Alessandro Volta’s voltaic pile was a great first step forward in early battery development, but it had teething problems. In the first instance, the battery life was one hour at best due to impurities in the zinc electrode. The second drawback was a film of hydrogen bubbles forming on the copper, and increasing internal resistance. The Daniell Cell solved hydrogen bubble issues, and took battery development a step forward.
How the Daniell Cell Solved Hydrogen Bubble Formation
John Frederick Daniell was an English professor of chemistry. He solved the hydrogen bubble concern, by adding a second electrolyte to consume the hydrogen. Then in 1836, he assembled his idea as follows:
- He first filled a copper pot up with a copper sulfate solution.
- Then he filled a smaller, unglazed pottery container with sulfuric acid.
- Finally he placed a zinc electrode in the second pot, and put it in the first one.
- The porous unglazed pottery allowed the ions to flow, but separated the liquids.
This solution was a great improvement over Volta’s model. This was because the approximately 1.1 volt current lasted longer, and was more reliable. It became the new standard for telegraph networks, and established the first working definition of the volt.
Golding Bird Invents a Plaster of Paris Version
The Daniell cell solved hydrogen bubble challenges, but this was no means the end of battery history. Golding Bird was a medical doctor with an interest in chemistry, working at Guy’s Hospital in central London. We could surmise he had plaster-of-paris available for setting broken limbs.
Whatever the case, Golding Bird modified the Daniell cell in 1837, by introducing a plaster-of-paris barrier to keep the two solutions apart. He was then able to conduct a series of experiments, that advanced the new discipline of electro-metallurgy.
More Information
Introduction To The History Of Batteries
