Zinc electrodes for batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016093890-A1
Application number	US-201414501629-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Mar 31, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; sintering the sponge in an inert atmosphere to form a sintered sponge; heating the sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and heating the oxidized sponge in an inert atmosphere at above the melting point of the zinc. A method of: providing an emulsion comprising a zinc powder and a liquid phase; placing the emulsion into a mold, wherein the emulsion is in contact with a metal substrate; and drying the emulsion to form a sponge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
providing an emulsion comprising a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; sintering the sponge in an inert atmosphere to form a sintered sponge; heating the sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge comprising zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and heating the oxidized sponge in an inert atmosphere at above the melting point of the zinc.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering is performed at at least two thirds of the melting point of the metal and below the melting point of the metal.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the sintered sponge is performed at a temperature greater than the melting point of the zinc.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the oxidized sponge is performed at a temperature greater than the melting point of the zinc.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering, heating the sintered sponge, and heating the oxidized sponge are each performed with dwell times of at least 30 minutes.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the zinc powder or liquid phase comprises an additive that suppresses gas evolution and corrosion of the sponge.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the additive comprises bismuth and indium.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid phase emulsion comprises water and decane.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the emulsion comprises an emulsifier and an emulsion stabilizer.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the emulsifier is sodium dodecyl sulfate and emulsion stabilizer is carboxymethylcellulose.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering is performed under argon at a peak temperature of 200-410° C.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating is performed in air at a peak temperature greater than 420° C.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the zinc oxide is reduced by applying a negative voltage to the oxidized sponge until the open-circuit potential vs. zinc is less than 5 mV.

15 . A method comprising:
providing an emulsion comprising a zinc powder and a liquid phase; placing the emulsion into a mold, wherein the emulsion is in contact with a metal substrate; and drying the emulsion to form a sponge.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a metal mesh.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the mesh has an average opening size that is less than the dm particle size of the zinc powder.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a metal foil.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate comprises tin or tin-coated copper.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
removing the mold from the sponge and substrate; sintering the sponge in an inert atmosphere to form a sintered sponge; and heating the sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge comprising zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge.

21 . The article made by the method of claim 20 .

22 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising heating the oxidized sponge in an inert atmosphere at above the melting point of the zinc.

23 . The article made by the method of claim 22 .

24 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

25 . The article made by the method of claim 24 .

Assignees

• Rolison Debra R
• Parker Joseph F
• Long Jeffrey W
• Us Government

Inventors

• Rolison Debra R
• Parker Joseph F
• Long Jeffrey W

Classifications

• B22F3/11 Primary

  Making porous workpieces or articles · CPC title

• B22F2003/242

  Coating · CPC title

• H01M4/8825

  Methods for deposition of the catalytic active composition · CPC title

• B22F7/04

  with one or more layers not made from powder, e.g. made from solid metal · CPC title

• B22F3/24

  After-treatment of workpieces or articles {(B22F3/1146 takes precedence)} · CPC title