Electrochemical cells using a polymer electrolyte
AssigneeEveready Battery Company, Inc.
InventorJohn C. Bailey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cathode is comprised of a major amount of active cathode material and a binding amount of an ionically nonconductive prepolymeric composition. Polymer electrolyte electrochemical cells can be made using these cathodes.
Claims33
An ionically nonconductive electrode for an electrochemical cell, employing a plasticizable polymeric electrolyte, said electrode comprising an active material of at least about 60% by volume of said electrode and said polymeric electrolyte characterized by being plasticized when an ionizable electrolyte salt solution is added to the cell.
An ionically nonconductive electrode for an electrochemical cell comprising an active material dispersed in an ionically nonconductive prepolymeric composition to form the ionically nonconductive electrode, said active material being at least about 60% by volume of said electrode and said ionically nonconductive electrode having the capacity of becoming ionically conductive upon the addition thereto of an ionizable electrolyte salt after the electrode is placed in a housing.
An electrochemically inactive electrochemical cell precursor comprised of an electrode comprising at least 60% by volume of active material dispersed in an ionically nonconductive polymer film in contact with an electrically conductive current collector, a housing which contains said inactive precursor and whereby with the addition of an ionizable electrolyte salt in a solvent/plasticizer to said housing, said cell precursor becomes electrochemically active.
An electrochemical cell comprised of:
- a) an electrode assembly comprising an anode and a cathode, at least one of said anode and said cathode comprising a major amount of at least 60% by volume active material dispersed in an ionically nonconductive polymer film in contact with an electrically conductive current collector;
- b) a housing which contains the electrode assembly;
- and
- c) an ionizable electrolyte salt in solvent/plasticizer to plasticize said polymer and cause said polymer and said cathode to swell, wherein said electrolyte salt is added to complete the cell after the electrode assembly has been placed in the housing.
A process for making an electrochemical cell that contains an anode, a cathode and a polymer electrolyte comprising:
- a) preparing at least one of said anode and said cathode by contacting a major amount of active material with a binding amount of an ionically nonconductive prepolymeric composition to form an ionically nonconductive electrode mixture;
- b) applying said electrode mixture to an electrically conductive carrier and polymerizing the prepolymeric composition to provide a polymer film having active material dispersed throughout;
- c) placing the other of said anode and said cathode near to the at least one of said cathode and said anode with an electrically insulating ion permeable material disposed between the cathode and anode to form an electrode assembly;
- d) placing the electrode assembly inside a housing for the cell;
- and
- e) then adding an amount of an ionizable electrolyte salt solution to provide ionic conductivity to the anode, to the cathode and to the polymer film between the cathode and anode to form an active electrochemical cell, said salt solution including solvent to cause said polymer film to swell.
A process for making an electrochemical cell that contains an anode, a cathode and a polymer electrolyte comprising:
- a) preparing at least one of said anode and said cathode by contacting a major amount of active material with a binding amount of an ionically nonconductive prepolymeric composition to form an ionically nonconductive electrode mixture;
- b) polymerizing the prepolymeric composition to provide a polymer film having active electrode material dispersed throughout;
- c) placing the other of said anode and said cathode near to the at least one of said cathode and said anode with an electrically insulating ion permeable material disposed between the cathode and the anode to form an electrode assembly;
- d) placing the electrode assembly inside a housing for the cell;
- and
- e) then adding an amount of an ionizable electrolyte salt solution to provide ionic conductivity to the anode, to the cathode and to the polymer film between the cathode and anode to form an active electrochemical cell, said salt solution including solvent to cause said polymer film to swell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.