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Title: Development of a supported liquid membrane as a nickel-zinc secondary battery separator

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5796678

A liquid tertiary amine complexing agent is dissolved in an organic solvent and absorbed into and held within the pores of a microporous polymeric film (Celanese Celgard 2400 polypropylene) by either capillary or surface force. Screening tests were performed to identify the optimum tertiary amine/organic solvent combinations, as well as the optimum concentration range of the amine solutions. The treatment of Celgard 2400 microporous film with certain tertiary amine/organic solvent solutions, such as triethylamine/xylene or tripropylamine/xylene, had no significant effect on either zinc penetration resistivity (ZPR) or electrolytic resistivity of the membrane. When the film was treated with tri-n-octylamine solutions of very high amine concentration (above 75 vol %), the potential difference between the zinc cathode and the Ni(OH)/sub 2/ counter electrode, as well as the electrolytic resistance of the membrane, increased sharply (from 300 to 700%). Among the tertiary amine solutions tested in this study, trihexylamine/xylene, tri-n-octylamine (10 to 30 vol %)/toluene, and tri-n-octylamine (10 to 30 vol %)/xylene appeared to be the most promising, especially the last one. The treatment of the Celgard 2400 film with that solution increased the zinc penetration resistivity of the membrane by as much as 400%. Furthermore, this solution treatment also improved the electrolytic conductivity of the Celgard 2400 film.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5796678
Report Number(s):
ANL/OEPM-85-1; ON: DE85012591
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English