On the gas voltaic battery. Voltaic action of phosphorus, sulphur, and hydrocarbons

Abstract

The author, referring to a paper of his published in the Philoso­phical Transactions for 1843, states, that in repeating and verifying some of the experiments therein contained, he was led to those which form the subject of the present memoir. With the form of gas bat­tery last described in that paper, by which the interfering action of the external air is excluded, he finds that deutoxide of nitrogen as­sociated with oxygen gives a continuous voltaic current; and that the volumes respectively absorbed by the electrolyte are as four to one, indicating the formation of hyponitrous acid. Passing to the more immediate object, of the present paper, he states that having observed nitrogen procured by the combustion of phos­phorus to give rise, in the gas battery, to a temporary voltaic cur­rent, he was led to believe that phosphorus, although an insoluble non-conductor, might, by means of the gas battery, be made the excitant of a continuous voltaic current, analogous to the zinc ele­ment of an ordinary voltaic combination. This expectation was ve­rified by experiments, a series of which is given; phosphorus being suspended in various gases and voltaically associated with oxygen. The experiments were continued during several months, and the results indicated the same consumption of phosphorus with reference to the oxygen, as would occur by the formation of phosphorous acid; the phosphorus being thus burned by oxygen at a distance. Phos­phorus and iodine, both non-conducting solids, being each suspended in nitrogen in the associated tubes of a gas battery, give a continu­ous voltaic current, and are consumed in equivalent ratios. Sulphur, suspended in nitrogen and associated with oxygen, gives a voltaic current when fused. Other volatile electro-positive bodies, such as camphor, essential oils, æther and alcohol, when placed in nitrogen and associated with oxygen, gave a continuous voltaic current.