A primary cell having an anode comprising lithium or lithium alloy and a cathode comprising iron disulfide (FeS 2 ) and carbon particles. The electrolyte comprises a lithium salt preferably lithium iodide (LiI) dissolved in an organic solvent mixture. The solvent mixture preferably comprises dioxolane, dimethoxyethane and sulfolane. The electrolyte typically contains between about 100 and 2000 parts by weight water per million parts by weight (ppm) electrolyte therein. A cathode slurry is prepared comprising iron disulfide powder, carbon, binder, and a liquid solvent. The mixture is coated onto a conductive substrate and solvent evaporated leaving a dry cathode coating on the substrate. The anode and cathode can be spirally wound with separator therebetween and inserted into the cell casing with electrolyte then added.
1. A primary electrochemical cell comprising a housing; a positive and a negative terminal; an anode comprising at least one of a lithium metal and lithium alloy; a cathode comprising iron disulfide (FeS 2 ) and conductive carbon, said cell further comprising an electrolyte inserted therein, said electrolyte comprising a lithium salt dissolved in a solvent mixture comprising dioxolane, dimethoxyethane, and sulfolane, wherein deionized water is added to the electrolyte so that the water content in said electrolyte is between 600 and 2000 parts by weight water per million parts by weight electrolyte.
2. The cell of claim 1 wherein the water content in said electrolyte is between 600 and 1000 parts by weight water per million parts by weight electrolyte.
3. The cell of claim 1 wherein said dioxolane comprises 1,3-dioxolane.
4. The cell of claim 1 wherein said dimethoxyethane comprises 1,2-dimethoxyethane.
5. The cell of claim 1 wherein said lithium salt comprises lithium iodide (LiI).
6. The cell of claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of dioxolane to dimethoxyethane is between 0.82 and 9.0.
7. The cell of claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of dioxolane to dimethoxyethane is between 0.82 and 2.3.
8. The cell of claim 6 wherein said sulfolane is greater than 4.8 percent by weight of the solvent mixture.
9. The cell of claim 6 wherein said sulfolane is between 4.8 and 6.0 percent by weight of the solvent mixture.
10. The cell of claim 6 wherein said solvent mixture further comprises between 0.1 and 1.0 percent by weight 3,5-dimethylisoxazole.
11. The cell of claim 1 wherein said anode and cathode are spirally wound with a separator sheet therebetween.
12. The cell of claim 1 wherein said cathode comprising iron disulfide (FeS 2 ) and conductive carbon is coated onto a substrate sheet comprising aluminum.