# US 4,393,124 A · Solid electrolytes strengthened by metal dispersions

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- Number: US 4,393,124 A
- Document ID: US4393124A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/308,739
- Filed: 1981-10-05
- Granted: 1983-07-12
- Earliest claimed: 1981-10-05
- Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
- Inventors: Robert J. Lauf; Chester S. Morgan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393124A

## CPC

- H01M 6/185: {with oxides, hydroxides or oxysalts as solid electrolytes}
- H01M 10/3918: {characterised by the electrolyte}
- 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 improvement in solid electrolytes of advanced secondary batteries of the sodium-sulfur, sodium-halogen, and like combinations is achieved by providing said battery with a cermet electrolyte containing a metal dispersion ranging from 0.1 to 10.0 vol. % of a substantially nonreactive metal selected from the group consisting essentially of Pt, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Nb, their alloys, and their physical mixtures in the elemental or uncombined state, the remainder of said cermet being an ion-conductive ceramic material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a secondary battery, a solid electrolyte comprising:
an ion-conductive sodium beta-alumina ceramic material; and
a discontinuous metal phase dispersed throughout said ceramic material and selected from the group consisting of Pt, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Nb and alloys and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The secondary battery solid electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the metal phase content ranges from about 0.1 to 10.0 vol. %, the balance being sodium beta-alumina ceramic material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The secondary battery solid electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the dispersed metal phase is Pt or Pt alloy and the ceramic material is sodium beta-alumina.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The secondary battery solid electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the dispersed metal phase is Cr or Cr alloy and the ceramic material is sodium beta-alumina.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The secondary battery solid electrolyte of claim 1 wherein said ceramic material comprises Na.sub.2 O.11Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.

### Claim 6

A method of inhibiting battery degradation during cycling comprising providing a battery with a cermet solid electrolyte employing a finely dispersed phase of metal particulates selected from the group consisting essentially of Pt, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Nb, their alloys, and their physical mixtures in the elemental or uncombined state, said metal phase comprising from about 0.1 to 10.0 vol. % of the ultimate article, essentially uniformly dispersed within a solid electrolyte sodium beta-alumina ceramic material which constitutes the volume balance of said electrolyte.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein said battery is of the sodium-sulfur, sodium-halogen, and like combination types.