Method for passive metal activation and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10644304-B2
Application number	US-201515300359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for activating a surface of metals, such as self-passivated metals, and of metal-oxide dissolution, effected using a fluoroanion-containing composition. Also disclosed is an electrochemical cell utilizing an aluminum-containing anode material and a fluoroanion-containing electrolyte, characterized by high efficiency, low corrosion, and optionally mechanical or electrochemical rechargeability. Also disclosed is a process for fusing (welding, soldering etc.) a self-passivated metal at relatively low temperature and ambient atmosphere, and a method for electrodepositing a metal on a self-passivated metal using metal-oxide source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell device comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, said anode comprises metallic aluminum as anodic fuel, said cathode is an air cathode and said electrolyte being a fluoroanion-containing composition, wherein:
said electrolyte comprises at least one [(HF) n F] − species, said at least one [(HF) n F] − species exhibits measurable spectral features in said electrolyte,
a surface of said anode exposed to said electrolyte comprises fluorohydrogenate-metal species (HF-species) such that said surface substantially exhibits said measurable spectral features after being washed with an organic solvent, and
the electrochemical cell device exhibits a discharge current higher than a corrosion current.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said anode is essentially devoid of a passivation layer.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said measurable spectral features are attenuated total reflection infrared peaks having a wavenumber range selected from the group consisting of from 3150 cm −1 to 2840 cm −1 , from 1110 cm −1 to 800 cm −1 , from 2505 cm −1 to 2200 cm −1 , from 1920 cm −1 to 1600 cm −1 and/or from 1170 cm −1 to 870 cm −1 .

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said anode comprises at least 99% aluminum.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein said fluoroanion-containing composition comprises a room temperature ionic liquid (a fluoroanion-RTIL).

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein said RTIL is EMIm(HF) 2.3 F and/or Pyr 14 (HF) 2.3 F.

Assignees

• Technion Res & Dev Foundation

Inventors

• Ein-Eli Yair
• Gelman Danny
• Shvartsev Boris
• Kraytsberg Alexander

Classifications

• B23K35/383

  mainly containing noble gases or nitrogen · CPC title

• H01M4/628

  Inhibitors, e.g. gassing inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors · CPC title

• H01M4/366

  as layered products · CPC title

• C25D3/665

  from ionic liquids · CPC title

• H01M4/502

  for non-aqueous cells (H01M4/505 takes precedence) · CPC title