USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Joseph F Parker

Debra R Rolison

Jeffrey W Long

Christopher N Chervin

Brandon J Hopkins

Ryan H DeBlock

Jesse S Ko

A method of: placing a mixture of zinc particles; water; a water-soluble thickener; and water-insoluble inorganic porogen particles into a mold; evaporating the water to form a monolith; heating the monolith to fuse the zinc particles together; and submerging the monolith in a liquid that removes the porogen particles. A method of: placing a mixture of zinc particles; an aqueous acetic acid solution; and porogen particles into a mold; evaporating water to form a monolith; and submerging the monolith in a liquid that removes the porogen particles.

Fabrication and fusion of zinc particles in porous electrodes

Disclosed are methods of making porous zinc electrodes. Taken together, the steps are: forming a mixture of water, a soluble compound that increases the viscosity of the mixture, an insoluble porogen, and metallic zinc powder; placing the mixture in a mold to form a sponge; optionally drying the sponge; placing the sponge in a metal mesh positioned to allow air flow through substantially all the openings in the mesh; heating the sponge in an inert atmosphere at a peak temperature of 200 to 420&#xb0; C. to fuse the zinc particles to each other to form a sintered sponge; and heating the sintered sponge in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a peak temperature of 420 to 700&#xb0; C. to form ZnO on the surfaces of the sintered sponge. The heating steps burn out the porogen.

Zinc electrode improvements

A zinc-air battery having: a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte, a separator between the anode and the cathode, and a housing. The cathode includes: a cathode current collector and a composite having a porous carbon material, a porous cryptomelane-type MnOx material, a porous NiFeOx material, and a binder. The anode includes: a continuous network having metallic zinc and having metallic zinc bridges connecting metallic zinc particle cores and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The electrolyte fills the void space in the anode, is in contact with the cathode, and permeates the composite without completely filling or obstructing a majority of the pores. The housing encloses the anode, the cathode, and the separator and exposes the composite to ambient air.

Rechargeable zinc/air batteries

An article having a continuous network of zinc and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The zinc network is a fused, monolithic structure. A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; annealing and/or sintering the sponge to form an annealed and/or sintered sponge; heating the annealed and/or sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

Zinc electrodes for batteries

An article having a continuous network of zinc and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The zinc network is a fused, monolithic structure. A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; sintering the sponge to form a sintered sponge; heating the sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; sintering the sponge in an inert atmosphere to form a sintered sponge; heating the sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and heating the oxidized sponge in an inert atmosphere at above the melting point of the zinc. A method of: providing an emulsion comprising a zinc powder and a liquid phase; placing the emulsion into a mold, wherein the emulsion is in contact with a metal substrate; and drying the emulsion to form a sponge.

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Washington, DC, United States of America

Joseph F Parker