Electrochemical electrodes

• US 3,905,831 A
• Filed: 10/12/1971
• Issued: 09/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maurice H. Tremblay, Perry H. Brown
• Original Assignee: Maurice H. Tremblay, Perry H. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Perry H., Tremblay, Maurice H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skapars, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US05/188,375
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 136/12R,12FC,86D,74,53 28/72P,74P,76P 139/425
• US Class Current: 429/513
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8621 containing only metallic or ceramic material, e.g. made by sintering or sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8626 characterised by the form
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An electrochemical electrode of a metallic velvet-like material comprising a woven textile pile fabric wherein at least a portion of the woven base fabric and/or the velvet surface-forming pile yarns is metallic is described. The metallic yarn may comprise a blended yarn formed of staple metal fibers and conventional nonmetallic textile fibers, or may be formed of continuous metal filament material. The metal fibers, or filaments, are preferably formed with rough, unmachined, unburnished, fracture-free outer surfaces for improved retention in the velvet pile fabric. The electrode has particular application in fuel cells, batteries and other electrochemical systems where high usable surface areas (per unit volume) are needed to promote three-phase reactions.

Claims

1. A FUEL CELL COMPRISING:

AN ELECTROLYTE, A PAIR OF GAS MANIFOLDS FOR FUEL AND OXIDIZER GASES, AND A PAIR OF ELECTRODES INTERFACED BETWEEN THE ELECTROLYTE AND THE GAS MANIFOLDS, AT LEAST ONE ELECTRODE INCORPORATING A BASE FABRIC COMPRISED OF STAPLE FIBERS WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE STALE FIBERS ARE METALLIC FIBERS, AND PILE YARNS SECURED TO THE BASE FABRIC FORMING A PILE SURFACE PROJECTING FROM ONE FACE OF THE FABRIC, THE PILE YARN BEING FROMED OF FILAMENTS WHEREIN PART OF THE FILAMENTS ARE METAL, THE METAL FILAMENTS AND FIBERS OF THE ABRIC AND PILE YARN HAVING ROUGH, UNMACHINED AND UNBURNISHED, FRACTUREFREE OUTER SURFACES, THEREBY IMPROVING RETENTION IN THE FABRIC.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the base fabric includes:

interlaced warp ends and filling picks.

3. The fuel cell of claim 2 wherein the pile yarn is:

interlocked with the base fabric.

4. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the pile yarn is:

bonded to the base fabric,

5. The fuelcell of claim 1 wherein the base fabric is:

a random web.