University of Dayton

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Quantronix Corporation

Binod Kumar

Lawrence G Scanlon, Jr

Jitendra Kumar

Richard T Daly

Richard A Marsh

Martin G Cohen

Christina H Chen

George A Graves, Jr

Stanley J Rodrigues

Joykumar Singh Thokchom

Jeffrey D Schaffer

Liquid-free lithium-air cells are provided which incorporate a solid electrolyte having enhanced ionic transport and catalytic activity. The solid electrolyte is positioned between a lithium anode and an oxygen cathode, and comprises a glass-ceramic and/or a polymer-ceramic electrolyte including a dielectric additive.

Lithium-air cells incorporating solid electrolytes having enhanced ionic transport and catalytic activity

A lithium-air cell is provided which incorporates a cathode comprised of a lithium aluminum germanium phosphate (LAGP) glass-ceramic material for facilitating an oxygen reduction reaction. The lithium-air cell further includes a lithium anode and a solid electrolyte which may be in the form of a membrane comprising LAGP glass-ceramic and/or polymer ceramic materials.

Lithium-air cell incorporating lithium aluminum germanium phosphate cathode

A solid composite electrolyte membrane for use in a lithium battery is provided which exhibits a conductivity ranging from about 10S cmto about 10S cmat ambient temperature. The membrane is formed by providing a glass or glass-ceramic powder formed from a mixture of lithium carbonate, alumina, titanium dioxide, and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate. The powder is mixed with a conditioning agent and at least one solvent, followed by the addition of a binder and one or more plasticizers. The resulting slurry is cast into a tape which is then subjected to a binder burn-off and sintering process to form the membrane. The resulting membrane may be a glass-ceramic composite having a porosity ranging from 0 to 50%, or the membrane may be further infiltrated with a polymer to form a water-impermeable polymeric-ceramic composite membrane.

Solid composite electrolyte membrane and method of making

A ceramic-ceramic nanocomposite electrolyte having enhanced conductivity is provided. The nancomposite electrolyte is formed from chemically stabilized zirconia such as yttria stabilized zirconia or scandia stabilized zirconia and a heterogeneous ceramic dopant material such as AlO, TiO, MgO, BN, or SiN. The nanocomposite electrolyte is formed by doping the chemically stabilized zirconia with the ceramic dopant material and pressing and sintering the composite. The resulting electrolyte has a bulk conductivity of from about 0.10 to about 0.50 S/cm at about 600&#xb0; C. to about 900&#xb0; C. and may be incorporated into a solid oxide fuel cell.

Ceramic-ceramic nanocomposite electrolyte

A colloidal electrolyte for an electrochemical device. The colloidal electrolyte includes a liquid electrolyte selected from liquid organic electrolytes, or liquid inorganic electrolytes free of sulfuric acid; and a ceramic particle phase dispersed in the liquid electrolyte, wherein the colloidal electrolyte has increased conductivity in the electrochemical device compared to the conductivity of the liquid electrolyte alone. The colloidal electrolytes will suppress flammability and flowability.

Colloidal electrolytes

Methods for enhancing conductivity of polymer-ceramic composite electrolytes are provided which include forming a polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte film by a melt casting technique and uniaxially stretching the film from about 5 to 15% in length. The polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte is also preferably annealed after stretching such that it has a room temperature conductivity of from 10 S cm to 10 S cm . The polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte formed by the methods of the present invention may be used in lithium rechargeable batteries.

Methods of enhancing conductivity of a polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte

Solid composite electrolytes are provided for use in lithium batteries which exhibit moderate to high ionic conductivity at ambient temperatures and low activation energies. In one embodiment, a polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte containing poly(ethylene oxide), lithium tetrafluoroborate and titanium dioxide is provided in the form of an annealed film having a room temperature conductivity of from 10,S cm,to 10,S cm,and an activation energy of about 0.5 eV.

Solid composite electrolytes for lithium batteries

Solid composite electrolytes are provided for use in lithium batteries which exhibit moderate to high ionic conductivity at ambient temperatures and low activation energies. In one embodiment, a ceramic-ceramic composite electrolyte is provided containing lithium nitride and lithium phosphate. The ceramic-ceramic composite is also preferably annealed and exhibits an activation energy of about 0.1 eV.

A polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte is provided which may be formed into a thin film having a room temperature conductivity of from 10.sup.-5 S cm.sup.-1 to 10.sup.-3 S cm.sup.-1. In one embodiment, the composite electrolyte comprises from about 30 to 60% by weight poly(ethylene oxide), from about 10 to 20% by weight lithium tetrafluoroborate, and from about 25 to 60% by weight lithium nitride. The film is preferably produced by mixing and grinding the components, then placing the ground mixture in a die and compacting the mixture to form a disc which is then flattened. The resulting film is annealed to ensure high conductivity at room temperature.

Polymer-ceramic composite electrolytes

In units comprising solid polymer electrolytes, the ionic conductivity of such electrolytes is increased by mechanically exciting the units. Such units can be solid state batteries or electrochromic devices or the like. Mechanical excitation may be provided by, for example, a piezoelectric transducer.

Fast ion conductors

A spun or drawn glass fiber for use in the area of medical implants, and particularly as a reinforcement for bioabsorbable polymeric orthopaedic and dental implants. The glass fiber is bioabsorbable and has sufficient tensile strength and elasticity to be used as a reinforcement. It is made up of 5-50% calcium oxide (CaO), 50-95% phosphorous pentoxide (P.sub.2 O.sub.5), 0-5% calcium fluoride (CaF.sub.2), 0-5% water (H.sub.2 O), and 0-10% XO wherein X is either a single magnesium, zinc or strontium ion or two sodium, potassium, lithium, or aluminum ions and when X is aluminum the O represents three oxygen ions.

Bioabsorbable glass fibers for use in the reinforcement of bioabsorbable

The disclosure is of a segmented YAG laser rod having segments cemented together and its method of manufacture.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

Binod Kumar