Elements of electro-metallurgy, or, The art of working in metals by the galvanic fluid ... / [Alfred Smee].

  • Alfred Smee
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elements of electro-metallurgy, or, The art of working in metals by the galvanic fluid ... / [Alfred Smee]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    DESCRIPTION OF THE WOOD-CUTS. (Fig. 1.) This is the most simple form of single cell apparatus. It consists of an outer vessel which contains a saturated solution of sulphate of copper, and some undissolved crystals of the salt suspended at the upper part of the solution; in this the medal to be coppered is placed’ The inner vessel here represented, is made of porous earthenware, and contains the dilute acid, and the rod of zine, which is seen to be connected by a wire to the medal. The inner vessel] may be changed for a glass tube drawn to a capillary point, or any other porous apparatus, suitable to different cases. (108,) (110,) (114.) (Fig. 2.) This is another form of simple apparatus. It consists of a square box containing the sulphate of copper, and an inner one containing the inner glass vessel, the mouth of which is ratus, this form is the best, for every part of the apparatus is well suited to perform its respective function. (Fig. 3.) The battery that is here represented (A) consists of a piece of platanized silver in the centre, to which a binding screw is attached to allow the wire (S) to be connected with the positive pole of the decomposition apparatus, which consists of a sheet of copper, to be:dissolved during the action. The zinc is in two pieces, which are connected together by a binding screw ; to allow connection by another wir e (2) with the negative pole (n), or in other words, to the plate to be manufactured. The precij itating trough (B) is a flat parallelopiped shaped vessel, con- taining at the top two pieces of metal, which afford conveniences for the attachment of the wires and poles. The single battery apparatus is applicable for silver, and all other metals having a greater affinity for oxygen. 117, 120. (Fig. 4.) This is a similar apparatus to the last described, with the exception that the precipi- tating trough is horizontal. This form of apparatus should be always adopted where the depv- sition is required to take place with greatrapidity. The plate or object to be copied is placed at the bottom of the vessel, and is connected to the zinc of the battery by the wire, whilst the piece of copper is put from half an inch toan inch above i it, and is connected te the zine of the battery. (Fig. 5.) Mason’s arrangement, by which one equivalent of zinc reduces two equivalents of copper. (A) is nothing but a simple cell, similar in every respect to fig. 1, except that the zinc instead of being at once connected to the medal in the sulphate of copper, is joined by means of a wire, to a medal, in a solution of sulphate of copper in the precipitating trough (B). The medal in the first vessel or battery vessel (A) is connected to a piece of sheet copper in the pre- cipitating trough (B) which forms a positive pole to the second cell, and thereby completing the series. ‘The electric current would thus pass from the zinc in (A) to the medal in (B), where metal would be reduced from the solution, an equal weight of the plate of copper would be dissolved, and the current would then pass back to the medal in the first vessel (A) ; there reduce the copper from its sulphate, and thus complete the cireuit. 121. — (Fig. 6.) This wood-cut is intended to show the mode of arranging a number of medals; the battery (A) is the same as that described for (fig. 3 and 4). The precipitating trough (B) is the same as (fig. 1). The medals are seen to be connected to the bindingscrew of the zinc of the battery, whilst the piece of copper to be dissolved. is joined to the platanized silver. This form of apparatus is suitable for making a nu ber of medals at once of any size. A bar is fixed across the top, which is connected wi h the zinc of the battery ; on this the wire of each medal y be. ‘Separately for examination. us is here given. The battery (A) is an ordinary mpound platanized silver battery ; the number of cA wire joined to the silver of the battery is tor regulates the quantity of electricity by the (Fig. 7). The componnd bat many-celled porcelain rouge cells required, will be from thi connected with a fine platin im distance this is immersed ia Li, re connected to the zinc of the battery, to be connected to the negative ali 15,1 ae precipitating trough (B) in this instance, is a. vessel to be gilt, but # apparé essential to all metals which require a platinum positive pole, and efore it) 5 “i the reduction of gold, platinum, palladium>