Buckling resistant current collector

1. A zinc-air battery comprising:

a zinc anode;

an air cathode comprising:

a wire mesh current collector comprising:

a warp comprising a first nickel alloy wire having a first peak tensile strength;

a weft comprising a wire comprising nickel and having a second peak tensile strength;

wherein:

the first peak tensile strength is greater than or equal to the second peak tensile strength; and

the first nickel alloy wire comprises 90 wt % to 99 wt % nickel and 1 wt % to 10 wt % aluminum.

2. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein the first nickel alloy wire has a resistivity of from about 2×10-7 Ωm to about 5×10-7 Ωm at 20° C.

3. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein the first nickel alloy wire has a peak tensile strength of greater than 140 ksi.

4. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein the wire comprising nickel has a peak tensile strength of greater than 60 ksi.

5. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein the mesh count of the wire mesh is from about 16×16 wires per inch to about 60×60 wires per inch.

6. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein the wire comprising nickel is a second nickel alloy wire.

7. The zinc battery of claim 6 , wherein the second nickel alloy wire comprises at least 90 wt % nickel and less than 10 wt % aluminum.

8. The zinc battery of claim 6 , wherein the second nickel alloy wire has a resistivity of from about 2×10-7 Ωm to about 5×10-7 Ωm at 20° C.

9. The zinc battery of claim 1 having a mesh density from about 0.1 to about 0.5.

10. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein the warp exhibits a microhardness from about 180 kgf/mm 2 to about 350 kgf/mm 2 , and the weft exhibits a microhardness from about 90 kgf/mm 2 to about 150 kgf/mm 2 .

11. The zinc battery of claim 1 , which is a woven mesh comprising a plain square weave, a twill square weave, plain Dutch weave, or a twill Dutch weave.

12. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein a wire of the warp exhibits a microhardness of about 160 kgf/mm 2 to about 350 kgf/mm 2 .

13. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein the first nickel alloy wire has a Young's Modulus of greater than 140 GPa.

14. A zinc-air battery comprising:

a zinc anode;

an air cathode;

a wire mesh current collector comprising:

a wire warp comprising a first nickel alloy, wherein the first nickel alloy wire comprises 90 wt % to 99 wt % nickel and 1 wt % to 10 wt % aluminum;

a wire weft comprising a second nickel alloy;

wherein:

the first and second nickel alloys are substantially insoluble in an aqueous caustic electrolyte;

the warp exhibits a microhardness from about 180 kgf/mm 2 to about 350 kgf/mm 2 , and the weft exhibits a microhardness from about 90 kgf/mm 2 to about 150 kgf/mm 2 ;

a wire of the warp prior to incorporation in the mesh exhibits a resistivity of from about 2×10 −7 Ωm to about 5×10 −7 Ωm at 20° C.;

a wire of the warp prior to incorporation in the mesh exhibits a peak tensile strength of greater than 140 ksi; and

a wire of the warp prior to incorporation in the mesh exhibits a Young's Modulus of from about 180 GPa to about 240 GPa.

15. A wire mesh comprising:

a warp comprising a first nickel alloy wire having a first peak tensile strength;

a weft comprising a wire comprising nickel and having a second peak tensile strength;

wherein:

the first peak tensile strength is greater than or equal to the second peak tensile strength; and

the first nickel alloy wire comprises 90 wt % to 99 wt % nickel and 1 wt % to 10 wt % aluminum.

16. The wire mesh of claim 15 , wherein the first nickel alloy wire has a peak tensile strength of from about 140 ksi to about 250 ksi.

17. The zinc battery of claim 1 , wherein first nickel alloy wire comprises from about 93 wt % to about 97 wt % nickel and from about 3 wt % to about 7 wt % aluminum.

18. The wire mesh of claim 15 , wherein first nickel alloy wire comprises from about 93 wt % to about 97 wt % nickel and from about 3 wt % to about 7 wt % aluminum.

19. The wire mesh of claim 15 , wherein wire comprising nickel has peak tensile strength of 80 ksi to 150 ksi.