Processing equipment for using organic vapor to remove water from electrode materials and cell cores

A combination of a reaction vessel and organic vapor stream delivery equipment for contacting battery or capacitor electrode elements, or core cells of battery or capacitor electrode elements and separator elements, with a flowing, water-removing stream of an organic vapor in a carrier gas,

• the reaction vessel comprising:
• a box with a bottom wall surface, two side wall surfaces, a top wall surface, and two end wall surfaces which define an interior volume for receiving a predetermined quantity of water-containing electrode material elements or core cell elements, one end surface of the box having an opening for entry of a flowing stream of organic vapor in a carrier gas into the interior volume of the box, and the second end surface of the box having an opening for the exit of the water-containing, flowing stream from the interior volume of the box, the interior volume of the box further comprising a sieve plate placed adjacent the entry end surface for directing the entering flowing stream of organic vapor in a carrier gas over the full cross-section of the interior volume of the box as it flows toward the exit end of the volume of the box;
• and
• the organic vapor stream delivery equipment comprising:
• a container for enclosing a volume of liquid organic solvent, isolated from water-containing ambient air, the container having an inlet for admitting a pressurized flow of inert gas, the inlet being located above the intended volume of organic liquid, the inlet being connected with a flow passage inside the container for receiving and directing a pressurized flow of inert carrier gas into the container and below the surface of a contained liquid organic solvent volume, and the container having an outlet for the exit of a gaseous stream of inert carrier gas and vapor of the liquid organic solvent, the outlet being located above the intended volume of the organic liquid;
• a single first flow line connected to the outlet of the solvent container for conducting the flow of the gaseous stream from the outlet of the container, the first flow line containing a valve for controlling the rate of flow of the gaseous through the first flow line;
• a single second flow line for conducting a pressurized flow of an inert carrier gas, the first flow line and the second flow line each terminating in a flow junction in which their flow streams are combined, the second flow line containing a second valve for controlling the rate of flow of the inert carrier gas through the second flow line;
• and
• a third flow line for conduct of the inert gas and organic vapor from the outlet of the flow junction to the inlet of the reaction vessel, the proportions of the inert gas and organic vapor in the third flow line being determined by the respective positions of the valves in the first and second flow lines.