Alkaline battery having a gelled negative electrode

• US 5,587,254 A
• Filed: 04/07/1995
• Issued: 12/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mototani, Yuji, Asaoka, Junichi, Kojima, Yuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis, Jr., Prince
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANEY, CAROL DIANE
• Application Number:
  US08/419,054
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 429/206, 429/207, 429/229
• US Class Current: 429/206
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/22 Immobilising of electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Vibration and shock resistance of alkaline batteries provided with a gel type negative electrode comprising a zinc alloy powder, a gelling agent and an alkaline electrolyte can be improved by using the following three gelling agents in combination in the gel type negative electrode, namely, a crosslinked polyacrylate type water-absorbing polymer having a dispersion viscosity at 25° C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of mainly 100-900 microns, a crosslinked and branched type polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25° C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of mainly 100 microns or smaller, and a granular crosslinked and branched type polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25° C. of at least 15,000 cps as 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of mainly 100-900 microns. The vibration and shock resistance can further be improved by further adding to the gel type negative electrode at least one of oxides, hydroxides and sulfides of a metal selected from indium, tin and bismuth.

Claims

1. An alkaline battery provided with a gelled negative electrode comprising a zinc alloy powder, a gelling agent and an alkaline electrolyte;

said gelling agent comprising a combination of;

a crosslinked polyacrylate water-absorbing polymer having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100-900 microns;

a crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100 microns or smaller; and

a granular crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100-900 microns;

the concentration of said crosslinked polyacrylate water-absorbing polymer being in the range of from 0.25 wt % to 3.0 wt %, the concentration of said crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or salt thereof being in the range of from 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt %, the concentration of said granular crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or salt thereof being in the range of from 0.1 wt % to 2.0 wt %, and the total concentration of said gelling agent being in the range of more than 1.50 wt % but at most 4.0 wt %, and the total concentration of said gelling agent being in the range of more than 1.50 wt % but at most 4.0 wt %, all the concentrations being based on the weight of the alkaline electrolyte.

2. An alkaline battery provided with a gelled negative electrode comprising a zinc alloy powder, a gelling agent and an alkaline electrolyte;

said gelling agent comprising a combination of;

a crosslinked polyacrylate water-absorbing polymer having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100-900 microns;

a crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100 microns or smaller; and

a granular crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100-900 microns;

said gelled negative electrode further comprising at least one metal-containing compound selected from the group consisting of an oxide, hydroxide and sulfide of a metal selected from the group consisting of indium, tin and bismuth in a concentration of 0.005-1.0 wt % based on the weight of said zinc alloy powder.

3. The alkaline battery according to claim 2, wherein said metal is indium.

4. An alkaline battery provided with a gelled negative electrode comprising a zinc alloy powder, a gelling agent and an alkaline electrolyte;

said gelling agent comprising;

a combination of a crosslinked polyacrylate water-absorbing polymer having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100-900 microns;

a crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100 microns or smaller; and

a granular crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or a salt thereof having a dispersion viscosity at 25°

C. of at least 15,000 cps as a 0.5 wt % aqueous solution and having a particle size of 100-900 microns;

the concentration of said crosslinked polyacrylate water-absorbing polymer being in the range of from 0.25 wt % to 3.0 wt %, the concentration of said crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or salt thereof being in the range of from 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt %, the concentration of said granular crosslinked and branched polyacrylic acid or salt thereof being in the range of from 0.1 wt % to 2.0 wt %, and the total concentration of said gelling agent being in the range of more than 1.50 wt % but at most 4.0 wt %, all the concentrations being based on the weight of the alkaline electrolyte;

said gelled negative electrode further comprising at least one metal-containing compound selected from the group consisting of an oxide, hydroxide and sulfide of a metal selected from the group consisting of indium, tin and bismuth.

5. The alkaline battery according to claim 4, wherein said gelled negative electrode comprises said metal-containing compound in a concentration of 0.005-1.0 wt % based on the weight of said zinc alloy powder.

6. The alkaline battery according to claim 4, wherein said metal is indium.