Gassner, Carl

Published: August 22, 2008, 4:25 am

Updated: April 14, 2012, 2:30 pm

Lead Author: Cutler J. Cleveland

Topics:

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This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Tom Lawrence

Gassner's dry cell battery

Carl Gassner (1839-1882), a German scientist who invented the first dry cell battery in 1888. Gassner used zinc as the container for the other battery elements as well as for the negative electrode. In Gassner's design, the electrolyte was absorbed by a porous material and the cell was sealed across the top. This cell was easy to handle and portable, thus becoming the modern carbon-zinc, general-purpose battery. Gassner was also the first to add zinc chloride to the electrolyte, which reduces the corrosion of zinc when the cell is idle, adding considerably to the cell’s useful life.

Further Reading
Gassner - Biography (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Chemistry)
History of Batteries (British Battery Manufacturers Association)
The Dry-Cell Battery (Kapi'olani Community College Library, Honolulu, Hawai'i)

Citation

Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Gassner, Carl". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 22, 2008; Last revised Date April 14, 2012; Retrieved June 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Gassner,_Carl>

The Author

Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)