In order to prevent the salts within the cell from creeping over the edge of the containing glass jar and also over the upper portion of the carbon electrode, it is common practice to immerse the upper end of the carbon element and also the upper edge of the glass jar in hot paraffin.
In setting up the LeClanché cell, place not more than four ounces of white sal ammoniac in the jar, fill the jar one-third full of water, and stir until the sal ammoniac is all dissolved. Then put the carbon and zinc elements in place. A little water poured in the vent hole of the porous jar or carbon cylinder will tend to hasten the action.
An excess of sal ammoniac should not be used, as a saturated solution tends to deposit crystals on the zinc; on the other hand, the solution should not be allowed to become too weak, as in that case the chloride of zinc will form on the zinc. Both of these causes materially increase the resistance of the cell.
A great advantage of the LeClanché cell is that when not in use there is but little material waste. It contains no highly corrosive chemicals. Such cells require little attention, and the addition of water now and then to replace the loss due to evaporation is about all that is required until the elements become exhausted. They give a relatively high electromotive force and have a moderately low internal resistance, so that they are capable of giving rather large currents for short intervals of time. If properly made, they recuperate quickly after polarization due to heavy use.
Dry Cell. All the forms of cells so far considered may be quite properly termed wet cells because of the fact that a free liquid electrolyte is used. This term is employed in contradistinction to the later developed cell, commonly termed the dry cell. This term "dry cell" is in some respects a misnomer, since it is not dry and if it were dry it would not work. It is essential to the operation of these cells that they shall be moist within, and when such moisture is dissipated the cell is no longer usable, as there is no further useful chemical action.
The dry cells are all of the LeClanché type, the liquid electrolyte of that type being replaced by a semi-solid substance that is capable of retaining moisture for a considerable period.
As in the ordinary wet LeClanché cell, the electrodes are of carbon and zinc, the zinc element being in the form of a cylindrical cup and forming the retaining vessel of the cell, while the carbon element is in the form of a rod or plate and occupies a central position with regard to the zinc, being held out of contact with the zinc, however, at all points.
A cross-section of an excellent form of dry cell is shown in Fig. 63. The outer casing is of zinc, formed in the shape of a cylindrical cup, and serves not only as the retaining vessel, but as the negatively charged electrode. The outer surface of the zinc is completely covered on its sides and bottom with heavy pasteboard so as to insulate it from bodies with which it may come in contact, and particularly from the zinc cups of other cells used in the same battery. The positively charged electrode is a carbon rod corrugated longitudinally, as shown, in order to obtain greater surface. This rod is held in the center of the zinc cup out of contact therewith, and the intervening space is filled with a mixture of peroxide of manganese, powdered carbon, and sal ammoniac. Several thicknesses of blotting paper constitute a lining for the inner portion of the zinc electrode and serve to prevent the manganese mixture from coming directly into contact therewith. The cell is sealed with pitch, which is placed on a layer of sand and sawdust mixed in about equal parts.
