Metal-air cells with minimal air access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11502356-B2
Application number	US-202117328308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2021
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

The present technology provides a battery that includes an air cathode, an anode, an aqueous electrolyte that includes an amphoteric surfactant, and a housing that includes one or more air access ports defining a total area of void space (“vent area”), where(1) the battery is a size 13 metal-air battery and the total vent area defined by all of the air access ports is from about 0.050 mm2 to about 0.115 mm2; or(2) the battery is a size 312 metal-air battery and the total vent area defined by all of the air access ports is from about 0.03 mm2 to about 0.08 mm2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery comprising an air cathode, an anode, an aqueous electrolyte, and a housing, wherein:
the housing comprises one or more air access ports defining a total vent area;
the battery having a nominal electrode interfacial area;
a ratio of total vent area to nominal electrode interfacial area is from about 0.0014 to about 0.0024; and
the aqueous electrolyte comprises an amphoteric fluorosurfactant.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery is a size 13 metal-air battery having a nominal diameter of about 8 mm and a nominal height of about 5.4 mm.

3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery is a size 312 metal-air battery having a nominal diameter of about 8 mm and a nominal height of about 3.6 mm.

4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery has a nominal external volume from about 180 mm 3 to about 270 mm 3 .

5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the nominal electrode interfacial area is about 35 mm 2 .

6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the total vent area is from about 0.030 mm 2 to about 0.115 mm 2 .

7. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the total vent area is about 0.0498 mm 2 to about 0.0845 mm 2 .

8. The battery of claim 1 , wherein ratio of total vent area to nominal electrode interfacial area is about 0.0014.

9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein ratio of total vent area to nominal electrode interfacial area is about 0.0024.

10. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises zinc.

11. The battery of claim 1 further comprising a carbon dioxide scrubbing agent.

12. The battery of claim 10 , further comprising an air diffusion pad and the air diffusion pad comprises the carbon dioxide scrubbing agent.

13. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the amphoteric fluorosurfactant comprises betaine functionality.

14. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous electrolyte comprises about 500 ppm to about 20,000 ppm lithium hydroxide.

15. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the total vent area defined by all of the air access ports is from about 0.03 mm 2 to about 0.08 mm 2 .

16. A battery comprising an air cathode, an anode, an aqueous electrolyte, and a housing, wherein:
the housing comprises one or more air access ports defining a vent area;
the aqueous electrolyte comprises an amphoteric fluorosurfactant; and
the total vent area is from 45% to 63% less than a comparable battery without the amphoteric fluorosurfactant while providing the same or greater current draw.

Assignees

• Energizer Brands Llc

Inventors

• Pozdol Ian
• Syvertsen Marc
• Rubsam Tony
• Schnetz Kokkie

Classifications

• H01M4/244

  Zinc electrodes · CPC title

• H01M50/394

  Gas-pervious parts or elements · CPC title

• H01M12/02

  Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00) · CPC title

• H01M12/06 Primary

  with one metallic and one gaseous electrode · CPC title

• H01M6/045

  characterised by aqueous electrolyte · CPC title