Electrical cells and batteries and methods of making the same

• US 4,172,319 A
• Filed: 03/13/1978
• Issued: 10/30/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Chiklis, Charles K., Kinsman, Gordon F., Bloom, Stanley M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Esposito, Michael F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bueker, Richard
• Application Number:
  US05/885,504
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 427/121, 427/122, 427/123, 427/115, 427/376 E, 427/404, 427/407 D, 427/419 D, 429/162, 429/152, 429/149, 429/153, 429/122, 429/154, 29/623.5, 29/623.3, 29/623.4
• US Class Current: 29/623.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/06 Electrodes for primary cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/66 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/663 containing carbon or carbonaceous materials as conductive part, e.g. graphite, carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/668 Composites of electroconductive material and synthetic resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/06 Dry cells, i.e. cells wherein the electrolyte is rendered non-fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/48 with bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49114 including adhesively bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A laminar triplex structure for use in the manufacture of electrical cells and batteries, cells and batteries made therefrom, and methods of making the same. The laminate comprises a thin flat sheet of separator material, a layer of metallic particles on one surface of the separator sheet and adhered thereto with a binder, and a layer of conductive plastic adhered to the layer of metal particles. The laminate is made by the process of coating a dispersion of metal particles in a solution of a polymeric binder in an organic solvent over the separator, drying to remove the solvent, coating over the dried metal layer with a dispersion of conductive particles in a solution of a polymer in an organic solvent, and drying to remove the solvent.

Claims

1. A method of making a triplex laminate, comprising the steps of dissolving an adhesive binder in an organic solvent, dispersing metal particles in the solution, coating the dispersion on a sheet of regenerated cellulose, drying the metal particle dispersion to remove the solvent, dissolving an elastomer in an organic solvent, dispersing carbon black in said solution, coating said dried layer of metal particles with said carbon dispersion, and drying said coated carbon dispersion to remove said solvent.

2. The process of claim 1, in which said particles comprise a major proportion of zinc powder and a minor proportion of carbon particles.

3. The process of claim 2, in which said regenerated cellulose comprises a sheet of cellophane free of humectants and plasticizers.

4. The process of claim 3, in which said binder is an elastomer.

5. The process of making a laminate of cellophane, zinc and conductive plastic comprising the steps of coating a sheet of cellophane with a dispersion of zinc powder in a solution of a polymeric binder in an organic solvent, drying said coated dispersion to remove said solvent, coating said dried dispersion with a dispersion of carbon particles in a solution of an elastomer in an organic solvent, and drying said coated solution to remove said solvent.

6. The process of making a triplex laminate useful in the manufacture of laminar batteries, comprising the steps of coating a sheet of separator material with a dispersion of electrode particles in a solution of a polymeric binder in a solvent, drying said dispersion to remove said solvent and thereby produce a layer of electrode particles on said separator sheet and adhered thereto with said polymeric binder, coating said dried dispersion with a dispersion of carbon particles in a solution of an elastomer in a solvent, and drying said carbon particle dispersion to remove said solvent and thereby produce a liquid impermeable layer of conductive plastic over said electrode particle layer.

7. The method of making a laminated product for use in the manufacture of electrical cells, comprising the steps of dispersing zinc powder in an organic solvent with a polymeric binding agent, coating said dispersion on a sheet of cellophane, and drying said coated dispersion to produce an adherent coating of zinc particles on said cellophane sheet, coating said dried zinc dispersion with a dispersion of carbon in a solution of an elastomeric resin in an organic solvent, and drying said carbon dispersion to remove said solvent and produce a conductive plastic layer over said zinc dispersion.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of adhering the borders of said conductive plastic layer to the inner borders of a frame of thermoplastic insulating material having a central opening defining an active electrode region.

9. The method of making an electrical cell, comprising the steps of dispersing zinc powder in an organic solvent with a polymeric binding agent, coating said dispersion on a sheet of cellophane, drying said coated dispersion to produce an adherent coating of zinc particles on said cellophane sheet, coating said dried zinc dispersion with a dispersion of carbon in a solution of an elastomeric resin in an organic solvent, drying said carbon dispersion to remove said solvent and produce a conductive plastic layer over said zinc dispersion, adhering the borders of said conductive plastic layer to the inner borders of a frame of theremoplastic insulating material having a central opening defining an active electrode region, and contacting the portion of said cellophane sheet within the opening in said frame with a wet slurry dispersion of manganese dioxide and carbon in an aqueous solution of electrolytes to permeate said zinc dispersion with electrolytic solution by diffusion through said cellophane sheet and thereby form an electrical cell.