Electrochemistry of molten lithium chlorate and its possible use with lithium in a battery

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5775453

Wang, S S; Bennion, D N

Lithium chlorate, LiClO/sub 3/, has a reported melting point of 127.6 C or 129 C. The specific conductance of molten lithium chlorate is relatively high compared to most electrolytic solutions used at room temperature. Therefore, lithium chlorate offers the chance to operate a new lithium battery system at a temperature between 130 C and 150 C. It is found from experiments that lithium chlorate is stable in the potential range between 3.2 V and 4.6 V relative to a Li reference electrode. A Li-Cl/sub 2/ secondary battery system has an open circuit potential of 3.97 V, making a Li-Cl/sub 2/ secondary battery in molten lithium chlorate, in principle, possible. A lithium-lithium chlorate primary battery system is also possible. Lithium negative electrode performance is hindered by corrosion and possible runaway reactions with LiClO/sub 3/ and dendrite formation on charging. The solubility of Li/sub 2/O and LiCl in LiClO/sub 3/ at 145 C is .000075 mol/cubic cm and .00178 mol/cubic cm, respectively. The diffusion coefficients are 1.5 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 2//s for Li/sub 2/O and 3.4 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 2//s for LiCl. Platinum appeared to be an inert positive electrode for chlorate, chlorine, or oxygen reactions for short term runs, order of several hours. Nickel shows active-passive behavior which is complex. Nickel appears suitable for primary cell, cathodic discharge of LiClO/sub 3/, but it does not appear suitable for a Cl/sub 2/ or O/sub 2/ electrode.

• Research Organization: Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• OSTI ID: 5775453
• Report Number(s): AD-A-105968/2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250901* -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Design & Development
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORATES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CORROSION
DIFFUSION
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM-CHLORINE BATTERIES
LYSIS
MELTING POINTS
METAL-GAS BATTERIES
METALS
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLATINUM
PLATINUM METALS
REACTION KINETICS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE