Electrode Material for Accumulators and Other Electrochemical Sources of Current

The invention relates to compositions for a plastic-bonded or pocket-type cadmium, nickel or zinc electrode for an electrochemical source of current. The electrode composition is particularly suitable for electrodes useful in accumulators of the nickel-cadmium, silver-cadmium, nickel-zinc, silver-zinc, and zinc-air type.

Pocket-type electrodes for such applications are conventionally formed by applying an active electrode composition to a separate expanded or grid-like frame of a separate metal.

Such construction has been found to be relatively expensive and laborious to produce. Moreover, it has been found to have a relatively small degree of utilization of the electrode active material during its life cycle and a relatively large internal resistance vis-a-vis electrodes formed by conventional sintering processes. On the other hand, sintered electrodes for such applications generally cost nearly twice as much to produce as a pocket-type electrode of the same capacity.

The present invention provides an improved active electrode composition for a plastic-bonded electrode that exhibits a relatively high degree of active material utilization and a relatively low internal resistance compared to designs of the prior art.

In an illustrative species of the improved composition, a powder of a base electrode active material, illustratively cadmium, nickel, zinc or zinc oxide, is mixed with a binding agent and with oxalic acid and/or a salt thereof, the oxalic acid being present in the composition in the range of 1.5 - 60% by weight.

Similar advantageous results are obtained by employing in such composition, in place of oxalic acid, a substituted ingredient such as tartaric acid, succinic acid, malonic acid, acetic acid, and/or a salt of at least one of such acids. In each case, the proportion of such last-mentioned ingredient should be 1.5-60% by weight and preferably 20-25% by weight of the resulting composition.

The improved composition of the invention includes (a) a powdered active base material consisting of cadmium, nickel or zinc oxide, (b) a binding agent, and (c) an additive consisting of oxalic acid and/or a salt thereof. Such additive should be present in the solution in a range of 1.5-60% by weight.

In order to form a plastic-bonded electrode for an electrochemical source of current, an electrode material having the above-mentioned composition may be applied around an expanded metal collector and then simultaneously heat and pressure treated in a conventional manner. The resulting plastic-bonded electrode exhibits a degree of active material utilization which is larger than that of prior pocket-type electrodes, and yields an internal resistance which is the same as a pocket-type electrode or which approaches that of conventional sintered electrodes. At the same time, the manufacturing cost of the improced electrode is comparable to or less expensive than that of previous conventional pocket-type electrodes.

The following illustrative examples of the composition of the invention are herewith presented without limiting the generality of the foregoing.

A plurality of electrode compositions were formulated which included (1) a powder of the base electrode active material, (2) a polymeric dispersion employed as a binding agent, and (3) various acids (i.e. oxalic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, and malonic acid) and/or their salts, such ingredients (3) being present in the mixture in a proportion in the range of 1.5 - 60% by weight.

Of the compositions formulated, the following were particularly noteworthy:

a. Plastic-bonded cadmium electrodes having a current collector of ductile iron were manufactured using powdered cadmium base material, a binding agent of pulverized polyethelene and various oxalic acid contents as set forth in Table I below. During a succession of operating cycles each comprising 1.75 hours of charging and 1.25 hours of discharging at an identical current density of 12.3 mA/sp.cm, the attained capacities of each type of electrode were as follows:

After the 89th cycle the electrolyte was changed.

b. Plastic-bonded zinc electrodes having a current collector of zinc-plated ductile iron were manufactured using zinc oxide base material, a binding agent of a polytetrafluorethylene suspension and oxalic acid as indicated in Table II below. During a succession of operating cycles comprising 1.75 hours of charging and 1.25 hours of discharging at an identical current density of 7.4 mA/sq.cm, the obtained capacities were as follows:

After the 180th cycle the electrolyte was changed.

Each of the resulting compositions was measured in a conventional accumulator environment having a commercial, complementary nickel electrode and an alkali electrolyte. Additionally, the resulting accumulators were found to have a much lower internal resistance using the electrodes formulated in accordance with the invention than with similar pocket-type electrodes made by prior-art techniques.