188 



Mr. H. Sutton. 



[Dec. 15 r 



made cells in which either peroxide or red oxide was formed into a 

 porous conglomerate, using the conglomerates as electrodes, immersed 

 in dilute hydric sulphate. I constructed cells with parallel plates, red 

 oxide or peroxide being filled in between the plates ; in this experi- 

 ment red oxide is useless and peroxide efficient. In all these experi- 

 ments I succeeded in storing electricity to different extents. 



Having thoroughly satisfied myself that positive electrodes amal- 

 gamated with mercury were the best, I investigated the behaviour of 

 various forms of negative electrode, having in view the conservation 

 of the hydrogen ; this I thought to do by occluding the hydrogen in 

 suitable electrodes, as spongy platinum or metallic palladium ; but as 

 both these methods would be useless owing to expense I did not even 

 experiment on them. 



I further thought of having negative electrodes, whose oxides 

 should be soluble in the solution, and which could be redeposited from 

 the solution, or of having metallic solutions from which metal could 

 be deposited, the resulting solution being such that should, on the 

 oxidation of the deposited metal, combine with the oxide and again 

 form the original solution. 



I thought that success in this manner would result in a powerful 

 and constant source of stored energy, the cell would not polarise itself 

 during discharge, as is the case in both Plante and Faure cells ; in these 

 cells the peroxide formed by the discharge produces a contrary 

 electromotive force. 



Experimenting from this train of thought, the results I have 

 obtained are such as to have an important practical bearing on the 

 future of electric work. 



The experiments comprised amalgamated lead as a positive elec- 

 trode with negative electrodes composed of either zinc, iron, or 

 copper, in each case the solution between the electrodes being a 

 salt of the metal composing the negative electrode. With zinc, 

 sulphate of zinc was the solution ; with iron, sulphate of iron ; and 

 with copper, sulphate of copper. In all these cases the results were 

 not only far more powerful than with any form of cell I had pre- 

 viously devised, but also very constant, the polarisation lasting many 

 times longer than in any other form of cell. The cell with zinc negative 

 electrode I discarded, owing to the necessity there would be to keep 

 the zinc plate amalgamated to prevent local action ; the iron negative 

 electrode was set aside owing to the iron oxidising when the cell 

 was not in use. The cell having a negative electrode of copper, a 

 positive electrode of lead amalgamated with mercury and a solution of 

 cupric sulphate, I have adopted as a thoroughly economical, lasting, 

 and practical form of storage reservoir. The chemical changes in 

 this cell are exceedingly interesting and beautiful, the cell being com- 

 posed of a sheet of lead cleaned with dilute sulphuric acid and amal- 



