Battery including carbon foam current collectors
View Patent ↗A battery having a current collector constructed of carbon foam. The carbon foam includes a network of pores into which a chemically active material is disposed to create either a positive or negative plate for the battery. The carbon foam resists corrosion and exhibits a large amount of surface area. The invention includes a method for making the disclosed carbon foam current collector used in the battery.
1. A battery comprising:
a housing;
a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
at least one cell disposed within the housing and including at least one positive plate and at least one negative plate connected to the positive terminal and negative terminal, respectively; and
an acidic electrolytic solution filling a volume between the positive and negative plates;
wherein the at least one positive plate further includes
a carbon foam current collector including a network of pores, and
a chemically active material disposed on the carbon foam current collector such that the chemically active material penetrates the network of pores.
2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon foam current collector has a total porosity value of at least 60% and an open porosity value of at least 90%.
3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon foam current collector has an electrical resistivity value of less than about 1 Ω-cm.
4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam and has an electrical resistivity value of between about 100 μΩ-cm and about 2500 μΩ-cm.
5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon foam current collector has a density of less than about 0.6 g/cm 3 .
6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the at least one negative plate further includes a carbon foam current collector including a network of pores and a chemically active material disposed on the carbon foam current collector of the negative plate such that the chemically active material penetrates the network of pores.
7. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising an oxide of lead.
8. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the at least one negative plate includes lead.
9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising lead.
10. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam.
11. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon foam current collector includes carbonized wood.
12. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphitized wood.
13. A battery comprising:
a housing;
a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
at least one cell disposed within the housing and including at least one positive plate and at least one negative plate connected to the positive terminal and negative terminal, respectively; and
an acidic electrolytic solution filling a volume between the positive and negative plates;
wherein the at least one negative plate further includes:
a carbon foam current collector including a network of pores, and
a chemically active material disposed on the carbon foam current collector such that the chemically active material penetrates the network of pores.
14. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the at least one positive plate includes a lead current collector.
15. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the carbon foam current collector has a total porosity value of at least 60% and an open porosity value of at least 90%.
16. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the carbon foam current collector has an electrical resistivity value of less than about 1 Ω-cm.
17. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the carbon foam current collector has a density of less than about 0.6 g/cm 3 .
18. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising an oxide of lead.
19. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising lead.
20. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam.
21. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the carbon foam current collector includes carbonized wood.
22. The battery of claim 13 wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphitized wood.
23. The battery of claim 13 , wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam and has an electrical resistivity value of between about 100 μΩ-cm and about 2500 μΩ-cm.