Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Union Carbide Corporation

Gerald H Newman

Lawrence P Klemann

Eugene L Stogryn

Joseph A Shropshire

M Stanley Whittingham

George E Blomgren

Dan A Farcasiu

Thomas A Whitney

Paul A Malachesky

Robert W Francis

A method is described for purifying electrolytes used in alkali battery systems. An electrolyte is mixed with or fed through a column containing a mercury amalgam of the alkali of the electrolyte salt. The amalgam reduces the alkali-metal reactive impurities within the electrolyte. The electrolyte is also mixed with an oxidizing agent or fed through a column containing the oxidizing agent in order to oxidize impurities in the electrolyte. Electrolytes so treated will exhibit improved cycling capabilities, because the electrolyte will now be devoid of impurities which respectively can react with the anode and cathode of the battery.

Purification process for lithium battery electrolytes

An electrolyte for an alkali metal electrochemical device features (a) an organic solvent; and (b) at least one electrolytically active alkali-metal complex anion salt. The salt has the formula:

Electrolytes for alkali-metal electrochemical devices

A class of electrolytes for alkali-metal electro-chemical devices is featured, which contains at least one complex anion salt in an organic solvent. The complex anion salt has the general formula:

Pseudohalide-containing salts for electrolytes of alkali-metal

Novel compositions are described which comprise halogenated organometallic lithium salt complexes having the formula LiMR.sub.n X.sub.i wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sn (stannous), P and As, the Rs are specified haloorganic radicals, the Xs are selected from various halides, alkyls, aryls, alkaryls and aralkyls, and n and i are numerical values, the sum of which is equal to one plus the valence of the metal M, subject to the provisos that if n is zero, at least one X is an organic radical and that if i is zero, not all R radicals are perhalogenated aryl radicals. Also described are electrolyte compositions for electrochemical cells which contain electrolytically active lithium salt complexes including these novel compositions of matter.

Haloorganometallic lithium salt complex compositions and electrolyte

Electrochemical cells having alkali metal anodes, e.g. lithium batteries, are described which contain electrolytically active alkali metal salt complexes including haloorganometallic alkali metal salt complexes having the formula ZMR.sub.n X.sub.i wherein Z is an alkali metal, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sn (stannous), P and As, the Rs are specified haloorganic radicals, the Xs are selected from various halides, alkyls, aryls, alkaryls, and aralkyls, and n and i are numerical values the sum of which is equal to one plus the valence of the metal M, subject to the proviso that if n is zero, at least one X is an organic radical. Rechargeable, high energy density electrochemical cells containing an anode having an alkali metal as its active material, a cathode having as its active material a transition metal chalcogenide, and an electrolyte composition of the above-described type, are also described.

Electrochemical cells having alkali metal anodes and electrolyte salt

Reversible alkali metal anode/metal chalcogenide cathode cells, e.g. lithium batteries, are described having electrolyte compositions which consist essentially of (a) organic solvents selected from the group consisting of inertly substituted and unsubstituted ethers, esters, sulfones, organic sulfites, organic sulfates, organic nitrites and organic nitro compounds; and (b) electrolytically active alkali metal salts including polyaryl metallic alkali metal salts having the formula ZMR.sub.n wherein Z is an alkali metal, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sn (stannous), P and As, the Rs are certain aryl radicals, and n is a numerical value equal to one plus the valence of the metal M. Rechargeable, high energy density electrochemical cells containing an anode having an alkali metal as its active material, a cathode having as its active material a transition metal chalcogenide, e.g. TiS.sub.2, and an electrolyte composition of the above-described type, are preferred.

Alkali metal anode/chalcogenide cathode reversible batteries having

An improved rechargeable, high energy density electrochemical cell comprising an anode having as its active material an alkali metal, a cathode having as its active material a transition metal trichalcogenide and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing at least one ionizable salt of the anode-active material dissolved in a dioxolane solvent. A specific example is an electrochemical cell with an anode-active material of lithium or alloys thereof, a cathode of niobium triselenide and an electrolyte of lithium perchlorate dissolved in dioxolane.

Alkali metal/niobium triselenide cell having a dioxolane-based

A novel electrochemical cell is disclosed utilizing: (a) an anode which contains as the anode-active material an alkali metal, (b) a cathode which contains as the cathode-active material a chalcogenide of the empirical formula M'A.sub.p wherein M' is one or more metals selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum and vanadium, A is one or more chalcogens selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, and p is a numerical value between about 1.8 and about 3.2; and (c) a solid electrolyte consisting essentially of one or more solvated metal-alkali metal-halogen compounds of the formula ZMX.sub.n wherein Z is an alkali metal, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sn (stannous), P and As, and wherein X is one or more halogens selected from the group consisting of chlorine, fluorine, bromine and iodine and n is a numerical value equal to one plus the valence of the metal M. Preferred are the cells wherein the anode is lithium, the cathode contains as its cathode-active material TiS.sub.2, and the electrolyte consists essentially of a solid solvated metal-lithium-halogen salt.

Cell having chalcogenide cathode and solvated alkali metal salt

A novel electrochemical cell is disclosed utilizing an alkali metal anode, a fluorinated carbon cathode and a solid electrolyte consisting essentially of one or more solvated metal-alkali metal-halogen compounds of the formula ZMX.sub.n wherein Z is an alkali metal, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sn (stannous), P and As, wherein X is one or more halogens selected from the group consisting of chlorine, fluorine, bromine and iodine, and wherein n is a numerical value equal to one plus the valence of the metal M. Preferred are the cells wherein the anode is lithium, the cathode is C.sub.2 F, and the electrolyte consists essentially of solid solvated metal-lithium-halogen salt.

Cell having fluorinated carbon cathode and solvated alkali metal salt

Electrolyte compositions for reversible alkali metal cells, e.g., lithium batteries, are described which consist essentially of (a) organic solvents selected from the group consisting of inertly substituted and unsubstituted ethers, esters, sulfones, organic sulfites, organic sulfates, organic nitrites and organic nitrates; and (b) electrolytically active alkali metal salts including organometallic alkali metal salts having the formula ZMR.sub.n wherein Z is an alkali metal, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sn (stannous), P and As, the Rs are certain organic radicals, and n is a numerical value equal to one plus the valence of the metal M. Rechargeable, high energy density electrochemical cells containing an anode having an alkali metal as its active material, a cathode, e.g., one having as its active material a transition metal chalcogenide, and an electrolyte composition of the above-described type, are also described.

Alkali metal anode-containing cells having electrolytes of

A battery is disclosed having a nonaqueous electrolyte, an alkali metal anode and a cathode comprising a compound of grahite formed by reacting graphite with ClF.sub.3 and a Lewis acid fluoride of an element selected from B, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, Sb, Bi, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta.

Electrochemical cell with a grahite intercalation compound cathode

In an electrochemical cell utilizing an alkali metal anode and a non-aqueous electrolyte there is provided a novel cathode formed by reacting a crystaline form of carbon, such as graphite, with an interhalogen fluoride in the presence of hydrogen fluoride. The preferred interhalogen fluoride is ClF.sub.3.

Primary cell for electric batteries

The invention relates to the use in a non-aqueous battery system of an electrolyte comprising a solute dissolved in a solvent of nitrobenzene or a substituted nitrobenzene compound.

Non-aqueous battery system

A nonaqueous cell utilizing a highly active metal anode, such as lithium, a solid cathode, such as (CF.sub.x).sub.n, copper sulfide or the like, and a liquid organic electrolyte consisting essentially of crotonitrile in combination with a protective cosolvent, preferably propylene carbonate, and an ionizable solute, such as LiClO.sub.4.

Growing community of inventors

Westfield, NJ, United States of America

Gerald H Newman