Cathode with silver material and silicate dopant and method of producing
View Patent ↗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 silicate material.
1. A cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising
a silver material that is doped with a silicate dopant comprising one or more of the following formulae
X 2 SiO 3 , wherein X is Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, or any combination thereof; (i)
YSiO 3 , wherein Y is Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, or any combination thereof; or (ii)
Z n Si(OR) m , wherein Z is a halogen, R is H or a C 1-18 alkyl group, m is 0-4, and n is 4-m, (iii)
wherein the silver material is doped with a concentration of from about 0.01 mol % to about 10 mol % of the silicate dopant.
2. The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the doped silver material comprises a powder having a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
3. The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the silver material comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , Ag 3 O 4 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgOK, AgOLi, AgORb, AgOONa, AgOOK, AgOOLi, AgOORb, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , FeO 3 , Ag 2 FeO 3 , Ag 4 FeO 4 , any hydrate thereof, or any combination thereof.
4. The cathode of claim 3 , further comprising a binder, and the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
5. The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the silicate dopant comprises K 2 SiO 3 .
6. The cathode of claim 1 , wherein the silicate dopant comprises Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 .
7. A cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising
a silver material that is doped with a silicate dopant comprising K 2 SiO 3 , Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 , or any combination thereof,
wherein the silver material is doped with a concentration of from about 0.01 mol % to about 10 mol % of the silicate dopant.
8. The cathode of claim 7 , wherein the doped silver material comprises a powder having a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
9. The cathode of claim 7 , wherein the silver material comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , Ag 3 O 4 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgOK, AgOLi, AgORb, AgOONa, AgOOK, AgOOLi, AgOORb, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , FeO 3 , Ag 2 FeO 3 , Ag 4 FeO 4 , any hydrate thereof, or any combination thereof.
10. The cathode of claim 7 , further comprising a binder, and the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
11. A method of producing a cathode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising:
providing a silver powder that is doped with from about 0.01 mol % to about 10 mol % of a silicate dopant; and
forming the doped silver powder into a cathode,
wherein the silicate dopant comprises one or more of the following formulae
X 2 SiO 3 , wherein X is Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, or any combination thereof; (i)
YSiO 3 , wherein Y is Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, or any combination thereof; or (ii)
Z n Si(OR) m , wherein Z is a halogen, R is H or a C 1-18 alkyl group, m is 0-4, and n is 4-m. (iii)
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the doped silver powder has a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the doped silver powder comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , Ag 3 O 4 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgOK, AgOLi, AgORb, AgOONa, AgOOK, AgOOLi, AgOORb, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , FeO 3 , Ag 2 FeO 3 , Ag 4 FeO 4 , any hydrate thereof, or any combination thereof.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a binder, and the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the silicate dopant comprises K 2 SiO 3 , Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 , or any combination thereof.
16. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a cathode comprising a silver material comprising a silicate dopant; and
an anode comprising zinc,
wherein the silicate dopant comprises one or more of the following formulae
X 2 SiO 3 , wherein X is Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, or any combination thereof; (i)
YSiO 3 , wherein Y is Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, or any combination thereof; or (ii)
Z n Si(OR) m , wherein Z is a halogen, R is H or a C 1-18 alkyl group, m is 0-4, and n is 4-m; and (iii)
wherein the silicate 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.
17. The cell of claim 16 , wherein the silver material comprises from about 0.01 mol % to about 10 mol % of silicate dopant.
18. The cell of claim 16 , wherein the silver material comprises a powder having a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
19. The cell of claim 16 , wherein the cathode, the anode, or both comprise a binder, and the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
20. The cell of claim 16 , further comprising an electrolyte comprising NaOH, KOH, or a combination thereof.
21. The cell of claim 16 , wherein the silver powder comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , Ag 3 O 4 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgOK, AgOLi, AgORb, AgOONa, AgOOK, AgOOLi, AgOORb, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , FeO 3 , Ag 2 FeO 3 , Ag 4 FeO 4 , any hydrate thereof, or any combination thereof.
22. The cell of claim 16 , wherein the silicate dopant comprises K 2 SiO 3 , Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 , or any combination thereof.
23. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a cathode comprising a silver powder comprising from about 0.01 mol % to about 10 mol % of a silicate dopant;
an anode comprising zinc; and
an electrolyte comprising aqueous KOH,
wherein the silicate dopant comprises one or more of the following formulae
X 2 SiO 3 , wherein X is Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, or any combination thereof; (i)
YSiO 3 , wherein Y is Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, or any combination thereof; or (ii)
Z n Si(OR) m , wherein Z is a halogen, R is H or a C 1-18 alkyl group, m is 0-4, and n is 4-m. (iii)
24. The cell claim 23 , wherein the silver powder has a mean particle diameter of about 20 μm or less.
25. The cell of claim 23 , wherein the cathode, the anode, or both comprise a binder, and the binder comprises PTFE or PVDF.
26. The cell of claim 23 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises NaOH.
27. The cell of claim 23 , wherein the silver powder comprises Ag, AgO, Ag 2 O, Ag 2 O 3 , Ag 3 O 4 , AgOH, AgOOH, AgONa, AgOK, AgOLi, AgORb, AgOONa, AgOOK, AgOOLi, AgOORb, AgCuO 2 , AgFeO 2 , AgMnO 2 , Ag(OH) 2 , FeO 3 , Ag 2 FeO 3 , Ag 4 FeO 4 , any hydrate thereof, or any combination thereof.
28. The cell of claim 23 , wherein the silicate dopant comprises K 2 SiO 3 , Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 , or any combination thereof.