Alkali-hydroxide modified poly-vinylidene fluoride/polyethylene oxide lithium-air battery

• US 7,670,724 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Chan, Yuk, Atwater, Terrill B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan; Dah-Wei D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scully; Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/031,943
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 429/129, 429/131, 429/134, 429/135, 429/142, 429/247, 429/249, 429/251
• US Class Current: 429/248
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/08 composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/414 Synthetic resins, e.g. thermoplastics or thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/437 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/44 Fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A metal-air battery includes a housing having an aperture for the passage of air and a pair of electrodes that extend from the housing. An air cathode may be interconnected with one of the electrodes and an anode may include a metal foil that is interconnected with another of the electrodes. A separator may be interposed between the air cathode and the metal foil and a barrier layer may surround the metal foil. The barrier layer may function to substantially reduce the passage of moisture to the metal foil. A method of making a metal-air battery is also presented.

Claims

1. A moisture-resistant lithium metal-air battery, comprising:

a housing having an aperture to permit the passage of air;

a pair of electrodes extending from the said housing;

an air cathode interconnected with a one of said pair of electrodes;

a metal foil anode being interconnected with another one of said pair of electrodes;

a separator interposed between said air cathode and said metal foil anode; and

a polymeric barrier layer surrounds said metal foil anode;

a first wire-mesh layer is disposed adjacent said air cathode;

a second wire-mesh layer is interposed between said metal foil anode and said polymeric barrier layer;

said polymeric barrier layer, being composed of a mixture of alkali-hydroxide modified polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene oxide, and lithium hexafluorophosphate, allows a passage of lithium ions and oxygen ions therethrough to said metal foil anode;

said alkali-hydroxide modified polyvinylidene fluoride being in a range of between about 75 percent by weight and about 85 percent by weight;

said polyethylene oxide being in a range of between about 5 percent by weight and about 10 percent by weight;

said lithium hexafluorophosphate being in a range of between about 10 percent by weight and about 15 percent by weight; and

said passage of lithium ions and oxygen ions through said polymeric barrier layer to said metal foil anode causes a multitude of oxidation reactions and reduction reactions while substantially reducing unwanted contact between external moisture and said metal foil anode to generate electrical energy at an increased level of stability.

2. The moisture-resistant lithium metal-air battery as recited in claim 1, said mixture further comprising:

said alkali-hydroxide modified polyvinylidene fluoride (pVdF) having a weight percent of about 81%;

said polyethylene oxide (PEO) having a weight percent of about 9%; and

said lithium hexafluorophosphate having a weight percent of about 10%.

3. The moisture-resistant lithium metal-air battery as recited in claim 1, said mixture further comprising:

said alkali-hydroxide modified polyvinylidene fluoride (pVdF) having a weight percent of about 78%;

said polyethylene oxide (PEO) having a weight percent of about 10%; and

said lithium hexafluorophosphate having a weight percent of about 12%.

4. The moisture-resistant lithium metal-air battery as recited in claim 1, further comprising said metal foil anode, said polymeric barrier layer, and said separator being disposed within an electrolyte.

5. The moisture-resistant lithium metal-air battery as recited in claim 4, further comprising an electrolyte being a 1.2M solution of lithium hexafluorophosphate in propylene carbonate.

6. The moisture-resistant lithium metal-air battery as recited in claim 5, further comprising said separator being composed of glass wool.