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

Electrochemical cell. [alkali metal/C/sub 4/F]

Patent ·
OSTI ID:7280797

An electrochemical cell is described which has an alkali metal anode; a cathode including as the active cathode material an intercalation compound of graphite and fluorine of the general formula (C/sub 4/F)/sub n/, wherein n refers to the presence of a large, but indefinite, number of recurring (C/sub 4/F) groups in the intercalation compound; and an electrolyte containing an inorganic solvent selected from the group consisting of phosphorus oxychloride, monofluorophosphoryl dichloride, thionyl chloride, sulfuryl chloride, and mixtures thereof, and a solute dissolved in the inorganic solvent material. Of particular interest are those cells which have a Lewis acid, or an excess of a Lewis acid, present in the electrolyte either by actual addition or by dissociation. A unique feature of such cells is that the cathode material will catalyze the electrochemical decomposition of the solvent resulting, quite unexpectedly, in a cell having a coulombic cathode utilization efficiency greater than 100 percent of the theoretical attainable according to reduction of the active cathode material.

Assignee:
GTE Labs., Inc.
Patent Number(s):
US 3923543
OSTI ID:
7280797
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English