Polyelectrolyte membranes as separator for battery and fuel cell applications

• US 20070020501A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boris Kukovitskiy, Fuyuan Ma, Ling-Feng Li, Sadeg Faris
• Original Assignee: Boris Kukovitskiy, Fuyuan Ma, Ling-Feng Li, Sadeg Faris
• Inventors: Ma, Fuyuan, Li, Ling-Feng, Kukovitskiy, Boris, Faris, Sadeg
• Application Number:
  US11/186,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20070020501A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/443
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/122 Ionic conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0565 Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/30 Nickel accumulators H01M10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/32 Silver accumulators H01M10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/06 with one metallic and one gaseous electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0094 in the form of layered products, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04197 Preventing means for fuel crossover
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1023 having only carbon, e.g. polyarylenes, polystyrenes or polybutadiene-styrenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1025 having only carbon and oxygen, e.g. polyethers, sulfonated polyetheretherketones [S-PEEK], sulfonated polysaccharides, sulfonated celluloses or sulfonated polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/103 having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1039 halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1044 Mixtures of polymers, of which at least one is ionically conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/106 characterised by the chemical composition of the porous support
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Herein provided are polyelectrolyte membranes that block dendrite growth in rechargeable batteries, possess low inherent electrical resistance to be used as separators, possess high ionic conductivities, and block fuel crossover in direct fuel feeding fuel cells. Further provided are cost-effective processes for forming polyelectrolyte membranes. The herein described polyelectrolyte membranes are useful in electrochemical cells such as primary batteries, secondary batteries such as Ag—Zn, Ni—Zn, Ni-MH, Li polymer, and Li-ion; fuel cells including but not limited to metal air battery or fuel cells, proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cells, direct liquid feed fuel cell.

Claims

1. A membrane for an electrochemical cell comprising:

at least one pair of oppositely charged membranes including a polyanion membrane and adjacent a polycation membrane, wherein electrical double layers are formed at the interface of the polyanion and polycation membranes.

2. An electrochemical cell comprising the membrane of claim 1.

3. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein plural, pairs of oppositely charged membranes are provided adjacent one another.

4. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the polyanion membrane or the polycation membrane includes a neutral polymer.

5. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein an anionic polymer forming the polyanion membrane is selected from the group consisting of poly(sodium styrene sulfonate). poly(acrylic acid) sodium salt, poly(acrylic acid)-co-polymers, (poly(styrene-co-sodium styrencsulfonate), poly(sulfone-co-sodium sulfonate), poly(ethy acrylate-co-sodium acrylate), poly(butadiene-co-lithium, methacrylate), poly(ethylene-co-sodium methacrylate), poly(ethylene-co-magnesium methacrylate), zinc-sulfonated ethylene-propylen-terpolymer carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt, Nafion, and other suitable polyanions.

6. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein an anionic polymer forming the polyanion membrane has the structure

7. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein an anionic polymer forming the polyanion membrane has the structure

8. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein an cationic polymer forming the polycaiton membrane is selected from the group consisting of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride). Poly(N-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium iodide), poly(allylamine hydrochloride), poly(butyl acrylate-co-N-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium iodide), poly(butadiene-co-N-methyl-4-vinnylpyridinium) iodide, poly(styrene-co-4-vinylpyridine), poly(ethyl acrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine), polyaniline-based polymers, polypyrrole-base polymers, and other suitable polycations.

9. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein an cationic polymer forming the polycaiton membrane has the structure

10. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein an cationic polymer forming the polycaiton membrane has the structure

11. The membrane as in claim 4, wherein the neutral polymer is selected from the group consisting of PVA, PEO, PVDF, PPO, PA, PEA, PEEK, PET, PMMA, poly2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene odixe), poly2,6-diphenyl-1,4-phenylene oxide), and poly(4-vinylpyridine).

12. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein the polyanion and polycation are formed on a substrate.

13. The membrane as in claim 12, wherein the substrate is a porous substrate.

14. The membrane as in claim 13, wherein the porous substrate comprises nylon or polypropylene.

15. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a secondary battery, and the membrane protects the secondary battery from dendrite related ineffectiveness.

16. The membrane as in claim 1, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a direct fuel feed fuel cell, and the membrane protects the direct fuel feed fuel cell from fuel crossover.