I wrote this down a few years ago but can't remember if this type of battery has a name or even what source(s) I got the information from but here is how to make a homemade battery:
1) Create Potassium carbonate (potash):
1a) Soak plant ashes in a pot of
water.
1b) Refine Potash into pearl
ash (optional)
2) Create Calcium oxide (quicklime):
2a) Burn limestone or seashells at 825 °C (1,517 °F) to remove
carbon dioxide.
3) Create Calcium hydroxide (slacked lime):
3a) Mix quicklime with water. CaO + H2O → Ca(OH)2
3) Create Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash):
3a) Add potassium carbonate to calcium hydroxide precipitating calcium carbonate
3b) Filter off calcium carbonate and boil the rest leaving potassium hydroxide.
Ca(OH)2 + K2CO3 → CaCO3 + 2 KOH
3c) alternatively use electrolysis:
2 KCl + 2 H2O → 2 KOH + Cl2 + H2
4)Annodize steel:
4a) Apply DC voltage at 2.6V for 6min to steel (positive) in a caustic potash bath heated to 90C with another piece of steel as the electrode (negative) also in the bath.
4b) Apply WD40 to increase the lifespan of the steel (optional)
5)Annodize copper:
5a) Repeat steps 4a-b for copper.
6)Wrap materials:
6a) Wrap copper in tissue.
6b) Wrap steel in carbon felt (welding blanket) (or any carbon flame retardant or graphite/diamond coat) although carbon felt can go on either the copper or steel oxide.
7) Build Battery:
Electrolyte = caustic potash
Negative electrode = annodized copper
Positive electrode = annodized steel
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