Zinc-air electrochemical cells with carbon dioxide scavengers

1. A zinc-air battery comprising an air cathode, a zinc anode, an electrolyte, and a housing,

wherein:

the housing comprises an anode can and a cathode can with an insulating gasket therebetween;

the cathode can comprises multiple air ports;

the anode can defines an anode chamber;

the zinc-air battery comprises a cellulose air diffusion layer between the cathode can and the anode chamber;

an air reservoir is defined by the cathode can and the cellulose air diffusion layer having a first face proximal to the air reservoir and an opposite and second face proximal to a porous diffusion layer;

wherein the air reservoir and the cellulose air diffusion layer comprise a carbon dioxide scrubbing agent comprising a film or powder of lithium hydroxide combined with a hygroscopic material comprising polyvinyl alcohol.

2. The zinc-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide scrubbing agent further comprises a basic hydroxide salt, soda lime, sodium bicarbonate, lithium peroxide, lithium oxide, an amine-bearing compound, an olivine, or a combination of any two or more of thereof.

3. The zinc-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide scrubbing agent further comprises potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, soda lime, sodium bicarbonate, lithium peroxide, lithium oxide, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, an olivine, or a combination of any two or more of thereof.

4. The zinc-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the hygroscopic material further comprises a polyacrylic acid, a carboxylmethyl cellulose, or a combination thereof.

5. The zinc-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide scrubbing agent is embedded on a surface of the air cathode.

6. The zinc-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the air cathode comprises the carbon dioxide scrubbing agent.

7. The zinc-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the hygroscopic material comprises polyvinyl alcohol and rayon fibers.