# US 4,397,730 A · Electrolytic cells with alkaline electrolytes containing trifluoromethylane sulfonic acid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,397,730 A - Document ID: US4397730A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/394,013 - Filed: 1982-06-30 - Granted: 1983-08-09 - Earliest claimed: 1982-06-30 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Perminder S. Bindra - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397730A ## CPC - H01M 8/08: Fuel cells with aqueous electrolytes - C25B 1/46: in diaphragm cells - H01M 12/02: Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00) - H01M 12/06: with one metallic and one gaseous electrode - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract An electrolytic system is provided with a gas fed cathode in contact with an electrolyte to which an additive of trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TFMSA) is added. The system can be employed in fuel cells, industrial electrolytic cells for production of gases such as chlorine, and in metal-air batteries. Preferably the porous cathode incorporates a catalyst such as gold, platinum, palladium, silver, and spinels of Ni and Co. The supply of fluid to the anode of the fuel cell is a hydrocarbon or H.sub.2 dissolved in NaOH. Oxygen or air is supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell. In the industrial electrolytic cell, the anodic source of fluid and electrolyte is brine solution, and the cathodic electrolyte is dilute caustic. In the metal-air battery, an anodic solution of NaOH is supplied to an anode of Al, Ga, Zn, etc. The cathodic solution and configuration are the same as with the fuel cell. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrolytic system with an anode electrode and a cathode electrode and at least one electrolyte between said anode and said cathode and said electrolyte plus TFMSA being included in a solution together between said cathode and said anode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said electrodes is composed of a porous gas fed structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said electrode structure incorporates a catalyst of a material selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, silver and spinels of Ni and Co. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2, 3) An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said electrolyte comprises an alkaline solution of KOH and TFMSA, said cathode comprises a porous material composed of carbon, with said cathode being supplied with a source of oxygen gas, and with said anode being composed of a porous dimensionally stable material with a source of a fuel material supplied to the opposite surface of said anode from said electrolyte whereby said electrolyte is supplied with fuel and oxygen to produce electrical energy between said anode and said cathode as a result of oxidation facilitated by said TFMSA. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An electrolytic system in accordance with claim 1 wherein an industrial electrolytic cell for manufacture of gas includes a liquid electrolyte. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said cell includes an ion exchange membrane with electrolytes on opposite sides of said membrane in contact with said cathode and said anode respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A system in accordance with claim 6 wherein one of said electrolytes is a solution of a salt and the other of said electrolytes comprises an electrolyte adapted to consume the cations from said salt. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A system in accordance with claim 7 wherein one of said electrolytes comprises a basic solution of a cation combined with said halide forming a halide salt. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said halide salt comprises NaCl in a brine solution and the other electrolyte is caustic NaOH. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 2) A system in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein said electrode structure incorporates gold as a catalyst. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1, 2, 3) A system in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said system comprises a metal-air battery. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said metal-air battery includes an anodic electrolyte and said anode which react to provide battery action betwen said anode and said cathode. In other words the action of the electrolyte on the anode is to react with the anode and to yield electrons. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein the said anode comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga and Zn and said anodic electrolyte comprises NaOH in aqueous solution.