Ibpointless2 Crystal Cells

[triffid]

"Hacking Matter " book says that only differently doped forms of zinc oxide show the higher voltage properties of V to the N power=IR.So anything else used will give the lower voltages like 2.0 volts and less.triffid




FeO is a semiconductor material also.

[triffid]

Just reposting this web link.  http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/ingredients.htm

[sm0ky2]

these cells are confirmed here in my lab.
I did not have aluminum wire on hand at the time (I do now!)
so my test cells were constructed using (low-grade) copper wire and steel wire
(avg) cell voltage was 0.7v DC, they are connectable in series and parallel, just as any battery.
the advantage is that they can be made very small. allowing for a series of several batteries to be made on a single sheet of paper.

I plan to make a very large battery-bank using many, many cells.
but before I begin, I would like to ask the other builders that have tested this about your particular mixtures

My tests began with 1:1 ratio of the salts, and 2 parts glue. <-- I found this was not nearly enough glue..
tried again with 5 parts glue, still not enough. as the texture comes out to be a rubber crumbly substance, not a solid that will hold the electrodes in place.

somewhere around 10 parts glue, 1:1 salts is where my first tests ended up. this allowed for a solid structure to form when dried that held its shape and the electrodes in place for testing.

So, my question is, what % mixture do you guys use of the salts and glue to obtain the high 1v+ cells I have read about?

[sm0ky2]

After experimenting with several proportions of the 2 salts within the glue cell
I got bored, and combined the two into a superpaturated solution, and allowed it to cool and crystalize.
the remaining mixture is used in a crystal battery.

Since I got no reply on the "best mix" of the two salts, I began my experiments with a baseline test.
For simplicity and cost I decided upon a cell structure of aluminum foil (wrapped into a cylinder, and pinched off at one end)
With a copper wire as the center electrode.
My particular tests will all take place using identical batteries.
The variable will be the % of salts in the compound crystal mixture.

My first mixture consisted of: 6 parts Magnesium Sulfide, 1 part Potassium Chloride.

The ratio of this mixture is very granular, and will not form into a mono-polycrystal structure.
it breaks up into smaller compound salt crystals, which can be packed into the battery housing.

A Majority of the salt that reforms is MgSO4. Which is hydrophilic,
and naturally takes on the 7th hydrate crystalline structure known as Epsomite. (MgSO4*7H2O)
By reacting the Epsomite with the Sylvite in hot water, we create a partial reaction.
Therefore:
Encased in these crystals are two other crystal salt elements:

Defined by the reaction: MgSO4 + 2KCl -> MgCl2 + K2SO4

Essentially, the MgSO4 is "doped" with both Magnesium Chloride and Potassium Sulfate (Arcanite).

a true reaction would take place at a ratio of 1:2
My first test cells use a 6:1 ratio, and I will increase the amount of KCl and record voltage and current from each cell.

Initial testing gives 0.5V per cell, with a current of 0.6-0.8ma
I plan to link several cells in series and parallel to build a more powerful battery.

will posts results as they come in, and maybe some pics once I get my process ironed out.

[sm0ky2]

I completed a test of 4 cells, using a 6:1 ratio; solid crystal mixture
My data sheet contains results for each of the 4 cells, but since I was fairly consistent....
they are basically the same data to within .001v

each cell produced 0.54V DC, with a short circuit current (?) of 0.05ma [see note at bottom]

2 series (x2 in parallel)
0.94V, 0.015ma [ I found that one of the cells may have been shorting out during this test]

4 series
1.825V , 0.01ma

4 parallel
0.4V , 0.15ma

[note: the current of each individual cell depleted when shorted across the meter, it recovered to the maximum almost immediately, similar to an electret effect. This seemed to stabilize when multiple cells were connected in parallel]

More testing to follow, with ratios of 3:1,  2:1,  1:1, and finally 1:2 (complete reaction, wherein no MgSO4 is left)