Patent EP0146246A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0146246A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Protected metal components
Assignee: Scimat Ltd
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Filing: 1984-11-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-11-01
Abstract
Abstract Sensitive electrical material, e. g. lithium metal electrode material, protected by non-porous fluidimpermeable flexible material whose compositio can be altered, e. g. by solvent extraction of a salt or polymer therefrom, to render the protective material fluid-permeable. When the material is used as a cell electrode, the protective material composition is preferably altered on contact with liquid electrolyte in the cell, thereby converting the protective material into an electrode separator. The sensitive material can be processed, e. g. rolled into thin strips while protected by the non-porous protective material.
Inventors
- 👤 George Barry Park
- 👤 John Anthony Cook
- 👤 Robert Hamilton Mcloughlin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 12:24
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B15/00; B32B15/04; B32B15/08; B32B15/085; H; H01; H01M; H01M10/00; H01M10/05; H01M10/058; B32B27/00; B32B27/32; H01M10/052; H01M4/00; H01M4/02; H01M4/06; H01M4/13; H01M4/36; H01M4/38; H01M4/381; H01M4/382; H01M6/00; H01M6/04; H01M6/06; H01M6/10; H01M6/14; B32B2323/00; B32B2323/04; B32B2323/046; B32B2457/00; B32B2457/10; H01M2004/026; H01M2004/027; H01M2300/00; H01M2300/0017; H01M2300/0025; H01M4/64; H01M4/66; H01M4/661; H01M50/00; H01M50/40; H01M50/46; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49108; Y10T29/49115
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 55
Claim 1
Independent Claim
43 words
An article comprising a continuous metal body at least part of which body is protected by substantially non-porous relatively fluid-impermeable flexible protective material the composition of which can be altered while associated with the metal body to render the protective material relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
An article comprising a continuous metal body at least part of which body is protected by substantially non-porous relatively fluid-impermeable flexible protective material the composition of which can be altered while associated with the metal body to render the protective material relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
An article according to claim 1, wherein the body has been deformed so as to increase its surface area while in contact with the protective material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
64 words
An article comprising a body of sensitive material at least part of which body is protected by substantially non-porous relatively fluid-impermeable flexible protective material, the body having been deformed so as to increase its surface area while in contact with the protective material and the composition of the protective material being alterable while associated with the body to render the protective material relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
An article comprising a body of sensitive material at least part of which body is protected by substantially non-porous relatively fluid-impermeable flexible protective material, the body having been deformed so as to increase its surface area while in contact with the protective material and the composition of the protective material being alterable while associated with the body to render the protective material relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
An article comprising a body of sensitive material at least part of which body is encapsulated by substantially non-porous relatively fluid-impermeable flexible protective material, the composition of which can be altered while associated with the body to render the protective material relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
An article comprising a body of sensitive material at least part of which body is encapsulated by substantially non-porous relatively fluid-impermeable flexible protective material, the composition of which can be altered while associated with the body to render the protective material relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
An article according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the body is a continuous metal body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body is capable of functioning as a continuous electrode when incorporated in an electrical device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body comprises a metal or metal alloy which is malleable under temperatures and pressures which do not unacceptably damage the protective layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article according to any of the prececinq claims wherein the body is flexible.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims wherein the body has lower tensile strength than an equal thickness of the protective material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body comprises an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
An article according to claim 9, wherein the body comprises lithium metal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
An article according to any of the precedinq claims, wherein the body has been deformed while protected by the protective material so as to reduce the thickness of the body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
An article according to claim 12 wherein the body is in the form of a strip or sheet of less than 0.25 millimetres, preferably less than 0.125 millimetres, thickness.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
An article according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the body has been deformed while protected by the protective material so as to change the surface configuration of the metal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body has been arranged while protected by the protective material so as to form an electrochemical cell electrode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective material has been deformed in a way which facilitates the alteration of its composition to render it relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective material composition can be altered as aforesaid independently of any fluid contact.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
An article according to claim 17, wherein the composition can be altered by heating.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
An article according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the protective material composition can be altered as aforesaid by contacting the protective material with a fluid.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
An article according to claim 19 wherein the composition can be altered as aforesaid by contact with a fluid with which the article will come into contact when incorporated in an electrical device.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective material comprises material which is removable to alter the protective material composition as aforesaid.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
An article according to claim 21, wherein the removable material, after removal, is capable of participating in the intended end use function of the article.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
An article according to claim 21 or 22 wherein the removable material can be removed by contact with a liquid with which it will come into contact when assembled in an electrical device in use.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
An article according to claim 23 , wherein the removable material is soluble in non-aqueous liquid capable of use in a lithium cell.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
An article according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the removable material forms an electrolyte solution when contacted with the liquid.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
An article according to any of claims 21 to 25, wherein the removable material is a metal salt.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
An article according to any of claims 21 to 25, wherein the removable material is an organic polymer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
An article according to claim 27, wherein the removable material is polyethylene oxide.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
27 words
An article according to claim 16 and any of claims 21 to 28, wherein the deformation of the protective material facilitates the removal of the removable material.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims wherein the protective material comprises organic polymeric material, preferably a polyolefin.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article according to claim 30, wherein the protective material comprises cross-linked organic ponlvmeric matorial-
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
37 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective material comprises at least on ingredient capable of undergoing a chemical change to alter the composition and thus to render the protective material relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
41 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective material when rendered relatively fluid-permeable is capable of acting as an electrode separator in an electrical device in which the article is to be assembled to provide an electrode.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
29 words
An article according to claim 33 incorporatinq at least one additional material capable of functioning as another component of the said electrical device in addition to the said body.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
22 words
An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective material has an overlying removable layer of relatively fluid-impermeable material.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
13 words
An electrical device incorporating an article according to any of the preceding claims.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
20 words
A device according to claim 36, wherein the protective material has been rendered relatively fluid-permeable by alteration of its composition.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
14 words
A device according to claim 37, wherein the protective material has been rendered porous.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device according to claim 37 or 38 wherein the protective material has been rendered relatively fluid-permeable after incorporation of the article in the device.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
30 words
A device according to claim 39, wherein the protective material has been rendered relatively fluid-permeable by extraction of removable material from the protective material into liquid incorporated in the device.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
40 words
A device according to any of claims 36 to 40 which is a non-aqueous electrochemical cell, in which the said article is arranged so that the body acts as an electrode and the protective material acts as an electrode separator.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
35 words
A method of making an article according to any of claims 1 to 35, comprising (a) providing the said body and (b) coating or enclosing at least part of the body with the protective material.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 42, wherein the protective material is melt extruded onto the body.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 42 or 43, including the step of (d) deforming the body while protected by the protective material.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 44, wherein the deformation reduces the thickness of the body.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 44 or 45, wherein the deformation changes the surface configuration of the body.
Claim 50
Independent Claim
33 words
A method according to any of claims 42 to 46, including the step of (d) deforming the protective material so as to facilitate the alteration of its composition to render it relatively fluid-permeable.
Claim 51
Independent Claim
46 words
A method of making an electrical device, comprising (a) providing an article according to any of claims 1 to 35, (b) altering the composition of the protective material to render it relatively fluid-permeable; and (c) arranging the article to provide a component of the electrical device
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to any of claim 48, wherein the alteration of the protective material composition is effected after the article is incorporated in the device.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 49, wherein the alteration of the protective material composition is effected by contacting the protective material with a liquid within the device.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 50, wherein the liquid component extracts from the protective material a removable material which forms an electrolyte solution in the liquid component.
Claim 55
Independent Claim
40 words
A method according to any of claims 48 to 51, wherein the protective material is overlaid by a removable layer of relatively fluid-impermeable material, including the additional step of removing the removable layer before incorporating the article in the device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2942050A
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GB968285A
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Cited
US3721113A
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US4366616A
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