EP0140693A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrodes made with disordered active material and methods of making the same
Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices Inc
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Filing: 1984-10-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-10-26
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides an electrode (15, 115, 165, 225) which uses a disordered active material (15, 115, 165, 225) preferably formed by rapid solidification. The active material does not need a binder to be used as an electrode, and thus, is considered self-supporting. The material also is substantially nonporous or impermeable to an electrolyte and when used as an electrode exhibits an increase in cell capacity with improved resistance to corrosion. An electrochemical cell (10, 85, 100, 150, 200) and battery (75) utilizing an electrode of the present invention provides greatly improved cycle life and energy density without a significant decrease in cell capacity. Methods of making the electrode by rapidly solidifying a disordered material are also included. A method of assembling an electrochemical cell using a self-supporting electrode includes the step of producing a disordered active material and aligning the material in a predetermined position in a cell casing.
Inventors
- 👤 John E. Keem
- 👤 Russell C. Custer
- 👤 Richard C. Bergeron
- 👤 R. William Mccallum
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 10:26
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M4/00; H01M4/02; H01M4/24; H01M10/00; H01M10/04; H01M10/0413; H01M10/045; H01M10/34; H01M10/345; H01M4/242; H01M4/26; H01M4/36; H01M4/38; H01M4/383; H01M6/00; H01M6/04; H01M6/06; H01M6/10; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50; Y10; Y10S; Y10S420/00; Y10S420/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
19 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) for use in an electrochemical cell (10,85,100,150) said electrode characterized by a disordered active material (15,115,165,225).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) for use in an electrochemical cell (10,85,100,150) said electrode characterized by a disordered active material (15,115,165,225).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by the structure of said material (15,115,165,225) being selected from a group consisting of amorphous, microcrystalline, polycrystalline, and a mixture combining more than one of these structures.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said disordered material (15,115,165,225) being formed by rapid solidification.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by the tensile properties of said material (15,115,165,225) being anisotropic.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) being substantially nonporous to an electrolyte.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) having a density not less than 5 g/cc nor greater than 8 g/cc.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including a surface for operative contact with an electrolyte and a coating disposed on said surface, said coating having means for increasing the rate of exchange of electrons between said surface and the remainder of said material relative to a material having an uncoated surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
- An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 7, wherein said coating comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium, and palladium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including titanium, nickel, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of zirconium, aluminum, tin, indium, lead, rare earth metals, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, vanadium, niobium, magnesium, molybdenum, palladium, silicon, boron, carbon, and hafnium.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including nickel and at least one element selected from the group consisting of niobium, vanadium, silicon, boron, and carbon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 10, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including at least one element selected from the group consisting of zirconium, aluminum, tin, indium, lead, rare earth metals, chromium, copper, iron, cobalt, magnesium, molybdenum, palladium, and hafnium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including: at least about 40 atomic percent, but not in excess of about 75 atomic percent of titanium; at least about 15 atomic percent, but not in excess of about 55 atomic percent of nickel; and at least a trace amount, but not in excess of about 15 atomic percent of aluminum.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 12, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including at least one element selected from a group consisting of niobium, zirconium, vanadium, and hafnium.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 13, further characterized by said selected element being present in an amount not in excess of about 11 atomic percent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
83 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 1, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including: at least about 5 atomic percent, but not in excess of about 55 atomic percent of titanium; at least about 30 atomic percent, but not in excess of about 60 atomic percent of nickel; at least about 10 atomic percent, but not in excess of about 20 atomic percent of niobium; and at least about 3 atomic percent but not in excess of about 10 atomic percent of zirconium.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electrode (15,115,165,225) according to claim 15, further characterized by said material (15,115,165,225) including about 5 atomic percent of .vanadium.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
80 words
An electrochemical cell (10,85,100,150,200) including: at least one electrode means (15,115,165,225) for storing energy; at least one counter-electrode means (30,125,155,205) providing for the release of the energy stored in said electrode means, said counter-electrode means positioned in said cell and spaced in operative contact with said electrode means; and a casing (60) having said electrode means and said counter-electrode means positioned therein; said electrode means characterized by an electrode having a disordered active material (15,115,165,225) as defined in claim 1.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A cell (10,85,100,150,200) according to claim 17, further characterized by a plurality of said cells (85) comprising a battery (75).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
92 words
A cell (10,85,100) according to claim 17, further characterized by said electrode means (15,115) including a plurality of substantially flat sheets (15,115) of said material, a plurality of electrically conductive tabs (20,110) is interleafed between said plurality of sheets of said tabs being in partial contact with at least one sheet, a buss tab (25) in electrical contact with said plurality of tabs; said counter electrode means (30,125) includes at least one substantially flat sheet (40); and, a substantially flat separator (35) physically disposed between said electrode means and said counter-electrode means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
53 words
A cell (150) according to claim 17, further characterized by said counter-electrode means (155) including a flat rectangular body (155) and a separator (160) physically covering said body; and, said electrode means (165) further includes a ribbon (165) of said material wound about said body to substantially cover the surface of said body.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
A cell (150) according to claim 20, further characterized by said flat rectangular body (155) having sawtooth-like edges (180) adapted to receive said ribbon (165) as it is diagonally wound about the axes of said flat rectangular body.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
66 words
A cell (200) according to claim 17, further characterized by said counter-electrode means (205) including a rod-like body (205) and a separator (210) physically covering said body; and, said electrode means (215) further includes a plurality of washer-like bodies (215) of said material, each of said washer-like bodies having a center hole (220), said rod-like body disposed through the hole of each of said washer-like bodies.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
A cell (100) according to claim 17, further characterized by said electrode means (15,115) and counter-electrode means (30,125) being spirally wound about an axis (105) in a jelly-roll configuration.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
32 words
A method of assembling an electrochemical cell using a self-supporting electrode characterized by the steps of: producing a disordered active material; aligning said electrode in a predetermined position in a cell casing.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
32 words
A method of assembling an electrochemical cell using a self-supporting electrode characterized by the steps of: producing a disordered active material; aligning said electrode in a predetermined position in a cell casing.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 24, further characterized by said producing step including rapidly solidifying said disordered material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 24, further characterized by said method including the step of depositing at least one element selected from the group of nickel, titanium, and palladium on the surface of said material for operative contact with an electrolyte, said depositing step being subsequent to said producing step.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 24, further characterized by said method including the step of winding said material in operative contact with a counter electrode, said winding step being subsequent to said producing step.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 24, further characterized by said method including the step of stamping out a predetermined configuration from said material, said stamping step being subsequent to said producing step.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
16 words
A method of preparing an electrode characterized by the step of rapidly solidifying a disordered material.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
16 words
A method of preparing an electrode characterized by the step of rapidly solidifying a disordered material.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 29, further characterized by said method including the step of depositing at least one element selected from the group of nickel, titanium, and palladium on the surface of said material for operative contact with an electrolyte, said depositing step being subsequent to said solidifying step.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 29, further characterized by said method including the step of winding said material in operative contact with a counter electrode, said winding step being subsequent to said solidifying step.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 29, further characterized by said method including the step of stamping out a predetermined configuration from said material, said stamping step being subsequent to said solidifying step.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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