# US 11,114,655 B2 · Alkaline battery cathode with solid polymer electrolyte

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,114,655 B2
- Document ID: US11114655B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/879,846
- Filed: 2018-01-25
- Published: 2018-07-26
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2015-04-01
- Assignees: Ionic Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Ionic Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael A. Zimmerman; Alexei B. Gavrilov
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114655B2

## CPC

- H01M 4/24: Electrodes for alkaline accumulators
- H01M 4/131: Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
- H01M 4/26: Processes of manufacture
- H01M 4/366: {as layered products}
- H01M 4/50: of manganese
- H01M 4/502: {for non-aqueous cells (H01M4/505 takes precedence)}
- H01M 4/622: {being polymers}
- H01M 4/624: {Electric conductive fillers}
- H01M 10/02: Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00)
- H01M 10/0565: Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
- H01M 10/26: Selection of materials as electrolytes
- H01M 10/6561: Gases
- H01M 4/0471: {involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis}
- H01M 4/625: {Carbon or graphite}
- H01M 6/06: Dry cells, i.e. cells wherein the electrolyte is rendered non-fluid
- H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes}
- H01M 2300/0082: Organic polymers
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An alkaline battery, and a component cathode including a solid ionically conducting polymer material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery comprising:
an electrode that includes:
an electrically conductive material; and
a solid ionically conducting polymer material;
wherein the solid ionically conducting polymer material has an ionic conductivity greater than 1×10−6 S/cm at room temperature;
wherein the solid ionically conducting polymer material is the reaction product of a synthesis reaction of a mixture of a base polymer and an ionic compound heated in the presence of a gas;
wherein the gas is a dopant selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air and ozone, and functions as an electron acceptor or oxidant;
wherein the base polymer is polyphenylene sulfide; and
wherein the ionic compound is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic oxide, an inorganic chloride and an inorganic hydroxide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting material comprises 3-30 percent by weight of the electrode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the solid ionically conducting polymer material comprises 1-30 percent by weight of the electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrode further comprises an electrochemically active material comprises 20-80 percent by weight of the electrode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrode further comprises an oxygen reduction catalyst.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1 wherein the electrode further comprises manganese dioxide, and the manganese dioxide is selected from a group consisting of β-MnO2 (pyrolusite), ramsdellite, γ-MnO2, ε-MnO2, λ-MnO2, EMD, CMD, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery is AA (LR6) sized.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The battery of claim 7, wherein the battery has greater than 3Ah capacity when tested on continuous constant current discharge at current between 150 and 300 mA with 0.8 V voltage cutoff.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The battery of claim 7, wherein the positive electrode of the battery provides greater than 400 mAhr/g.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrode further comprises an electrochemically active material, and wherein the solid ionically conducting polymer material encapsulates at least one particle of the electrochemically active material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises carbon.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the ionic compound is lithium hydroxide.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the solid ionically conducting polymer material has an ionic conductivity greater than 1×10−5 S/cm at room temperature.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein solid ionically conducting polymer material has an ionic conductivity greater than 1×10−4 S/cm at room temperature.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the base polymer and the ionic compound are mixed in the presence of the gas and heating is conducted during the mixing in a single step.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the base polymer and the ionic compound are mixed in the presence of the gas in a first step and heating is conducted in a second step.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the base polymer and the ionic compound are first mixed, the gas is introduced in a second step, and heating is applied to the mixture during the second step or subsequent to the second step.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The battery of claim 17, wherein the gas is added at positive pressure.

### Claim 19

A method of manufacturing an electrode for a battery comprising the steps of:
mixing a base polymer with an ionic compound to create a first mixture;
heating the first mixture in a gas to form the first mixture into a solid ionically conducting polymer material;
mixing the solid ionically conducting polymer material with an electrically conductive material to make an electrode which can ionically conduct hydroxide ions,
wherein the solid ionically conducting polymer material has an ionic conductivity greater than 1×10−6 S/cm at room temperature;
wherein the gas is a dopant selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air and ozone, and functions as an electron acceptor or oxidant;
wherein the base polymer is polyphenylene sulfide; and
wherein the ionic compound is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic oxide, an inorganic chloride and an inorganic hydroxide.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein in the heating step the gas comprising oxygen is provided at a positive pressure.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein in the making an electrode step the electrode further comprises a solid particulate electrochemically active material, and wherein both the solid ionically conducting polymer material and the electrically conductive material are coated onto the electrochemically active material.