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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Characterization of materials for Ca/CaCrO/sub 4/ thermal batteries

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5234184

The performance of pelletized Ca/CaCrO/sub 4/ thermal batteries is known to be sensitive to processing of the catholyte or DEB mix, which consists of CaCrO/sub 4/ depolarizer(D), KCl-LiCl eutectic electrolyte(E), and SiO/sub 2/ binder(B). The chemical composition of the DEB mix affects the electrochemical behavior. Little work has been reported, however, for the characterization of DEB mixes in relation to their performance in Ca/CaCrO/sub 4/ thermal batteries. Considerable variability of battery performance has also been observed when different lots of sheet calcium are used with the same DEB. The causes for this behavior remain elusive. In an effort to resolve these discrepancies in materials behavior, a study was carried out to characterize DEB powders and pellets and, to a lesser extent, sheet calcium, with the primary objective of correlating observed battery performance to easily measured physical and chemical properties. A secondary objective was to examine the suitability of such techniques for process control and quality assurance during battery production. Results are presented and discussed.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); General Electric Co., St. Petersburg, FL (USA). Neutron Devices Dept.
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
5234184
Report Number(s):
SAND-81-2442C; CONF-820621-4; ON: DE82009028
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English