Magnetically modified electrodes as well as methods of making and using the same

• US 6,890,670 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Inventors: Zou, Pengcheng, Leddy, Johna
• Primary Examiner(s): Resan, Stevan A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FALASCO, LOUIS V
• Application Number:
  US10/662,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 428/547, 428/548, 428/557, 428/558, 428/570, 428/327, 428/329, 428/403, 428/504, 428/404, 428/405, 428/407, 428/692, 428/693, 428/900, 427/127, 427/129, 427/130, 204/155, 204/207, 204/211, 204/215, 429/10, 429/12, 429/40, 429/41, 429/209, 429/221, 429/223, 296/231, 296/235
• US Class Current: 428/553
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 53/00 Compounds of nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 53/006 Compounds containing, besides nickel, two or more other elements, with the exception of oxygen or hydrogen nickelates C01G53/40
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 53/04 Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/52 containing elements as dopants
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/74 by peak-intensities or a ratio thereof only
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/42 Magnetic properties
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3272 Iron oxides or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. hematite, magnetite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3279 Nickel oxides, nickalates, or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/36 Glass starting materials for making ceramics, e.g. silica glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3804 Borides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/40 Metallic constituents or additives not added as binding phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/405 Iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/01 based on oxide ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/5805 based on borides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/30 Nickel accumulators H01M10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/32 Nickel oxide or hydroxide electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/364 as mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/52 of nickel, cobalt or iron
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/521 : of iron for aqueous cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 : Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12063 : Nonparticulate metal component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/257 : Iron oxide or aluminum oxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/32 : Composite [nonstructural laminate] of inorganic material having metal-compound-containing layer and having defined magnetic layer

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods for making magnetically modified electrodes and electrodes made according to the method. Such electrodes are useful as electrodes in batteries, such as Ni-MH batteries, Ni—Cd batteries, Ni—Zn batteries and Ni—Fe batteries.

Claims

1. An electrode comprising:

(i) a substrate having at least one surface and comprising a conductive material; and

(ii) a plurality of magnetizable particles on said surface,

wherein said magnetizable particles have been exposed to a magnetic field of sufficient strength for a sufficient time to align the magnetic moments of a portion of atoms within a majority of said particles and wherein said alignment is maintained upon removal of said magnetic field, and

further wherein said portion of atoms aligned within each of said particles is sufficient to alter the rate of a chemical reaction involving said particle or occurring within the vicinity of said particle and/or the distribution of products resulting from a chemical reaction involving said particle or occurring within the vicinity of said particle.

2. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a permanent magnetic material.

3. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a paramagnetic material.

4. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a superparamagnetic material.

5. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a ferromagnetic material.

6. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a ferrimagnetic material.

7. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a superconducting material.

8. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises an anti-ferromagnetic material.

9. The electrode of claim 1, wherein said chemical reaction involves transfer of at least one subatomic particle.

10. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles has a diameter of about 0.1 microns to about 10 microns.

11. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of samarium cobalt, neodynium-iron-boron, iron and iron oxide, nickel, cobalt, zinc, misch metal, and ceramic magnets comprising barium ferrite and/or strontium ferrite.

12. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of nickel hydroxide, nickel oxy hydroxide, zinc hydroxide, cobalt oxide, manganese oxide, lithium carbonate, and lithium hydroxide.

13. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles has at least one coating layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

14. The electrode of claim 13, wherein said at least one coating layer comprises at least one of substituted polystyrene, unsubstituted polystyrene, and silane.

15. The electrode of claim 1, wherein said magentizable particle has a plurality of coating layers on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

16. The electrode of claim 1, further comprising an effective amount of at least one binder.

17. The electrode of claim 1, further comprising an effective amount of at least on gelling agent.

18. The electrode of claim 1, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises at least one ferromagnetic material selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, dysprosium, and gadolinium.

19. The electrode of claim 1, further comprising at least one permanent magnetic particle, wherein said permanent magnetic particle has a magnetic field of sufficient strength to maintain the alignment of the magnetic moments of a portion of atoms within said magnetizable particle.

20. The electrode of claim 19, wherein said permanent magnetic particle comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of samarium cobalt, neodynium-iron-boron, iron and iron oxide, cobalt, misch metal, and ceramic magnets comprising barium ferrite and/or strontium ferrite.

49. The electrode of claim 16, wherein said binder comprises at least one of polymers, starches, fatty acids, and liposomes.

50. The electrode of claim 17, wherein said gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethycellulose, polyacrylic acid, and, sodium polyacrylate.

21. An electrode comprising a plurality of magnetizable particles and a plurality of permanent magnetic particles, wherein said permanent magnetic particles have a magnetic field of sufficient strength to align the magnetic moments of a portion of atoms within said magentizable particles sufficient to alter the rate of and/or distribution of products resulting from a chemical reaction involving one or more of said magnetizable particles and/or said permanent magnetic particles or occurring within the vicinity of one or more of said magnetizable particles and/or said permanent magnetic particles.

23. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a paramagnetic material.

24. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a superparamagnetic material.

25. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a ferromagnetic material.

26. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a ferrimagnetic material.

27. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises a superconducting material.

28. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises an anti-ferromagnetic material.

29. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein said chemical reaction involves the flux of a solute through a composite containing a plurality of said magnetizable particles.

30. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein said chemical reaction involves mass transport.

31. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein said chemical reaction involves transfer of at least one subatomic particle.

32. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles has a diameter of about 0.1 microns to about 10 microns.

33. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of samarium cobalt, neodynium-iron-boron, iron and iron oxide, nickel, cobalt, zinc, misch metal, and ceramic magnets comprising barium ferrite and/or strontium ferrite.

34. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of nickel hydroxide, nickel oxy hydroxide, zinc hydroxide, cobalt oxide, manganese oxide, lithium carbonate, and lithium hydroxide.

35. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles has at least one coating layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

36. The electrode of claim 35, wherein said at least one coating layer comprises at least one of substituted polystyrene, unsubstituted polystyrene, and silane.

37. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles has a plurality of coating layers on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

38. The electrode of claim 21, wherein said permanent magnetic particles have at least one coating layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

39. The electrode of claim 38, wherein said at least one coating layer comprises at least one of substituted polystyrene, unsubstituted polystyrene, and silane.

40. The electrode of claim 21, wherein said permanent magnetic particles have a plurality of coating layers on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

41. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, further comprising an effective amount of at least one binder.

42. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, further comprising an effective amount of at least one gelling agent.

43. The electrode of claim 21 or 22, wherein each of said magnetizable particles comprises at least one ferromagnetic material selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, dysprosium, and gadolinium.

44. The electrode of claim 21, wherein said permanent magnetic particle comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of samarium cobalt, neodynium-iron-boron, iron and iron oxide, cobalt, misch metal, and ceramic magnets comprising barium ferrite and/or strontium ferrite.

45. The electrode of claim 21, wherein said permanent magnetic particles have at least one coating layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

46. The electrode of claim 45, wherein said at least one coating layer comprises at least one of substituted polystyrene, unsubstituted polystyrene, and silane.

47. The electrode of claim 21, wherein said permanent magnetic particles have a plurality of coating layers on at least a portion of the surface thereof.

48. The electrode of claim 21, wherein said permanent magnetic particles have a diameter of about 0.1 microns to about 10 microns.

51. The electrode of claim 41, wherein said binder comprises at least one of polymers, starches, fatty acids, and liposomes.

52. The electrode of claim 42, wherein said gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethycellulose, polyacrylic acid, and, sodium polyacrylate.

22. An electrode comprising a plurality of magnetizable particles, wherein said magnetizable particles have been exposed to a magnetic field of sufficient strength to align the magnetic moments of a portion of atoms within said magentizable particles sufficient to alter the distribution of products resulting from a chemical reaction involving one or more of said magnetizable particles or occurring within the vicinity of one or more of said magnetizable particles.

53. A composition of matter, comprising a plurality of magnetizable particles, wherein the magnetizable particles have been exposed to a magnetic field of sufficient strength to align the magnetic moments of a portion of atoms within the magnetizable particles sufficient to alter the distribution of products resulting from a chemical reaction involving the magnetizable particles or occurring within the vicinity of the magnetizable particles.

54. A composition of matter comprising a plurality of magnetizable particles in a binder, wherein the magnetizable particles have been exposed to a magnetic field of sufficient strength to align the magnetic moments of a portion of atoms within the magnetizable particles sufficient to alter the distribution of products resulting from a chemical reaction involving the magnetizable particles or occurring within the vicinity of the magnetizable particles.

55. A composition of matter comprising a plurality of magnetic particles, wherein a portion of atoms within the magnetic particles have magnetic moments aligned sufficient to alter the distribution of products resulting from a chemical reaction involving the magnetic particles or occurring within the vicinity of the magnetic particles.

56. A composition of matter comprising a plurality of magnetic particles in a binder, wherein a portion of atoms within the magnetic particles have magnetic moments aligned sufficient to alter the distribution of products resulting from a chemical reaction involving the magnetic particles or occurring within the vicinity of the magnetic particles.