US3897265A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electrochemical cells
Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Inc
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Filing: 1973-11-28
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Granted: 1975-07-29
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Expires: 1993-11-28
Abstract
Abstract Electrochemical cells having an oxidizable active anode material, a solid cathode material, and an electrolytic solution between and in contact with the anode and the cathode, the electrolytic solution comprising a liquid covalent inorganic oxyhalide or thiohalide solvent and a solute dissolved therein, the inorganic oxyhalide or thiohalide solvent being the sole oxidant material and sole solvent material in the cell. In a first embodiment of the invention, the cathode comprises a solid, non-consumable, electrically conducting, inert current collector upon the surface of which the inorganic oxyhalide or thiohalide solvent is electrochemically reduced, whereby the inorganic oxyhalide or thiohalide solvent in conjunction with the oxidizable anode serves as a source of electrical energy during operation of the cell. In a second embodiment, the cathode is selected from sulfur and certain of the solid compounds of the Group VI A elements with metallic elements. Such cells have higher open circuit potentials than the open circuit potential calculated from the expected anode-cathode reactions. These higher potentials are attributed to the involvement of the solvent in the electrode reactions.
Inventors
- 👤 James J Auborn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 22:35
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M12/00; H01M12/04; H01M12/06; H01M50/00; H01M50/10; H01M50/147; H01M50/166; H01M50/167; H01M50/171; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49108
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
317 words
A GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL COMPRISING: A FIRST METAL HOUSING HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, SAID CLOSED END HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO ALLOW GAS TO ENTER SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, SAID CLOSED END OF SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING FORMING A FIRST EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR SAID GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL, SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING HAVING MEANS FOR FASTENING SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING TO A SECOND METAL HOUSING, A SECOND METAL HOUSING HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING HAVING A REGION THEREIN FOR RECEIVING AN ANODE MATERIAL, SAID CLOSED END OF SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING FORMING A SECOND EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR SAID GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL, SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING HAVING MEANS FOR FASTENING TO SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, A CATHODE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CURRENT COLLECTING MEMBER, SAID CURRENT COLLECTING MEMBER FORMING ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, A HYDROPHOBIC LAYER ON ONE SIDE OF SAID CATHODE ASSEMBLY AND A SEPARATOR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID CATHODE ASSEMBLY, A SINGLE INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER HAVING AN L-SHAPED CROSS SECTION SHAPE, SAID INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER HAVING A FIRST SURFACE FOR FORMING SEALING CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, SAID INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER HAVING A SECOND SURFACE FOR FORMING SELAING CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING, SAID INSULATING MEMBER HAVING A THIRD SURFACE ABUTTING AGAINST AND EXTENDING PARTIALLY ALONG SAID (A) CATHODE ASSEMBLY TO THEREBY FIRMLY HOLD SAID CATODE ASSEMBLY AGAINST SAID METAL HOUSING, ANODE MATERIAL LOCATED IN SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING TO FORM ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING, SAID ANODE MATERIAL LOCATED ADJACENT SAID SEPARATOR, AND AN ELECTROLYTE IN SAID GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL SO THAT SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING, SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, AND SAID INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER COACT TO SIMULTANEOUSLY SEAL AND MAINTAIN SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING AND SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING IN A LEAKPROOF ELECTROLYTE SEAL.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
317 words
A GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL COMPRISING: A FIRST METAL HOUSING HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, SAID CLOSED END HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO ALLOW GAS TO ENTER SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, SAID CLOSED END OF SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING FORMING A FIRST EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR SAID GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL, SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING HAVING MEANS FOR FASTENING SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING TO A SECOND METAL HOUSING, A SECOND METAL HOUSING HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING HAVING A REGION THEREIN FOR RECEIVING AN ANODE MATERIAL, SAID CLOSED END OF SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING FORMING A SECOND EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR SAID GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL, SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING HAVING MEANS FOR FASTENING TO SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, A CATHODE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CURRENT COLLECTING MEMBER, SAID CURRENT COLLECTING MEMBER FORMING ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, A HYDROPHOBIC LAYER ON ONE SIDE OF SAID CATHODE ASSEMBLY AND A SEPARATOR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID CATHODE ASSEMBLY, A SINGLE INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER HAVING AN L-SHAPED CROSS SECTION SHAPE, SAID INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER HAVING A FIRST SURFACE FOR FORMING SEALING CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, SAID INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER HAVING A SECOND SURFACE FOR FORMING SELAING CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING, SAID INSULATING MEMBER HAVING A THIRD SURFACE ABUTTING AGAINST AND EXTENDING PARTIALLY ALONG SAID (A) CATHODE ASSEMBLY TO THEREBY FIRMLY HOLD SAID CATODE ASSEMBLY AGAINST SAID METAL HOUSING, ANODE MATERIAL LOCATED IN SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING TO FORM ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING, SAID ANODE MATERIAL LOCATED ADJACENT SAID SEPARATOR, AND AN ELECTROLYTE IN SAID GAS DEPOLARIZED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL SO THAT SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING, SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING, AND SAID INSULATING AND SEALING MEMBER COACT TO SIMULTANEOUSLY SEAL AND MAINTAIN SAID FIRST METAL HOUSING AND SAID SECOND METAL HOUSING IN A LEAKPROOF ELECTROLYTE SEAL.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said active anode material is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, and the lanthanide rare earth elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said active anode material is lithium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said active anode material is sodium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said cathode current collector is cupric sulfide or nickel sulfide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said cathode current collector is selenium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said cathode current collector is a metallic selenide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said inorganic solvent is thionyl chloride.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said inorganic solvent is sulfuryl chloride.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said inorganic solvent is a mixture of thionyl chloride and sulfuryl chloride.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
120 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said solute provides at least one anion having the formula X , MX4 , M''X6 , and M''''Cl6 , where M is an element selected from the group consisting of aluminum and boron; M'' is an element selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, arsenic and antimony; M'''' is an element selected from the group consisting of tin, zirconium and titanium; and X is a halogen; said solute further providing at least one cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals, the lanthanides, POCl2 , SOCl , and R4N , where R is a radical selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl and isobutyl.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said solute includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of lithium tetrachloroaluminate, lithium tetrachloroborate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium hexafluoroarsenate, lithium hexafluoroantimonate, lithium hexachloroantimonate, lithium hexachlorostannate, lithium hexachlorozirconate, lithium hexachlorotitanate and lithium chlorosulfate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said solute includes a Lewis acid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
65 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said solute includes a Lewis base having the general formula AmBn, where A is an element selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and the rare earth elements; B is an element selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and oxygen; and m and n are integers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said solute includes a material providing an anion selected from the group consisting of dichloroiodates, dichlorophosphates, perchlorates, chlorosulfates, and adducts of dichlorophosphates with Lewis acids.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein one of the products of the discharge of said cell is the halide of said anode material, the halogen in said halide Originating from said inorganic oxyhalide or thiohalide solvent.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said cathode current collector material is formed in situ during discharge of said cell.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 18 wherein said anode material is lithium.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 18 wherein said cathode material is sulfur.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 18 wherein said cathode material is selected from the group consisting of the oxides, sulfides, selenides, and tellurides of metallic elements.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 18 wherein said inorganic solvent is thionyl chloride.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 18 wherein said inorganic solvent is sulfuryl chloride.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 18 wherein said inorganic solvent is a mixture of thionyl chloride and sulfuryl chloride.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-07-28 | 1979-01-27 | 1979-07-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-07-28 | 1983-01-27 | 1983-07-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-07-28 | 1987-01-27 | 1987-07-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |