Flexible and shape-conformal rope-shape alkali metal-sulfur batteries

A rope-shaped alkali metal-sulfur battery wherein said alkali metal is selected from Li, Na, or a combination thereof;

• said battery comprising:
• (a) a first electrode comprising a first electrically conductive rod and a first mixture of a first electrode active material and a first electrolyte, wherein said first mixture is deposited on or in said first rod;
• (b) a porous separator wrapping around or encasing said first electrode to form a separator-protected first electrode;
• (c) a second electrode comprising a second electrically conductive porous rod having pores and a second mixture of a second electrode active material and a second electrolyte, wherein said second mixture resides in said pores of said second porous rod;
• wherein said separator-protected first electrode and said second electrode are interlaced or combined in a twist or spiral manner to form a braid or yarn;
• and
• (d) a protective casing or sheath wrapping around or encasing said braid or yarn;
• wherein either the first electrode or the second electrode is a cathode and either the first electrode active material or the second electrode active material is a cathode active material selected from sulfur bonded to pore walls of said porous rod, sulfur bonded to or confined by a carbon or graphite material, sulfur bonded to or confined by a polymer, sulfur-carbon compound, metal sulfide MxSy, wherein x is an integer from 1 to 3 and y is an integer from 1 to 10, and M is a metal element selected from Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, a transition metal, a metal from groups 13 to 17 of the periodic table, or a combination thereof and said battery has a rope shape having a length-to-diameter or length-to-thickness aspect ratio no less than 5.

A rope-shaped alkali metal-sulfur battery wherein said alkali metal is selected from Li, Na, or a combination thereof;

• said battery comprising:
• a) a first electrode comprising an electrically conductive porous rod having at least 50% by volume of pores and a first mixture of a first electrode active material and a first electrolyte wherein said first mixture resides in said pores of said porous rod;
• b) a porous separator wrapping around said first electrode to form a separator-protected first electrode;
• c) a second electrode comprising an electrically conductive rod having a second mixture of a second electrode active material and a second electrolyte deposited thereon or therein;
• wherein said separator-protected first electrode and said second electrode are interlaced or combined in a twist or spiral manner to form a braid or yarn;
• and
• d) a protective casing or sheath wrapping around or encasing said braid or yarn;
• wherein either the first electrode or the second electrode is a cathode containing a cathode active material selected from sulfur or a sulfur compound selected from organo-sulfur, polymer-sulfur, carbon-sulfur, metal sulfide, S—Sb, S—Bi, S—Se, S—Te mixture, or a combination thereof and said battery has a rope shape having a length-to-diameter or length-to-thickness aspect ratio no less than 5.