In 1899, Swedish scientist Waldemar Jungner introduced a revolutionary idea. His first nickel-cadmium battery would eventually become one of the most important rechargeable battery technologies of the twentieth century.
Jungner Was Searching For a Rechargeable Battery
Jungner was searching for a rechargeable battery that could overcome some of the limitations of lead-acid technology. His approach was different. Rather than using lead electrodes and sulfuric acid, he investigated alkaline batteries using nickel and other metals.
His experiments eventually produced first nickel-cadmium battery. The positive electrode used a nickel-based active material, while cadmium formed the negative electrode. Potassium hydroxide provided the alkaline electrolyte.
Jungner’s Breakthrough Was Significant Because …
Jungner’s breakthrough was significant because the electrolyte did not undergo the same overall chemical changes associated with a lead-acid cell. The active materials at the electrodes bore the main burden of the reversible chemical reaction.
This first design was far from the finished nickel-cadmium batteries that would appear decades later. The electrodes were relatively crude, The cells suffered from problems including loss of capacity and changes in the electrode materials during repeated cycling.
Jungner Continued Improving The Design
Jungner continued improving the design. He also experimented with replacing expensive cadmium with iron. This eventually lead to the nickel-iron system that would later become associated with Thomas Edison. The nickel-cadmium chemistry, however, had important advantages of its own.
Jungner’s patented his work around the turn of the century, and commercial development followed in Sweden. By 1906, he had established a factory near Oskarshamn to manufacture rechargeable alkaline batteries.
The Importance Was Not Immediately Obvious
The importance of Jungner’s invention was not immediately obvious to the wider world. It took decades of improvements in electrode construction and manufacturing before nickel-cadmium batteries became widely used. A new battery family had begun.
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