CATHODE
The present invention provides novel cathodes having a reduced resistivity and other improved electrical properties. Furthermore, this invention also presents methods of manufacturing novel electrochemical cells and novel cathodes. These novel cathodes comprise a silver material that is doped with a Irivalent species.
1 . A cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising
a silver material that is doped with a trivalent dopant to give a doped silver material, wherein the dopant is present in a concentration of from about 0.25 wt % to about 10 wt % by weight of the doped silver material.
2 . The cathode of claim 1 , further comprising from about 0.5 wt % to about 5 wt % of trivalent dopant.
3 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the doped silver material comprises a powder.
4 . The cathode of claim 3 , wherein the powder has a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
5 . The cathode of claim 4 , wherein the powder has a mean particle diameter of about 5 μm or less.
6 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the silver material comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , or any combination thereof.
7 . The cathode of claim 1 , further comprising a binder.
8 . The cathode of claim 7 , wherein the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
9 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the dopant comprises at least one Group 13 element.
10 . The cathode of claim 9 , wherein the dopant comprises aluminum, indium, gallium, boron, thallium, or any combination thereof.
11 . The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the dopant comprises a lanthanide element.
12 . The cathode of claim 11 , wherein the lanthanide element is Yb.
13 . (canceled)
14 . (canceled)
15 . (canceled)
16 . (canceled)
17 . (canceled)
18 . (canceled)
19 . (canceled)
20 . (canceled)
21 . (canceled)
22 . (canceled)
23 . A cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising
a doped silver material comprising a dopant, wherein the dopant comprises indium, aluminum, or a combination thereof, and the dopant is present in a concentration of from about 0.25 wt % to about 10 wt % by weight of the doped silver material.
24 . The cathode of claim 23 , further comprising from about 1 wt % to about 8 wt % of dopant.
25 . The cathode of claim 24 , wherein the doped silver material comprises a powder.
26 . The cathode of claim 25 , wherein the powder has a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
27 . The cathode of claim 26 , wherein the powder has a mean particle diameter of about 5 μm or less.
28 . The cathode of claim 27 , wherein the doped silver material comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , or any combination thereof.
29 . The cathode of claim 28 , further comprising a binder.
30 . The cathode of claim 29 , wherein the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
31 . (canceled)
32 . (canceled)
33 . A method of producing a cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
providing a silver powder that is doped with from about 0.25 wt % to about 10 wt % of a trivalent dopant by weight of the silver powder to give a doped silver powder; and
forming the doped silver powder into a cathode.
34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the doped silver powder is doped with from about 0.5 wt % to about 5 wt % of dopant by weight of the silver powder.
35 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the doped silver powder has a mean particle diameter of about 15 μm or less.
36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the doped silver powder has a mean particle diameter of about 5 μm or less.
37 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the doped silver powder comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , or any combination thereof.
38 . (canceled)
39 . The method of claim 37 , further comprising providing a binder.
40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
41 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the dopant comprises a lanthanide element.
42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the lanthanide element is Yb.
43 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the dopant comprises at least one Group 13 element.
44 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the dopant comprises gallium, boron, indium, aluminum, thallium, or any combination thereof.
45 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the dopant comprises gallium, boron, or a combination thereof.
46 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the dopant comprises indium, aluminum, or a combination thereof.
47 . An electrochemical cell comprising
a cathode comprising a silver material comprising a dopant; and
an anode comprising zinc,
wherein the dopant comprises a trivalent dopant, and the dopant is present in a sufficient concentration to impart the cell with an actual capacity of at least about 60% of the cell's rated capacity over at least about 80 cycles.
48 . (canceled)
49 . (canceled)
50 . The cell of claim 47 , wherein the silver material comprises from about 0.25 wt % to about 10 wt % of trivalent dopant by weight of silver material.
51 . The cell of claim 50 , wherein the silver material comprises a powder.
52 . The cell of claim 51 , wherein the powder has a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
53 . The cell of claim 52 , wherein the powder has a mean particle diameter of about 5 μm or less.
54 . The cell of claim 51 , wherein the cathode, the anode, or both comprise a binder.
55 . The cell of claim 54 , wherein the cathode further comprises a binder.
56 . The cell of claim 55 , wherein the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
57 . The cell of claim 54 , wherein the anode further comprises a binder.
58 . The cell of claim 57 , wherein the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
59 . The cell of claim 51 , further comprising an electrolyte comprising NaOH, KOH, or a combination thereof.
60 . The cell of claim 51 , wherein the silver powder comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , or any combination thereof.
61 . (canceled)
62 . (canceled)
63 . (canceled)
64 . The cell of claim 51 , wherein the dopant comprises a lanthanide element.
65 . The cell of claim 64 , wherein the lathanide element is Yb.
66 . The cell of claim 51 , wherein the dopant comprises at least one Group 13 element.
67 . The cell of claim 66 , wherein the dopant comprises indium, aluminum, gallium, boron, thallium, or any combination thereof.
68 . (canceled)
69 . (canceled)
70 . (canceled)
71 . (canceled)
72 . (canceled)
73 . (canceled)
74 . (canceled)
75 . (canceled)
76 . (canceled)
77 . (canceled)
78 . (canceled)
79 . (canceled)
80 . (canceled)
81 . (canceled)
82 . (canceled)
83 . (canceled)
84 . (canceled)
85 . (canceled)
86 . (canceled)
87 . A cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising
a doped silver material comprising a dopant, wherein the dopant comprises a lanthanide element, aluminum, indium, gallium, boron, or a combination thereof, and the dopant is present in a concentration of from about 0.25 wt % to about 10 wt % by weight of the doped silver material.
88 . The cathode of claim 87 , wherein the lanthanide element is Yb.
89 . A cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising
a doped silver material comprising a dopant, wherein the dopant comprises a lanthanide element, and the dopant is present in a concentration of from about 0.25 wt % to about 10 wt % by weight of the doped silver material.
90 . The cathode of claim 89 , wherein the lanthanide element comprises Yb.