US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Sol Gilman

Michael Binder

Charles W Walker, Jr

William L Wade, Jr

Eric R Petersen

Robert J Mammone

Paul J Bramhall

A fuel cell is provided including a single sheet film or ribbon of any leh of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane ('PEM') wherein the PEM is divided into regions or zones of varying electrical conductivity and ionic conductivity, allowing the elimination of endplates and/or a bipolar configuration. In this non bipolar arrangement, means are provided for distributing fuel to only one side of the PEM and oxidant to only the other side of the PEM so as to prevent mixing of the fuel and oxidant.

Fuel cell including a single sheet of a polymer electrolyte membrane

Solid materials are easily washed with liquified gas by placing the solid terial to be washed in a dry vessel under an inert atmosphere, evacuating the vessel, introducing the low temperature liquified gas solvent into the vessel, allowing the washing of the solid by the liquified gas solvent, and removing the solvent by the application of vacuum.

Method of washing solids with liquified gases

A cathode is provided for use in high energy primary lithium-thionyl chloe cell systems or calcium-thionyl chloride cell systems. The cathode comprises an expanded metallic current collector screen into which has been pasted a mixture of a low surface area conductive carbon black and a high surface area conductive carbon black previously mixed with a binder.

Cathode for use in high energy primary thionyl chloride cell systems and

A high capacity lithium inorganic oxyhalide electrochemical cell is provi including lithium as the anode, carbon as the cathode, and a solution of a quaternary ammonium salt in an inorganic oxyhalide solvent as the electrolyte.

High capacity inorganic oxyhalide electrochemical cell

Carbon black powder is pretreated with acetone or methanol prior to cathode abrication to improve the cathode operating voltage and increase the cathode life of lithium sulfuryl chloride electrochemical cells.

Method of pretreating carbon black powder to improve cathode performance

A porous carbon cathode for use in an electrochemical cell is made by wetg the carbon black with a 1:1 to 1:3 mixture of isopropyl alcohol:water, adding a binding agent thereto, smearing the resulting stiff paste on a thin expanded metal screen and pressing and rolling to the desired thickness, drying the cathode sheet in a vacuum oven at about 100.degree. C. for one hour while a weight is placed above and below the cathode sheet which is sandwiched between two pieces of blotting paper, the total weight applied being sufficient for the cathode to retain structural integrity, removing the weight and blotting papers and inserting the cathode sheet in an elevated drying oven at about 280.degree. C. for about one hour, and cooling the cathode sheet between blotting paper, repressing and rolling. Cathodes prepared by this method appear structurally strong, maintain their physical integrity with a minimum of cracking and flaking, and do not crumble when cut. The porous carbon cathode is particularly advantageous when included in a lithium sulfuryl chloride cell, but can be used in any system requiring porous carbon cathodes.

Method of making a porous carbon cathode, a porous carbon cathode so

A high rate carbon cathode is made by mixing a carbon powder having a sure area of about 1000 square meters/gram with polytetrafluoroethylene and a sufficient amount of water to form a coherent mixture. The mixture is applied to an electrically conductive screen; the cathode formed while wet to an intermediate thickness, the cathode vacuum dried at about 100 degrees C., and the cathode cold compressed to obtain a final electrode porosity of greater than 80 percent. The cathode can be used in a lithium primary cell using a solution of an inorganic lithium salt in sulfuryl chloride as the electrolyte.

Method of making a high rate carbon cathode

A catalyst system for the elimination of hydrogen gas which comprises a ptetrafluoroethylene-bonded catalyst layer of carbon mixed with platinum black, a porous polytetrafluoroethylene film on the side thereof which faces the gas flow, and a metal backplate, all integrally bonded together. The assembly is particularly useful for the elimination of hydrogen gas in sealed equipment housings, for example, those containing batteries. A similar system may also be used as a detector of hydrogen by utilizing a detector paper therewith which indicates the presence of water.

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Rumson, NJ, United States of America

Sol Gilman