Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/974

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��Popular Science Monthly

��drogen, decomposing the salt, and at the same time setting free the oxygen in the carbon j)lates. The fact that the carbon plates can be treated continuously by this process without impairing their efficien-

��um and sodium hydrate into which the carbon dipped. Oxygen was made to unite with the carbon through the inter- vening electrolyte, by blowing air against the iron pot which formed the positive

��cy seems to indicate that the oxygen does pole, and thus producing an electric cur- not unite with the carbon, but is simply rent. But this was not successful as the

��stored up within its pores.

This type of battery indi- rectly illustrates the chemical actiqn of a more ideal cell, but is lacking in some of the necessary fundamental prin- ciples ; the method employed is inefficient, and the results obtained do not measure up to the applied forces.

There are certain chemical substances which might prove, by analysis, to be adaptable in an application of this kind. Platinum "black," for in- stance, possesses to the high- est perfection the power of promoting combination be-

���Diagram showing

cell arrangement ion

a large scale

��salt was changed to a car- bonate, and also a certain amount of direct oxidation of the carbon took place.

Thus it is evident that the problem of constructing an efficient cell of this type is far from being solved, as it seems almost impossible to find a substance which will dissolve carbon, and thus create a di- rect transformation of chem- ical energy into electrical en- ergy. But if some ambitious experimenter with a thorough knowledge of chemistry would go after the solution of this problem with the same perse-

��tween oxygen and other gases, absorb- vering research that Edison employed in

��ing over two hundred times its volume of oxygen, the oxygen simply condens- ing in the pores where it may be avail- able for combination with other gases. An organic compound known as linoleic

��his experiments with the incandescent light, there is every reason to believe that he would attain success. And the rew^ard would be well worth the effort, as the present commercial world is wait-

��fulfill all of the necessary requirements.

��acid possesses the peculiar property of ing for such an efficient device that will absorbing oxygen from the air in large quantities, forming a solid substance. The properties possessed by these two compounds simply illustrate the many possibilities lying dormant in the chem- ical world which on application to the field of electro-chemistry might prove invaluable.

It may be of interest to note several attempts that have been made in the past on this idea. Jablockkoff in 1880 constructed a carbon oxygen cell using a fused salt as an electrolyte, the carbon being immersed in melted potassium ni- trate, the positive electrode being iron. Thus, the oxygen was supplied in the form of a nitrate, but this was not suc- cessful as the carbon was brought into direct contact with the oxidizing sub- stance, and it was necessary to keep the cells at a temperature of several hun- dred degrees.

In 1896 W. Jacques patented a cell which was constructed of an iron pot containing a melted mixture of potassi-

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��Sectional view of Jacques' ingenious cell, showing heating of hydrate mixture

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