Fig. 63. Dry Cell
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The electrolyte in such cells varies largely as to quantities and proportions of the materials employed in various types of cells, and also varies in the method in which the elements are introduced into the container.
The following list and approximate proportions of material will serve as a fair example of the filling mixture in well-known types of cells.
| Manganese dioxide | 45 per cent |
| Carbon or graphite, or both | 45 per cent |
| Sal ammoniac | 7 per cent |
| Zinc chloride | 3 per cent |
Water is added to the above and a sufficient amount of mixture is taken for each cell to fill the zinc cup about seven-eighths full when the carbon is in place. The most suitable quantity of water depends upon the original dryness and fineness of material and upon the quality of the paper lining.
In some forms of dry batteries, starch or other paste is added to improve the contact of the electrolyte with the zinc and promote a more even distribution of action throughout the electrolyte. Mercury, too, is often added to effect amalgamation of the zinc.
As in the ordinary wet type of LeClanché cell, the purpose of the manganese is to act as a depolarizer; the carbon or graphite being added to give conductivity to the manganese and to form a large electrode surface. It is important that the sal ammoniac, which is the active agent of the cell, should be free from lumps in order to mix properly with the manganese and carbon.
A small local action takes place in the dry cell, caused by the dissimilar metals necessarily employed in soldering up the zinc cup and in soldering the terminal rod of zinc to the zinc cup proper. This action, however, is slight in the better grades of cells. As a result of this, and also of the gradual drying out of the moisture within the cell, these cells gradually deteriorate even when not in use—this is commonly called shelf-wear. Shelf-wear is much more serious in the very small sizes of dry cells than in the larger ones.
Dry cells are made in a large number of shapes and sizes. The most useful form, however, is the ordinary cylindrical type. These are made in sizes varying from one and one-half inches high and three-quarters inch in diameter to eight inches high and three and three-quarters inches in diameter. The most used and standard size of dry cell is of cylindrical form six inches high and two and three-quarters inches in diameter. The dry cell when new and in good condition has an open-circuit voltage of from 1.5 to 1.6 volts. Perhaps 1.55 represents the usual average.
A cell of the two and three-quarters by six-inch size will give throughout its useful life probably thirty ampere hours as a maximum, but this varies greatly with the condition of use and the make of cell. Its effective voltage during its useful life averages about one volt, and if during this life it gives a total discharge of thirty ampere hours, the fair energy rating of the cell will be thirty watt-hours. This may not be taken as an accurate figure, however, as the watt-hour capacity of a cell depends very largely, not only on the make of the cell, but on the rate of its discharge.