Claims
- 1. An apparatus for electrically insulating electrochemical cell electrodes with a quaternary system of binary salts, comprising:
- a molten ternary mixture of binary salts, said mixture forming an electrolyte composition; and
- a fourth binary salt dispersed in said composition, said fourth salt a solid within said composition such that a two-phase system is maintained during cell operation.
- 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrolyte composition is a eutectic mixture of salts, said salts having ions selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earth metals cations.
- 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said mixture comprises lithium chloride, lithium bromide, and potassium bromide.
- 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the molar ratio of lithium chloride to lithium bromide to potassium bromide is about 25:38:37.
- 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said solid salt is lithium fluoride present at about 15-60 weight percent.
- 6. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said mixture comprises lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and potassium carbonate.
- 7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the solid salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, potassium calcium carbonate, and sodium calcium carbonate.
- 8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the cell is selected from the group of electrochemical systems consisting of molten alkali metal/sulfide, sodium/metal chloride, and carbonate fuel cells.
- 9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the cell comprises a lithium/sulfide electrochemical system.
- 10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein:
- said electrolyte composition is a eutectic mixture of lithium chloride, lithium bromide, and potassium bromide; and
- said solid salt is lithium fluoride.
- 11. An electrochemical cell having alkali-metal conductivity, comprising:
- a conductive member selected from the group consisting of a metallic material, a ceramic material, and combinations thereof;
- a negative electrode selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and alloys thereof, said electrode in a substantially conductive relationship to said member;
- a separator including a molten ternary mixture of binary salts forming an electrolyte, said salts selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earth metal salts, and a fourth electrically-insulating binary salt dispersed as a solid in said mixture, said separator in a substantially conductive relationship to said negative electrode; and
- a positive electrode selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, sulfides, nitrides, and carbides intercalated with alkali metal ions, said electrode in a substantially conductive relationship to said separator.
- 12. The cell as defined in claim 11 wherein said alkali metal is lithium, and said negative electrode is a lithium alloy.
- 13. The cell as defined in claim 11 wherein said electrolyte is a lithium chloride, lithium bromide, and potassium bromide eutectic mixture; and said solid salt is lithium fluoride present at about 15-60 weight percent in said separator and at about 1-20 weight percent in said positive electrode.
- 14. The cell as defined in claim 11 further including a containment means to separate said conductive member from the conductive member of a second cell, said means comprising a lithium fluoride ring.
- 15. The cell as defined in claim 11 wherein said member is a bipolar plate in a substantially conductive relationship to a second positive electrode arranged and configured in a series circuit with said negative electrode.
CONTRACTURAL ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38, between the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of Chicago, representing Argonne National Laboratory.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2924992 |
Jan 1987 |
DEX |