Three-Dimensional Zinc Sponge Electrodes for Primary and Secondary Zinc-Containing Batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017338479-A1
Application number	US-201715666774-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 2, 2017
Priority date	Nov 28, 2012
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An article having a continuous network of zinc and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The zinc network is a fused, monolithic structure. A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; annealing and/or sintering the sponge to form an annealed and/or sintered sponge; heating the annealed and/or sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
an anode current collector; an anode in electrical contact with the anode current collector;
wherein the anode is made by a method comprising:
providing a mixture comprising a metallic zinc powder and a liquid phase emulsion;
drying the mixture to form a sponge;
annealing the sponge in an inert atmosphere or under vacuum at a temperature below the melting point of zinc to form an annealed sponge having a metallic zinc surface; and
heating the annealed sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature above the melting point of zinc to form an oxidized sponge comprising a zinc oxide shell on the surface of the oxidized sponge;
wherein the anode comprises:
a continuous network comprising metallic zinc;
a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network; and
metallic zinc bridges connecting metallic zinc particle cores;

an electrolyte filling the void space; a cathode current collector; a cathode comprising silver or silver oxide in electrical contact with the anode current collector; and a separator between the anode and the cathode.

2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein both the surface of the zinc network and the interior of the zinc network comprise zinc.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the zinc network comprises one or more of zinc oxide and zinc oxide oxyhydroxides.

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

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 4 , wherein the additive comprises bismuth and indium.

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the method of making the anode further comprises:
heating the oxidized sponge in an inert atmosphere at above the melting point of the zinc.

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the method of making the anode further comprises:
electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises potassium hydroxide.

Assignees

• Us Gov Sec Navy
• Us Gov Sec Navy

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01M4/0471

  involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis · CPC title

• H01M4/42

  Alloys based on zinc · CPC title

• H01M4/628

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

• H01M10/24

  Alkaline accumulators · CPC title

• H01M4/366

  as layered products · CPC title