Paper, 'On some relations of chemical corrosion to voltaic current' by G [George] Gore

Description

Gore writes: 'The chief object of this research was to ascertain the amounts of voltaic current produced by the chemical corrosion of known weights of various metals in different liquids. The research was also made to throw light upon the conditions which determine the entire conversion of potential molecular energy into external (i. e., available) electric current. The method adopted was to take about six or eight ounces by measure of a corrosive electrolyte and divide it into two equal volumes in two similar glass vessels. Two pieces of metal of equal dimensions were then cut from the same sheet, cleaned perfectly, and weighed. One of the pieces was employed as the positive plate of a voltaic cell in one of the portions of liquid, and the other as a comparison corrosion, sheet in the other portion. The negative metal of the voltaic cell was in nearly all cases a large cylinder of sheet platinum, and surrounded the positive one. The positive and comparison plates were wholly immersed in the separate portions of liquid, except that the former had a narrow exterior projecting strip for connexion in a circuit. The current from the cell was passed by means of a small sheet silver anode inch (½ inch by ¾ inch), and a smaller silver cathode (¼ inch by 3/8 inch) in a third vessel, through a cyanide of silver plating solution containing the least practicable proportion of free potassic cyanide in order to obtain the maximum amount of silver deposit. During each experiment observations were made of any liberation of gas or formation of solid coating upon the plates, and of any other circumstance which appeared likely to affect the speed of corrosion, or weight of the plates, or of the deposited silver; and in any case where any solid coating was found, it was entirely removed after the experiment, and previous to ascertaining the losses of weight by corrosion.'

Annotations in pencil and ink.

Subject: Chemistry / Electricity

Received 11 February 1884. 21 February 1884.

A version of this paper was published in volume 36 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On some relations of chemical corrosion to voltaic current'.

Reference number

PP/4/29

Earliest possible date

1884

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

25 pages

Format

Manuscript