in the fluids in the cells the said electrodes are but slightly liable to
disintegration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A compound or agglomerate consisting of active and porous materials
such as those herein specified and an agglutinating or coagulating substance (with
or without the addition of plumbago or other conducting substance) substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
Second. An electrode or plate for an electric battery manufactured from such
compound or agglomerate.
D
1
1
1
1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.