Patent US4436796A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4436796A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
All-solid electrodes with mixed conductor matrix
Assignee: United States Department of Energy
•
Filing: 1981-07-30
•
Granted: 1984-03-13
•
Expires: 2001-07-30
Abstract
Abstract Alkali metal based electrochemical cells offer a great deal of promise for applications in many areas such as electric vehicles and load leveling purposes in stationary power plants. Lithium is an attractive candidate as the electroactive species in such cells since lithium is very electropositive, abundant and light weight. One type of lithium-based cell utilizes a molten salt electrolyte and normally is operated at elevated temperatures. The subject invention provides an electrochemical cell in one embodiment of which lithium is the electroactive species. The cell comprises an electrolyte, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode, either or both of which is an all-solid, composite microstructural electrode containing both a reactant phase and a mixed ionic-electronic conducting phase. The cells of the subject invention exhibit improved kinetic features, current and power densities. Repeated charging and discharging of these cells can be accomplished without appreciable loss of capacity.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert A. Huggins
- 👤 Bernard A. Boukamp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:51
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M4/00; H01M4/02; H01M4/13; H01M4/36; H01M4/38; H01M4/40; H01M4/64; H01M4/66; H01M4/661; H01M2300/00; H01M2300/0017; H01M2300/0048; H01M4/405; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
36 words
An electrochemical cell comprising: a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, said positive or negative electrode having an all-solid, composite microinstructural morphology and including therein both a reactant phase and a mixed-conducting matrix phase.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
36 words
An electrochemical cell comprising: a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, said positive or negative electrode having an all-solid, composite microinstructural morphology and including therein both a reactant phase and a mixed-conducting matrix phase.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 1, wherein the electroactive species includes a metal or an alloy thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 2, wherein said metal or one metal of said metal alloy is an alkali metal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 3, wherein said metal alloy is lithium-silicon alloy or lithium-aluminum alloy.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 1, wherein said matrix phase includes at least one metal or metal alloy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 5, wherein said metal or one metal of said metal alloy is an alkali metal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 6, wherein said metal alloy is chosen from a group consisting of lithium-tin, lithium-bismuth and lithium-antimony alloys.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 1, wherein both said reactant phase and said conductor phase include a metal or a metal alloy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 8, wherein said metal or metal alloy includes as the electroactive species a metal chosen from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, lead, magnesium, silver and zinc.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes one or more metal salts.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 10, wherein said metal salts include alkali metal halides or nitrates.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
An all-solid composite microstructural electrode for electrochemical cells, having both a reactant phase and a mixed conducting phase comprising: a reactant species; and a mixed ionic-electronic conducting matrix; said reactant species being finely dispersed in said matrix to form a composite; and said composite determining and maintaining the microstructural morphology of said reactant phase.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
An all-solid composite microstructural electrode for electrochemical cells, having both a reactant phase and a mixed conducting phase comprising: a reactant species; and a mixed ionic-electronic conducting matrix; said reactant species being finely dispersed in said matrix to form a composite; and said composite determining and maintaining the microstructural morphology of said reactant phase.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electrode as in claim 12, wherein said reactant species includes a metal or a metal alloy.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
An electrode as in claim 13, wherein said alloy is lithium-silicon or lithium-aluminum alloy.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
An electrode as in claim 13 or claim 14, wherein said metal or metal alloy is finely powdered and uniformly dispersed in said matrix.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
An electrode as in claim 15, wherein said matrix includes a metal or metal alloy.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
An electrode as in claim 16, wherein said metal or at least one metal of said metal alloy is selected from a group consisting of lithium, potassium, sodium, silver, magnesium, zinc, calcium and lead.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
An electrode as in claim 16 or claim 17, wherein said metal alloy is chosen from a group consisting of lithium-antimony, lithium-bismuth and lithium-tin.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
61 words
In an electrochemical cell including lithium as the electroactive species thereof, said cell having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, the improvement comprising: said positive or negative electrode having an all-solid composite microstructural morphology and including therein a reactant phase and a mixed-conducting matrix phase, said matrix phase determining and maintaining the microstructural morphology of said reactant phase.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
61 words
In an electrochemical cell including lithium as the electroactive species thereof, said cell having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, the improvement comprising: said positive or negative electrode having an all-solid composite microstructural morphology and including therein a reactant phase and a mixed-conducting matrix phase, said matrix phase determining and maintaining the microstructural morphology of said reactant phase.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 19, wherein said electrolyte includes one or more metal salts.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 19 or claim 20, wherein said metal salts include alkali metal haldies or nitrates.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 19, wherein said reactant species includes a metal or metal alloy.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
16 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 22, wherein said metal alloy is lithium-silicon or lithium-aluminum alloy.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 19, wherein said matrix phase includes at least one metal or metal alloy.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 24, wherein said metal or metal alloy includes lithium as the electroactive species.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrochemical cell as in claim 25, wherein said metal alloy is chosen from a group consisting of lithium-tin, lithium-bismuth and lithium-antimony alloys.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4048395A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-03-13 | 1987-09-12 | 1988-03-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-03-13 | 1991-09-12 | 1992-03-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-03-13 | 1995-09-12 | 1996-03-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |