Shape-conformable alkali metal-sulfur battery having a deformable and conductive quasi-solid electrode

An alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising:

• A) a quasi-solid anode containing from 1.0% to 95% by volume of an anode active material, from 5% to 40% by volume of an electrolyte containing an alkali salt dissolved in a solvent and no ion-conducting polymer dissolved or dispersed in the solvent, and from 0.01% to 30% by volume of a conductive additive wherein said conductive additive, containing conductive filaments, forms a 3D network of electron-conducting pathways such that the quasi-solid anode has an electrical conductivity from about 10−6 S/cm to about 300 S/cm, wherein said electrolyte is in a supersaturated state;
• B) a cathode containing a cathode active material selected from sulfur, a metal-sulfur compound, a sulfur-carbon composite, a sulfur-graphene composite, a sulfur-graphite composite, an organic sulfur compound, or a sulfur-polymer composite;
• and
• C) an ion-conducting membrane or porous separator disposed between the quasi-solid anode and the cathode.

An alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising:

• (a) a quasi-solid cathode containing from 30% to 95% by volume of a sulfur-containing cathode active material, from 5% to 40% by volume of a first electrolyte containing an alkali salt dissolved in a solvent and no ion-conducting polymer dissolved or dispersed in the solvent, and from 0.01% to 30% by volume of a conductive additive, wherein said sulfur-containing cathode active material contains sulfur, a metal-sulfur compound, a sulfur-carbon composite, a sulfur-graphene composite, a sulfur-graphite composite, an organic sulfur compound, a sulfur-polymer composite, or a combination thereof, and wherein said conductive additive, containing conductive filaments, forms a 3D network of electron-conducting pathways such that the quasi-solid cathode has an electrical conductivity from 10−6 S/cm to 300 S/cm;
• (b) an anode;
• and
• (c) an ion-conducting membrane or porous separator disposed between the anode and the quasi-solid cathode;
• wherein said cathode active material constitutes an electrode active material mass loading greater than 15 mg/cm2.