Leclanché, Georges (1839–1882)

French engineer. In 1866 he invented a primary electrical cell, the Leclanché cell, which is still the basis of most dry batteries.

A Leclanché cell consists of a carbon rod (the anode) inserted into a mixture of powdered carbon and manganese dioxide contained in a porous pot, which sits in a glass jar containing an electrolyte (conducting medium) of ammonium chloride solution, into which a zinc cathode is inserted. The cell produces a continuous current, the carbon mixture acting as a depolarizer; that is, it prevents hydrogen bubbles from forming on the anode and increasing resistance. In a dry battery, the electrolyte is made in the form of a paste with starch.

Leclanché was born in Paris. In 1867 he gave up his job as a railway engineer to devote all his time to the improvement of the cell's design. He was successful in having it adopted by the Belgian Telegraphic Service in 1868, and the Leclanché cell rapidly came into general use wherever an intermittent supply of electricity was needed.