Abstract:
PRODUCTION OF FLEXIBLE ENVELOPE FORMED OF FLEXIBLE SHEETS HEAT SEALED TOGETHER ALONG EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF, SAID FLEXIBLE ENVELOPE HAVING HIGH RESISTANCE TO ALKALI ATTACK AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD, THE HEAT SEALED BOND BEING RESISTANT TO DELAMINATION OF THE BONDED SHEETS AND PROVIDING A STRONG BOND, BY HEAT SEALING SUCH FLEXIBLE SHEETS, E.G. FORMED OF A CHRYSOTILE ASBESTOS (PURE FUEL CELL GRADE), EMPLOYING A SEALANT IN THE FORM PREFERABLY OF A MIXTURE OF NEOPRENE AND POLYSULFONE. THE RESULTING FLEXIBLE ENVELOPE CAN BE COATED WITH A FLEXIBLE SUBSTANTIALLY INORGANIC FILM BY DIP-COATING IN A MIXTURE PREFERABLY OF A MAJOR PORTION OF AN INORGANIC OR CERAMIC SEPARATOR MATERIAL, A MINOR PORTION OF POTASSIUM TITANATE IN SHORT FIBER FORM, AND A MINOR PORTION OF INORGANIC POLYMER, E.G. POLYPHENYLENE OXIDE, DISSOLVED IN A SUITABLE SOLVENT SUCH AS CHLOROFORM. THE RESULTING POROUS CHRYSOTILE ASBESTOS SEPARATOR ENVELOPE HEAT SEALED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND HAVING A FLEXIBLE COATING THEREON AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, CAN SERVE AS AN ELECTRODE COMPARTMENT FOR A BATTERY ELECTRODE, E.G. A ZINC ELECTRODE INSERTED THEREIN, AND SUCH SEPARATOR-ELECTRODE UNIT INCORPORATED IN A BATTERY IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION WITHOTHER ELECTRODES, SUCH AS SILVER ELECTODES, THE FLEXIBLE ELECTRODE COMPARTMENT BEING RESISTANT TO SHORTING BY PENETRATION OF ELECTRODE MATERIAL INTO THE SEALED EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SEPARATOR ENVELOPE.
Abstract:
Production of a flexible battery separator, according to one embodiment, by dip-coating an electrode such as a silver or zinc electrode in a mixture of a major portion of an inorganic or ceramic separator material, a minor portion of potassium titanate, and a minor portion of a mixture of organic substances including an organic polymer, e.g., polyphenylene oxide, and a material or ester derived from certain acids such as azelaic acid, e.g., di-isooctyl azelate or polypropylene polyazelate, such mixture of organic substances being dissolved in a suitable solvent such as chloroform. The electrode is placed in the mixture, preferably maintained under vibration, and stirred, the electrode and applied coating are removed from the mixture, and the coating is air-dried to remove solvent and is cured at elevated temperature. Alternatively, such a flexible separator can be formed on any suitable supporting surface, such as glass plate, and the resulting flexible separator stripped from such plate to produce a flexible porous, substantially inorganic separator membrane for incorporation between the electrodes of a battery. Alternatively, a flexible porous substrate or matrix, preferably in the form of a compartment for insertion therein of a battery electrode, can be placed in the above-noted mixture of inorganic material and organic substances, the substrate and applied coating removed from the mixture, and the coating dried to remove solvent and cured at elevated temperature. In each case, the separator film (a) applied directly on the battery electrode, or (b) cast as a flexible free film, or (c) coated on or impregnated into a flexible matrix, has improved high flexibility and low resistivity properties, and has high resistance to alkali and to elevated temperatures, and is smooth and uniform in thickness.
Abstract:
PRODUCTION OF AN IMPROVED SEPARATOR HAVING EXTENDED LIFE, PATRICULARLY OVER A LARGE NUMBER OF DEEP DISCHARGE CYCLES WHEN EMPLOYED IN A HIGH ENERGY DENSITY BATTERY, SUCH AS A SILVER-ZINC BATTERY, BY OVERCOATING A RIGID INORGANIC SEPARATOR, WITH A THIN LAYER OF A FLEXIBLE SUBSTANTIALLY INORGANIC SEPARATOR FILM, THE INORGANIC MATERIAL OF THE RIGID SEPARATOR AND OF THE FLEXIBLE OVERCOATING BEING THE SAME, OR DIFFERENT, INORGANIC MATERIALS. THUS THE INORGANIC SEPARATOR MATERIAL FOR THE RIGID SEPARATOR AND FLEXIBLE OVERCOATING CAN BE A SOLID SOLUTION OF MAGNESIUM SILICATE AND IRON SILICATE; OR THE INORGANIC MATERIAL OF THE RIGID SEPARATOR CAN BE THE LATTER INORGANIC MATERIAL AND THE INORGANIC MATERIAL OF THE FLEXIBLE SEPARATOR CAN BE ZIRCONIA.
Abstract:
Production of a separator, preferably in the form of a compartment, for insertion therein of a battery electrode, preferably by dip-coating a flexible porous substrate, e.g., potassium titanate paper or nylon, in a mixture preferably of a major portion of an inorganic or ceramic separator material, a minor portion of potassium titanate in short fiber form, and a minor portion of an organic polymer, e.g., polyphenylene oxide, dissolved in a suitable solvent such as chloroform. The flexible porous substrate is placed in the mixture, preferably maintained under vibration, and stirred; the substrate and applied coating are removed from the mixture, and the coating is dried to remove solvent and is cured at elevated temperature. The resulting porous separator, coated, filled or impregnated with the above mixture, has low resistivity, is smooth and uniform in thickness, and is flexible, and has high resistance to alkali and to elevated temperatures. Preferably the flexible porous substrate is first formed into a box or bag and then treated with the above mixture to form a separator. An electrode, such as a zinc electrode, is inserted in the bag either before or after coating and impregnation. Alternatively, a film or sheet of the substrate is treated with the above mixture to form a flexible separator, and the resulting flexible separator is then formed into a boxlike configuration for receiving an electrode, or is wrapped around an electrode or electrodes.
Abstract:
Production of flexible matrix having high resistance to alkali attack at elevated temperature over an extended period, by contacting a chrysotile asbestos (pure fuel cell grade) mat with polyphenylene oxide, to substantially uniformly impregnate the mat with such polyphenylene oxide. The resulting polyphenylene oxide impregnated mat, e.g. in box or envelope form, can be coated with a flexible substantially inorganic film by dipcoating in a mixture preferably of a major portion of an inorganic or cermic separator material, a minor portion of potassium titanate in short fiber form, and a minor portion of an organic polymer, e.g. polyphenylene oxide, dissolved in a suitable solvent such as chloroform. The resulting porous chrysotile asbestos separator uniformly impregnated with polyphenylene oxide and having a flexible coating thereon as described above, has low electrical resistivity, is smooth and uniform in thickness, is highly flexible, and has markedly improved resistance to alkali at elevated temperatures over an extended period. When formed into a box, bag or envelope, an electrode such as a zinc electrode, can be inserted into the box or bag-shaped flexible porous battery separator above, and incorporated in a battery in side-by-side relation with other electrodes, such as silver electrodes.
Abstract:
Production of a sintered metal matrix which is uniform, and maintains its shape without collapse or distortion, for use particularly as an electrode matrix for a high-rate, high-energy density battery, by a process which comprises, according to one embodiment, dipping a spongelike material such as a polyurethane sponge in a slurry of a plastic binder which decomposes at a higher temperature than the spongelike material, such as polyphenylene oxide, dissolved in a solvent such as chloroform, and containing a sinterable metallic constituent such as a mixture of silver and silver oxide, air-drying the resulting coated spongelike material, heating the dried and coated spongelike material to a temperature causing decomposition of the spongelike material, leaving a matrix of the plastic binder and sinterable metallic constituent, further heating at a higher temperature the latter remaining matrix, causing a partial sintering of the metallic constituent followed by decomposition of the plastic binder, the partially sintered metallic matrix being sufficiently well formed to avoid slumping or distortion of the matrix, and further heating and sintering the remaining matrix to provide a strong porous matrix. The porous matrix itself can be used as an electrode, or the pores of the matrix can be filled with active battery electrode material such as zinc, by suitable means as by application of pressure, to form a high-strength high-capacity electrode for a high-rate high-energy density battery.