Rechargeable battery cathode from sodium cobalt dioxide in the O3, O'3, P3 and/or P'3 phases

Claim 2

An improved battery of the type which includes a cathode means, an anode means and an electrolyte, said improvement comprises sodium cobalt dioxide in the O3, O'3, P3 or P'3 phases.

Claim 3

A battery according to claim 1 wherein said sodium cobalt dioxide is of the formula: Na.sub.x CoO.sub.2 wherein x is at least about 0.4

Claim 4

A battery according to claim 2 wherein x is from about 0.4 to about 1.

Claim 5

A battery according to claim 1 wherein said cathode comprises particulate sodium cobalt dioxide dispersed in a polymeric binder.

Claim 6

A battery according to claim 4 wherein said binder is selected from the group consisting of halopolymers and elastomeric materials.

Claim 7

A battery according to claim 5 wherein said binder is a halopolymer.

Claim 8

A battery according to claim 6 wherein said halopolymer is poly(tetrafluoroethylene).

Claim 9

A battery according to claim 5 wherein said binder is an elastomeric material.

Claim 10

A battery according to claim 8 wherein said elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon elastomers, polyethers, aliphatic polyesters, and copolymers of ethylenically unsaturated ethers, esters, and ketones.

Claim 11

A battery according to claim 9 wherein said elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon elastomers and polyether elastomers.

Claim 12

A battery according to claim 10 wherein said elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon elastomers.

Claim 13

A battery according to claim 11 wherein said hydrocarbon elastomers include cross-linkable moieties.

Claim 14

A battery according to claim 10 wherein said moieties are double bonds in the polymeric backbone or pendant double bonds.

Claim 15

A battery according to claim 13 wherein said hydrocarbon elastomers are selected from the group consisting of polymers or copolymers of diene monomers.

Claim 16

A battery according to claim 14 wherein said diene monomers are selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted 1,3-butadiene.

Claim 17

A battery according to claim 14 wherein said hydrocarbon elastomers are selected from the group consisting of copolymers formed by copolymerization of one or more olefins and one or more 1,3-butadienes.

Claim 18

A battery according to claim 16 wherein said hydrocarbon elastomer is ethylene/propylene/butadiene copolymer.

Claim 19

A battery comprising: (a) one or more anode active materials selected from the group consisting of sodium metal, conjugated backbone polymers capable of inserting sodium cations, alloys of sodium metal, sodium cation inserting materials and a combination of any of the foregoing; (b) an electrolyte comprising one or more organic solvents and a sodium salt; and (c) a cathode comprising sodium cobalt dioxide in the O3, O'3, P3 and/or P'3 phases; During the charging of said battery said sodium metal cations from said electrolyte being incorporated into said anode as a metal alloy or as an inserted cation in said sodium cation inserting material or said conjugated polymer, and sodium in said sodium cobalt dioxide being released into said electrolyte, and during the discharge of said battery said sodium in said alloy and inserted in said material or said polymer being released into said electrolyte and sodium cations in said electrolyte being inserted into said sodium cobalt dioxide.

Claim 20

A battery comprising: (a) one or more anode active materials selected from the group consisting of sodium metal, conjugated backbone polymers capable of inserting sodium cations, alloys of sodium metal, sodium cation inserting materials and a combination of any of the foregoing; (b) an electrolyte comprising one or more organic solvents and a sodium salt; and (c) a cathode comprising sodium cobalt dioxide in the O3, O'3, P3 and/or P'3 phases; During the charging of said battery said sodium metal cations from said electrolyte being incorporated into said anode as a metal alloy or as an inserted cation in said sodium cation inserting material or said conjugated polymer, and sodium in said sodium cobalt dioxide being released into said electrolyte, and during the discharge of said battery said sodium in said alloy and inserted in said material or said polymer being released into said electrolyte and sodium cations in said electrolyte being inserted into said sodium cobalt dioxide.

Claim 21

A battery according to claim 1 wherein x is from about 0.5 to about 1.

Claim 22

A battery according to claim 18 wherein said sodium cobalt dioxide is of the formula: Na.sub.x CoO.sub.2 wherein x is at least about 0.4

Claim 23

A battery according to claim 18 wherein x is from about 0.4 to about 1.