Metal current carrier for electrochemical cell electrodes

Claim 2

A metal current carrier for use in fabricating thin electrochemical cell electrodes which carrier comprises: a thin metal screen having disposed on at least one side thereof a thin porous layer of coarse metal particles having a particle size of from about 4.1 to 5.8 mils, said metal particles at least partially filling the multiple openings in the metal screen and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen, said porous layer providing a rough textured, high surface area interface for cohesively bonding an active layer to the metal screen.

Claim 3

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the thin layer of coarse metal particles are coated with a metal catalyst.

Claim 4

A metal current carrier according to claim 2 in which the metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold and silver.

Claim 5

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the thin metal screen is a nickel screen and in which the thin layer of coarse particles comprises nickel particles.

Claim 6

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the thin metal screen is a nickel screen and in which the thin porous layer of coarse metal particles comprises silver particles.

Claim 7

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the void volume of the thin porous layer of coarse metal particles is between about 60 and 85% voids.

Claim 8

A metal current carrier according to claim 6 wherein the void volume is between about 75 and 85% voids.

Claim 9

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the thin porous layer of the coarse metal particles fills substantially all of the open spaces in the metal screen.

Claim 10

A metal current carrier according to claim 8 in which the void volume of the thin porous layer of coarse metal particles is at least about 60% voids.

Claim 11

A metal current carrier according to claim 8 in which the thin layer of coarse metal particles are coated with a metal catalyst.

Claim 12

A metal current carrier according to claim 10 in which the metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold and silver.

Claim 13

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the metal screen is a wire mesh woven in a substantially square configuration.

Claim 14

A metal current carrier according to claim 11 in which the mesh size of the woven screen is between 30×30 mesh and 100×100 mesh.

Claim 15

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the metal screen is a wire mesh woven in a substantially rectangular configuration.

Claim 16

A metal current carrier according to claim 13 in which the wire mesh is woven from 2 mil wire and has an opening size of about 8 mils.

Claim 17

A metal current carrier according to claim 1 in which the metal particles are of a size that is no greater than one-half the minimum spacing between the wires in the wire mesh nor less than about one-twentieth the minimum spacing between the wires in the wire mesh.

Claim 18

A metal current carrier according to claim 16 in which the metal particles are of a size which will pass a 100 Tyler mesh but rest on a 150 Tyler mesh screen.

Claim 19

An electrochemical cell electrode which comprises, in combination: (a) a thin metal screen which serves as both a conductive member and mechanical support; (b) a thin porous layer containing coarse metal particles disposed on one side of the metal screen and at least partially filling the multiple openings in the screen, the coarse metal particles having a particle size from about 4.1 to 5.8 mils, and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen; (c) a porous active layer disposed adjacent to the layer of coarse metal particles, said layer of coarse metal particles providing a rough textured, high surface area interfacial layer which cohesively bonds the active layer to the metal screen; and (d) a gas-permeable, electrolyte-repellent layer disposed adjacent to the active layer and constituting the gas side of the electrode.

Claim 20

An electrochemical cell electrode which comprises, in combination: (a) a thin metal screen which serves as both a conductive member and mechanical support; (b) a thin porous layer containing coarse metal particles disposed on one side of the metal screen and at least partially filling the multiple openings in the screen, the coarse metal particles having a particle size from about 4.1 to 5.8 mils, and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen; (c) a porous active layer disposed adjacent to the layer of coarse metal particles, said layer of coarse metal particles providing a rough textured, high surface area interfacial layer which cohesively bonds the active layer to the metal screen; and (d) a gas-permeable, electrolyte-repellent layer disposed adjacent to the active layer and constituting the gas side of the electrode.

Claim 21

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 18 in which the thin porous layer of coarse metal particles is coated with a metal catalyst.

Claim 22

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 19 in which the metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold and silver.

Claim 23

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 18 in which the thin metal screen is a nickel wire mesh and in which the thin porous layer of coarse metal particles comprises nickel particles.

Claim 24

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 18 in which the thin metal screen is a nickel wire mesh and in which the thin porous layer of coarse metal particles comprises silver particles.

Claim 25

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 18 in which the void volume of the layer of metal particles is between about 60 and 85% voids.

Claim 26

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 18 in which the coarse metal particles of the thin porous layer substantially fill all of the openings in the metal screen.

Claim 27

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 18 in which the porous active layer comprises particles of activated carbon, graphite or a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel and silver.

Claim 28

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 25 in which the porous active layer comprises particles of activated carbon and a plastic binder and in which the plastic binder is an electrolyte-repellant material.

Claim 29

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 26 in which the plastic binder is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyperfluorochloroethylene, and polyvinyl chloride.

Claim 30

An electrochemical cell electrode according to claim 18 in which the gas-permeable, electrolyte-repellant layer is composed of a plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polystyrene, polytetrafluorochloroethylene, and polyvinyl chloride.

Claim 33

A method according to claim 29 in which the layer of coarse metal particles is pressed against the metal screen after sintering in order to fill the openings in the screen and to densify the current carrier structure.

Claim 34

A method according to claim 29 in which the thin layer of coarse metal particles are coated with a metal catalyst.

Claim 35

A method according to claim 31 in which the metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold and silver.

Claim 36

A metal current carrier for use in fabricating thin electrochemical cell electrodes which carrier comprises: a thin metal woven screen having disposed on at least one side thereof a thin porous layer of coarse metal particles wherein the woven screen has a mesh size of between 30×30 mesh and 100×100 mesh and wherein the metal particles have a particle size of from about 4.1 to 5.8 mils, said metal particles at least partially filling the multiple openings in the metal screen and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen, said thin porous layer having a void volume of between about 60 and 85% voids.

Claim 37

A metal current carrier for use in fabricating thin electrochemical cell electrodes which carrier comprises: a thin metal woven screen having disposed on at least one side thereof a thin porous layer of coarse metal particles wherein the woven screen has a mesh size of between 30×30 mesh and 100×100 mesh and wherein the metal particles have a particle size of from about 4.1 to 5.8 mils, said metal particles at least partially filling the multiple openings in the metal screen and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen, said thin porous layer having a void volume of between about 60 and 85% voids.

Claim 38

A metal current carrier for use in fabricating thin electrochemical cell electrodes which carrier comprises: a thin metal woven screen having disposed on at least one side thereof a thin porous layer of solid, coarse, catalytic metal particles wherein the woven screen has a mesh size of between 30×30 mesh and 100×100 mesh and wherein the catalytic particles have a particle size of from about 4.1 to 5.8 mils, said catalytic metal particles at least partially filling the multiple openings in the metal screen and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen, said thin porous layer having a void volume of between about 60 and 85% voids.

Claim 39

A metal current carrier for use in fabricating thin electrochemical cell electrodes which carrier comprises: a thin metal woven screen having disposed on at least one side thereof a thin porous layer of solid, coarse, catalytic metal particles wherein the woven screen has a mesh size of between 30×30 mesh and 100×100 mesh and wherein the catalytic particles have a particle size of from about 4.1 to 5.8 mils, said catalytic metal particles at least partially filling the multiple openings in the metal screen and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen, said thin porous layer having a void volume of between about 60 and 85% voids.

Claim 40

A metal current carrier for use in fabricating thin electrochemical cell electrodes which carrier comprises: a thin metal screen having disposed on at least one side thereof a thin porous layer of coarse metal particles having a particle size of from about 0.3 to 10 mils, said metal particles at least partially filling the multiple openings in the metal screen and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen, said porous layer providing a rough textured, high surface area interface for cohesively bonding an active layer to the metal screen.

Claim 41

A metal current carrier for use in fabricating thin electrochemical cell electrodes which carrier comprises: a thin metal screen having disposed on at least one side thereof a thin porous layer of coarse metal particles having a particle size of from about 0.3 to 10 mils, said metal particles at least partially filling the multiple openings in the metal screen and being sintered to themselves and also to the metal screen, said porous layer providing a rough textured, high surface area interface for cohesively bonding an active layer to the metal screen.