by Electrolysis, and to Solutions therefor.
Year: 1886

page_text: by Electrolysis, and to Solutions therefor.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
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 par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to the production of an alloy of magnesium by electro-
deposition of the same in the electrolytic bath or cell. The invention consists,
first, in the production of magnesium by electrolysis in the form of an alloy; and,
second, in the constitution of the electrolytic bath from which said alloy is
deposited.
The said bath consists of a concentrated solution of magnesium chloride com-
bined with a concentrated solution of the chloride of any other metal (aluminium
excepted).
It is preferable to use one part concentrated solution of zinc chloride to two
parts concentrated solution of magnesium chloride, both solutions at 18° Baumé.
In said bath may be employed, a zinc anode and a carbon brass or copper cathode.
Excellent results have been obtained by the single cell process of electro-deposition.
In said cell is used an element of amalgamated zinc contained in a porous cup with
diluted sulphuric acid (one ounce of acid to one pint of water). In the outer
vessel is placed the chloride solution above mentioned and an element of brass or
copper. As is well known, in a cell of this kind, the electro motive force due to
the action of the sulphuric acid on the zinc is opposed by that due to the deposition
of the alloy; and in consequence the actual electromotive force of the cell is low;
or, in other words, the cell normally yields a suitably weak current so that no
hydrogen is set free at the negative pole and crystalline metal is therefore
deposited.
When the bath as abovo described is used simply in a decomposition cell, to
which the current is supplied from an outside source, it is, of course, necessary to
regulate the strength of the current so that a black deposit is not produced.

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In the single cell as above described, the zinc is deposited in the form of
spiculae" or as a "tree" and the magnesium in a granular crystalline state.
The metals in the aforesaid alloy may be separated in various known ways.
Thus the deposited alloy may be removed from the bath, washed, dried, pulverized
and finally fused in a crucible under cover of chloride of sodium, when the zinc is
volatilized leaving the magnesium pure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is;—
1. The improvement in the art of producing. metallic magnesium which consists
in depositing the same electrolytically in the form of an alloy with another metal
from a solution of magnesium chloride and a solution of the chloride of said other
metal, substantially as described.
2. The improvement in the art of producing metallic magnesium which consists
in depositing the same electrolytically in the form of an alloy with zinc, from a
concentrated solution of magnesium chloride and a concentrated solution of zinc
chloride, substantially as described.
3. As an electrolytic bath, in combination with a zinc anode and a cathode of
other conducting material, a concentrated solution of magnesium chloride mixed
with a concentrated solution of zinc chloride, substantially as described.
1115
706
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T
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