Sodium/metal chloride batteries: Summary of status

Conference · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6779189

Sen, R K

In 1972, there was an effort underway at ESB to try to develop a sodium/antimony trichloride battery that would operate at 200/degree/C or less. These cells, like their sodium/sulfur counterpart, used beta alumina electrolyte tubes, but with a second component in the electrolyte, namely molten sodium tetrachloroaluminate. The latter was used on the acid side, i.e., with an excess of aluminum chloride. Starting a little later, about 1975 it is rumored, workers at the Anglo American Company in South Africa began experimenting with positive electrodes consisting of iron or nickel chloride, using an electrolyte system that was similar to that of ESB except that the sodium tetrachloroaluminate was used on the basic side, i.e., with an excess of sodium chloride. The Anglo American work was focused on the high-temperature chlorination of the metal carbides as the means to form the porous iron or nickel chloride positive electrodes. Ultimately, the work at ESB was abandoned, while that at Anglo American blossomed, eventually leading to the formation of Zebra Power Systems S.A. in South Africa. The latter has been involved, since about 1980, in a number of collaborative programs with UKAEA Harwell and Beta RandD Ltd. in the UK to develop the sodium/metal chloride battery technology. The embodiment with iron chloride has become known as the Zebra battery, while the nickel chloride variant is known as the Cheetah battery. 17 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6779189
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-16137; CONF-8808137-1; ON: DE88015943
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250900* -- Energy Storage-- Batteries
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COST
DATA
DESIGN
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRON CHLORIDES
IRON COMPOUNDS
METAL-NONMETAL BATTERIES
NICKEL CHLORIDES
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
PERFORMANCE
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS