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US4397730A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrolytic cells with alkaline electrolytes containing trifluoromethylane sulfonic acid

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1982-06-30
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Granted: 1983-08-09
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Expires: 2002-06-30
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Abstract

Abstract An electrolytic system is provided with a gas fed cathode in contact with an electrolyte to which an additive of trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TFMSA) is added. The system can be employed in fuel cells, industrial electrolytic cells for production of gases such as chlorine, and in metal-air batteries. Preferably the porous cathode incorporates a catalyst such as gold, platinum, palladium, silver, and spinels of Ni and Co. The supply of fluid to the anode of the fuel cell is a hydrocarbon or H 2 dissolved in NaOH. Oxygen or air is supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell. In the industrial electrolytic cell, the anodic source of fluid and electrolyte is brine solution, and the cathodic electrolyte is dilute caustic. In the metal-air battery, an anodic solution of NaOH is supplied to an anode of Al, Ga, Zn, etc. The cathodic solution and configuration are the same as with the fuel cell.

Inventors

  • 👤 Perminder S. Bindra

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 00:29
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M8/00; H01M8/08; C; C25; C25B; C25B1/00; C25B1/01; C25B1/34; C25B1/46; H01M12/00; H01M12/02; H01M12/04; H01M12/06; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 39 words
An electrolytic system with an anode electrode and a cathode electrode and at least one electrolyte between said anode and said cathode and said electrolyte plus TFMSA being included in a solution together between said cathode and said anode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 39 words
An electrolytic system with an anode electrode and a cathode electrode and at least one electrolyte between said anode and said cathode and said electrolyte plus TFMSA being included in a solution together between said cathode and said anode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 23 words
An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said electrodes is composed of a porous gas fed structure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 34 words
An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said electrode structure incorporates a catalyst of a material selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, silver and spinels of Ni and Co.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 100 words
An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said electrolyte comprises an alkaline solution of KOH and TFMSA, said cathode comprises a porous material composed of carbon, with said cathode being supplied with a source of oxygen gas, and with said anode being composed of a porous dimensionally stable material with a source of a fuel material supplied to the opposite surface of said anode from said electrolyte whereby said electrolyte is supplied with fuel and oxygen to produce electrical energy between said anode and said cathode as a result of oxidation facilitated by said TFMSA.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 1 wherein an industrial electrolytic cell for manufacture of gas includes a liquid electrolyte.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said cell includes an ion exchange membrane with electrolytes on opposite sides of said membrane in contact with said cathode and said anode respectively.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 35 words
A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein one of said electrolytes is a solution of a salt and the other of said electrolytes comprises an electrolyte adapted to consume the cations from said salt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
A system in accordance with claim 7 wherein one of said electrolytes comprises a basic solution of a cation combined with said halide forming a halide salt.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 24 words
A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said halide salt comprises NaCl in a brine solution and the other electrolyte is caustic NaOH.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 18 words
A system in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein said electrode structure incorporates gold as a catalyst.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 17 words
A system in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said system comprises a metal-air battery.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 51 words
A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said metal-air battery includes an anodic electrolyte and said anode which react to provide battery action betwen said anode and said cathode. In other words the action of the electrolyte on the anode is to react with the anode and to yield electrons.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 33 words
A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the said anode comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga and Zn and said anodic electrolyte comprises NaOH in aqueous solution.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3379573A Cited
US3592696A Cited
US3948681A Cited
US4074028A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1986-08-08 1987-02-07 1987-08-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1990-08-08 1991-02-07 1991-08-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1994-08-08 1995-02-07 1995-08-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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