Nickel-zinc battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10381689-B2
Application number	US-201615177591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The nickel-zinc battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode containing nickel oxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide; a positive-electrode electrolytic solution in which the positive electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a negative electrode containing zinc and/or zinc oxide; a negative-electrode electrolytic solution in which the negative electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a hermetic container accommodating the positive electrode, the positive-electrode electrolytic solution, the negative electrode, and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution; and the separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability and disposed in the hermetic container so as to separate a positive-electrode chamber accommodating the positive electrode and the positive-electrode electrolytic solution from a negative-electrode chamber accommodating the negative electrode and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nickel-zinc battery comprising:
a positive electrode comprising nickel hydroxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide;
a positive-electrode electrolytic solution comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, the positive electrode being immersed in the positive-electrode electrolytic solution;
a negative electrode comprising zinc and/or zinc oxide;
a negative-electrode electrolytic solution comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, the negative electrode being immersed in the negative-electrode electrolytic solution;
a hermetic container accommodating the positive electrode, the positive-electrode electrolytic solution, the negative electrode, and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution; and
a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability, the separator being disposed in the hermetic container so as to separate a positive-electrode chamber accommodating the positive electrode and the positive-electrode electrolytic solution from a negative-electrode chamber accommodating the negative electrode and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution,
wherein the positive-electrode chamber has an extra positive-electrode space having a volume that meets a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the positive electrode during charge and discharge of the battery, and the negative-electrode chamber has an extra negative-electrode space having a volume that meets a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the negative electrode during charge and discharge of the battery, and
(i) wherein the extra positive-electrode space has a volume greater than the amount of water that will increase in association with reaction at the positive electrode during the charge of the battery; the extra positive-electrode space is not preliminarily filled with the positive-electrode electrolytic solution; the extra negative-electrode space has a volume greater than the amount of water that will decrease in association with reaction at the negative electrode during the charge of the battery; and the extra negative-electrode space is preliminarily filled with an amount of the negative-electrode electrolytic solution that will decrease during the charge of the battery; or
(ii) wherein the extra positive-electrode space has a volume greater than the amount of water that will decrease in association with reaction at the positive electrode during the discharge of the battery; the extra positive-electrode space is preliminarily filled with an amount of the positive-electrode electrolytic solution that will decrease during the discharge of the battery; the extra negative-electrode space has a volume greater than the amount of water that will increase in association with reaction at the negative electrode during the discharge of the battery; and the extra negative-electrode space is not preliminarily filled with the negative-electrode electrolytic solution.

2. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the extra positive-electrode space is not filled with the positive electrode and/or the extra negative-electrode space is not filled with the negative electrode.

3. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the separator is vertically disposed, the extra positive-electrode space is provided in an upper portion of the positive-electrode chamber, and the extra negative-electrode space is provided in an upper portion of the negative-electrode chamber.

4. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises an inorganic solid electrolyte.

5. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 4 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte has a relative density of 90% or more.

6. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 4 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte comprises a layered double hydroxide having a basic composition represented by the formula:
M 2+ 1−x M 3+ x (OH) 2 A n− x/n · m H 2 O

where M 2+ represents a divalent cation, M 3+ represents a trivalent cation, A n− represents an n-valent anion, n is an integer of 1 or more, x is 0.1 to 0.4, and m is any real number.

7. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 5 , wherein M 2+ comprises Mg 2+ , M 3+ comprises Al 3+ , and A − comprises OH − and/or CO 3 2− in the formula.

8. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 4 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte is in a plate, membrane, or layer form.

9. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a porous substrate on either or both of the surfaces of the separator.

10. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 9 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte is in a membrane or layer form, and is disposed on or in the porous substrate.

11. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 4 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte is densified through hydrothermal treatment.

12. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is potassium hydroxide.

13. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a positive-electrode collector in contact with the positive electrode, and a negative-electrode collector in contact with the negative electrode.

Assignees

• Ngk Insulators Ltd

Inventors

• Hayashi Hiroshi
• Yamada Naohito
• Kitoh Kenshin

Classifications

• H01M2300/0068

  inorganic · CPC title

• H01M2300/0014

  Alkaline electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M10/34

  Gastight accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/30 Primary

  Nickel accumulators (H01M10/34 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/42

  Alloys based on zinc · CPC title