Electrode for a battery
AssigneeAtraverda Limited
InventorThomas John Partington
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrode for a bipolar cell or battery comprises a plate like body made of hardened resin containing particles of titanium suboxide or other electrically conductive particulate arranged to form electrical paths. A method of testing the body for porosity is also disclosed.
Claims71
An electrode comprising a shaped substantially pore-free body of hardened resin and having electrical paths defined by contacting conductive particles.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, wherein the particles have a mean particle size in the region of about 50 to about 300 micron.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, wherein the particles have a particle size distribution with a standard deviation of less than the mean particle size.
An electrode according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is a bimodal distribution of substantially uniform large particles and a proportion of smaller particles dimensioned to fit in the interstices between the large particles
An electrode according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the particles have a particle size distribution with a variation of less than 50% of the mean particle size.
An electrode according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is less than 50% (wt.) resin and hardener.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, wherein the resin is resistant to battery acid electrolyte.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, wherein the resin is a thermoset resin.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, including high aspect and/or low aspect particles of the titanium suboxide to increase connectivity.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, having an overall electrical conductivity greater than 0.5 S.cm−1.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, in the form of a plate which is flat or has curvature.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, which has a metallic layer applied to a surface thereof.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, comprising a plate having a metal grid or mesh or sheet in the body thereof.
An electrode according to any preceding claim, wherein the surface of the electrode has surface deformation for receiving and retaining active paste material.
A method of making an electrode, the method comprising mixing an unhardened resin, a hardener therefor, and conductive particles and pouring the mix into a mould therefor and moulding the mix to form a shaped substantially pore-free body electrode having electrical paths defined by the contacting conductive particles.
A method according to any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein the conductive particles are of titanium suboxide of the formula Tin02n−1 where n is 4 or greater.
A method of testing an electrode to confirm the absence of invisible micropores through the electrode before pasting, the method comprising placing a test electrode in a simulated battery and measuring the flow of current over time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.