Ibpointless2 Crystal Cells

[NickZ]

  PhiChaser:
  Copper and carbon together will not make a good cell.  Carbon and aluminum, or copper and aluminum will work.  Although magnesium works better than aluminum, if you can find it.  The two different metals or carbon can not touch each other, or they will short out the cell,  and need to have an electrolyte separator. This can just be a wet paper towel, or the salts combo that Ib2 has mentioned.
  The exception to the above is carbon or charcoal, (aquarium activated carbon), as it can be used without an additional electrolyte between the aluminum metal and the carbon. 
  I don't know about carbon tubes, or their use in making these cells, but it may be worth a try.

[PhiChaser]

  PhiChaser:
  Copper and carbon together will not make a good cell.  Carbon and aluminum, or copper and aluminum will work.  Although magnesium works better than aluminum, if you can find it.  The two different metals or carbon can not touch each other, or they will short out the cell,  and need to have an electrolyte separator. This can just be a wet paper towel, or the salts combo that Ib2 has mentioned.
  The exception to the above is carbon or charcoal, (aquarium activated carbon), as it can be used without an additional electrolyte between the aluminum metal and the carbon. 
  I don't know about carbon tubes, or their use in making these cells, but it may be worth a try.

I KNOW that Nick! Perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly: I already HAVE carbon TUBES which work just fine for electrodes (instead of copper) I can insert the copper wire INTO the carbon tubes for connecting the carbon to other things via the copper (since everything is made to connect to copper, see?)... The copper doesn't touch the electrolyte, just the carbon. I'm wondering whether the Cu will react in some way to the carbon (or vice versa).
Carbon and Aluminum are what I'm using for electrodes. I know Al and Cu try to oxidise when you touch them directly.
I guess my question still remains: Will copper wire corrode in a carbon tube? I'm guessing not much? Seems like a no brainer for getting from carbon to copper electrically without getting your copper oxidized by the electrolyte.
Whatcha think fellas?!?
Larger carbon tubes with aluminum 'cores' might work just as well as aluminum tubes with carbon 'cores', maybe better? Not gonna spend the money on that kind of stuff until I do a lot more testing... Salt sub and a dash of H2O (from several days ago) is still sitting at around 0.9v and discharges a LOT slower than the epsom salt H2O mixture (which starts at a bit over 0.6v and drops fast!).
Might go get a small container of wood putty and see if a wood putty battery will work... Still need to get some alum... Ah well, one thing at a time.
Happy experimenting!!
PC

[NickZ]

  I think that there will be oxydation between the carbon and the copper wire, if that is your question. At least I have seen it on my dry carbon cells, where the copper wire connects to the carbon, the copper gets oxydized and will need to be cleaned off to work properly. One of the reasons that my dry carbon cells lose power after a while. But, once that copper oxide layer is cleaned off the copper, cells works fine again.  So, maybe keep the copper connection out of the cell to avoid that corrosion.

[ibpointless2]

Phi,


The carbon will not corrode when touching copper. Both are not very reactive but the copper might turn green which is not harmful but if the copper turns black than that can lead to bad things. Carbon won't corroding easily in room temperature, you need high heat. I think Gold will corrode faster than carbon would.


Carbon would be a great electrode to use.






@all


Something to keep in mind. In physics nothing can never be created or destroyed, so when your metal is corroding its not being destroyed. Its in fact being converted to something else. Usually Hydrogen is given off and the electrode becomes its oxide of itself, magnesium becomes magnesium oxide. This is something to keep in mind.

[PhiChaser]

Phi,


The carbon will not corrode when touching copper. Both are not very reactive but the copper might turn green which is not harmful but if the copper turns black than that can lead to bad things. Carbon won't corroding easily in room temperature, you need high heat. I think Gold will corrode faster than carbon would.


Carbon would be a great electrode to use.






@all


Something to keep in mind. In physics nothing can never be created or destroyed, so when your metal is corroding its not being destroyed. Its in fact being converted to something else. Usually Hydrogen is given off and the electrode becomes its oxide of itself, magnesium becomes magnesium oxide. This is something to keep in mind.

Was thinking that pultruded (I think is the term) carbon tubing (or rods) wouldn't corrode too badly in whatever electrolyte they are sitting in. If the copper doesn't react to direct contact with those then that is a good thing.
I got some Elmer's wood putty tonight and made three 'batteries' in plastic bottle lids; Electolyte was just the wood putty on my 'baseline' test... It measured a bit higher than just water so these things will be giving more useful measurements in a week (I hope!)... 1/4 teaspoon of salt sub measured 0.8v and the third had a bit more and hit about 0.75v so really, inconclusive at this point. I tested 0.8v+ from the moist putty right out of the container and using aluminum and carbon as my 'leads' but dropped to 0.5v pretty quickly. Will find out in a few days what the 'dry' cells are putting out...
PC
EDIT: Uploaded a pic of my three wood putty batteries.