Primary alkaline battery containing bismuth metal oxide

1. A primary battery, comprising:

a cathode comprising an oxide containing an alkali metal and pentavalent bismuth, the alkali metal being lithium or potassium;

an anode;

a separator between the cathode and the anode; and

an alkaline electrolyte.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the oxide comprises an electrically conductive portion.

3. The battery of claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive portion is an electrically conductive surface coating comprising carbon or a metal oxide.

4. The battery of claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive surface coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, cobalt oxide, cobalt oxyhydroxide, silver oxide, silver nickel oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, and indium oxide.

5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises zinc.

6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide.

7. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator is capable of preventing soluble bismuth species from diffusing from the cathode to the anode.

8. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator is capable of trapping soluble bismuth species.

9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of layers.

10. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a non-woven layer.

11. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises cellophane.

12. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a microporous membrane.

13. The battery of claim 12 , wherein the microporous layer is adjacent to the cathode.

14. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a non-microporous polymer-based solid gel membrane.

15. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises an ion-selective layer.

16. The battery of claim 15 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of ion-selective layers.

17. The battery of claim 1 , further comprising a first material capable of reducing the solubility of the oxide in the electrolyte.

18. The battery of claim 17 , wherein the first material comprises an alkaline earth metal

19. The battery of claim 17 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of barium hydroxide, barium oxide, barium fluoride, and barium sulfate, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, strontium hydroxide, strontium fluoride, strontium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, zinc oxide, calcium hydroxide, and calcium oxide.

20. The battery of claim 17 , wherein the first material comprises an alkali metal.

21. The battery of claim 20 , wherein the first material comprises potassium fluoride.

22. The battery of claim 17 , wherein the first material comprises a lanthanide element.

23. The battery of claim 22 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum hydroxide, cerium hydroxide, praseodymium hydroxide, neodymium hydroxide, and europium hydroxide.

24. The battery of claim 17 , wherein the first material comprises a transition metal element.

25. The battery of claim 24 , wherein the first material comprises zinc oxide.

26. The battery of claim 17 , wherein the first material comprises a main group element.

27. The battery of claim 26 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide, and bismuth oxide.

28. The battery of claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte is saturated with the first material.

29. A primary battery, comprising:

a cathode comprising an oxide containing an alkaline earth metal and pentavalent bismuth;

an anode;

a separator between the cathode and the anode; and

an alkaline electrolyte.

30. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the oxide comprises an electrically conductive portion.

31. The battery of claim 30 , wherein the electrically conductive portion is an electrically conductive surface coating comprising carbon or a metal oxide.

32. The battery of claim 31 , wherein the electrically conductive surface coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, cobalt oxide, cobalt oxyhydroxide, silver oxide, silver nickel oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, and indium oxide.

33. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the anode comprises zinc.

34. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the electrolyte comprises lithium hydroxide,sodium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide.

35. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator is capable of preventing soluble bismuth species from diffusing from the cathode to the anode.

36. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator is capable of trapping soluble bismuth species.

37. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of layers.

38. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator comprises a non-woven layer.

39. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator comprises cellophane.

40. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator comprises a microporous membrane.

41. The battery of claim 40 , wherein the microporous layer is adjacent to the cathode.

42. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator comprises an ion-selective layer.

43. The battery of claim 42 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of ion-selective layers.

44. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the separator comprises a non-microporous polymer-based solid gel membrane.

45. The battery of claim 29 , further comprising a first material capable of reducing the solubility of the oxide in the electrolyte.

46. The battery of claim 45 , wherein the first material comprises an alkaline earth element.

47. The battery of claim 45 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of barium hydroxide, barium oxide, barium fluoride, and barium sulfate, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, strontium hydroxide, strontium fluoride, strontium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, zinc oxide, calcium hydroxide, and calcium oxide.

48. The battery of claim 45 , wherein the first material comprises an alkali element.

49. The battery of claim 48 , wherein the first material comprises potassium fluoride.

50. The battery of claim 45 , wherein the first material comprises a lanthanide element.

51. The battery of claim 50 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum hydroxide, cerium hydroxide, praseodymium hydroxide, neodymium hydroxide, and europium hydroxide.

52. The battery of claim 45 , wherein the first material comprises a transition metal element.

53. The battery of claim 52 , wherein the first material comprises zinc oxide.

54. The battery of claim 45 , wherein the first material comprises a main group element.

55. The battery of claim 54 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide, and bismuth oxide.

56. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the electrolyte is saturated with the first material.

57. A primary battery, comprising:

a cathode comprising an oxide, other than AgBiO 3 , containing a metal and pentavalent bismuth, the metal being selected from the consisting a main group metals and transition metals;

an anode;

a separator between the cathode and the anode; and

an alkaline electrolyte.

58. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the oxide comprises an electrically conductive portion.

59. The battery of claim 58 , wherein the electrically conductive portion is an electrically conductive surface coating comprising carbon or a metal oxide.

60. The battery of claim 58 , wherein the electrically conductive surface coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, cobalt oxide, cobalt oxyhydroxide, silver oxide, silver nickel oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, and indium oxide.

61. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the anode comprises zinc.

62. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the electrolyte comprises lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide.

63. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the separator is capable of preventing soluble bismuth species from diffusing from the cathode to the anode.

64. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the separator is capable of trapping soluble bismuth species.

65. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of layers.

66. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the separator comprises a non-woven layer.

67. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the separator comprises cellophane.

68. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the separator comprises a microporous membrane.

69. The battery of claim 68 , wherein the microporous layer is adjacent to the cathode.

70. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the separator comprises an ion-selective layer.

71. The battery of claim 70 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of ion-selective layers.

72. The battery of claim 57 , further comprising a first material capable of reducing the solubility of the oxide in the electrolyte.

73. The battery of claim 72 , wherein the first material comprises an alkaline earth metal.

74. The battery of claim 72 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of barium hydroxide, barium oxide, barium fluoride, and barium sulfate, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, strontium hydroxide, strontium fluoride, strontium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, zinc oxide, calcium hydroxide, and calcium oxide.

75. The battery of claim 72 , wherein the first material comprises an alkali metal.

76. The battery of claim 75 , wherein the first material comprises potassium fluoride.

77. The battery of claim 72 , wherein the first material comprises a lanthanide element.

78. The battery of claim 77 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum hydroxide, cerium hydroxide, praseodymium hydroxide, neodymium hydroxide, and europium hydroxide.

79. The battery of claim 72 , wherein the first material comprises a transition metal element.

80. The battery of claim 79 , wherein the first material comprises zinc oxide.

81. The battery of claim 72 , wherein the first material comprises a main group element.

82. The battery of claim 81 , wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide, and bismuth oxide.

83. The battery of claim 72 , wherein the electrolyte is saturated with the first material.

84. A primary battery, comprising:

a cathode comprising an oxide containing an alkali metal and pentavalent bismuth, wherein the oxide comprises a material selected from the group consisting of MBiO 3 ,M 3 BiO 4 , M 7 BiO 6 ,M 4 Bi 2 O 7 ,and M 5 Bi 3 O 10 ,where M is Li, Na, K, Rb and/or Cs; Li 5 BiO 5; Li 6 KBiO 6; and Li 6 RbBiO 3 ;

an anode;

a separator between the cathode and the anode; and an alkaline electrolyte

wherein the oxide comprises an electrically conductive surface comprising carbon or a metal oxide.

85. The battery of claim 84 , wherein the electrically conductive surface coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, cobalt oxide, cobalt oxyhydroxide, silver oxide, silver nickel oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, and indium oxide.

86. A primary battery, comprising:

a cathode comprising at least 30% of AgBiO 3 and/or Ag 25 Bi 3 O 18 by weight, and

an anode;

a separator between the cathode and the anode; and

an alkaline electrolyte.

87. The battery of claim 86 , wherein the AgBiO 3 comprises an electrically conductive portion.

88. The battery of claim 87 , wherein the electrically conductive portion is an electrically conductive surface coating comprising carbon or a metal oxide.

89. The battery of claim 86 , wherein the cathode comprises at least 40% of AgBiO 3 and/or Ag 25 Bi 3 O 18 by weight.

90. The battery of claim 86 , wherein the electrically conductive surface coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, cobalt oxide, cobalt oxyhydroxide, silver oxide, silver nickel oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, and indium oxide.

91. The battery of claim 86 , wherein the cathode comprises at least 60% of AgBiO 3 or Ag 25 Bi 3 O 18 by weight.

92. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the oxide is selected from the group consisting of MBiO 3 ,M 3 BiO 4 ,M 7 BiO 6 ,M 4 Bi 2 O 7 ,and M 5 Bi 3 O 10 ,where M is Li, or K; Li 5 BiO 5 ; and Li 6 KBiO 6; Li 6 RbBiO 3 .

93. The battery of claim 29 , wherein the oxide is selected from the group consisting of MgBi 2 O 6 ,SrBi 2 O 6 ,Sr 2 Bi 2 O 7 ,LiSr 3 BiO 6 , NaSr 3 BiO 6 ,(Ba,K)BiO 3 , (Sr,K)BiO 3 , Li 2 Ba 5 Bi 2 O 11 , and Ba 2 Bi 2 O 6 .

94. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the oxide is selected from the group consisting of ZnBi 2 O 6 , Cu 2 Bi 2 O 7 , CdBi 2 O 6 , Ag 25 Bi 3 O 18 , Ba 2 YBiO 6 , Ba 2 LaBiO 6 , Sr 2 NdBiO 6 , Ba 2 InBiO 6 , Ba(Bi,Pb)O 3 , Sr 18 Ru 1.9 Bi 4.1 O 33 , Li 8 PdBi 2 O 10 , and Sr 2 ScBiO 6 .

95. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the metal is not silver.

96. The battery of claim 57 , wherein the oxide contains a metal selected from the group consisting of lanthanide metals.