Smee cell

Smee cell — This was a - battery consisting of an amalgamated zinc electrode and a - platinizedplatinum electrode. The latter can be also a platinized silver electrode. Both electrodes are placed in dilute sulfuric acid. 

In the electrolysis of solutions of salts of the alkali metals, Favre found a much smaller electromotive force required than that calculated from the heat of formation of the salt the electromotive force of the Smee cell corresponds with 1 50 kcal., the heat of formation of sulphate of potash is io 6o, hence seven cells should be required, but five were sufficient. Favre assumed that the salts were electrolysed into cation and anion (e.g. and SO4 ") but there was a secondary reaction of the metal and water which was electromotively active, whilst this is not otherwise true of secondary reactions. 

The first metal/air cell mentioned in the literature was a zinc/air cell constructed by Smee in 1840 [11]. In 1878, Maich [12], modified a Leclanch6 cell by replacing the conventional manganese dioxide cathode by a mixture of platinum and carbon powder. Ever since the work of Maich, various metals have been studied for use in this type of system in different applications. Among others, zinc, iron and aluminium have been considered to electric vehicles applications. It is, however, in the field of electric vehicles that most of the research has been conducted. 

Shortly after Grove s work on fuel cells in 1839, Smee in 1840 introduced the original concept of the metal air batteries and the last 150 years have seen discontinuous developments in the metal air batteries. The zinc/air battery had been prominent but generally unsuccessful due to both problems in the rechargeability of the zinc electrode as well as problems with the gas electrodes. 

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