Patent ID: 6221534
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: C01G,C01P,H01M

Abstract:
An electrochemical cell comprising an alkali metal anode; a cathode; a liquid, nonaqueous electrolyte operatively associated with the anode and the cathode, the improvement in the cell comprising:the cathode comprising a cathode active oxide produced in a reaction of a vanadium oxide and a salt of silver at a temperature of about 450.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C., and a carbonate additive dissolved in the electrolyte, wherein the carbonate additive is either linear or cyclic and includes covalent O--X and O--Y bonds on opposite sides of a carbonyl group and has the general structure of X--O--CO--Y, wherein at least one of the O--X and O--Y bonds has a dissociation energy less than about 80 kcal/mole, and wherein X and Y are the same or different and X is selected from NR.sub.1 R.sub.2 and CR.sub.3 R.sub.4 R.sub.5, and Y is selected from NR'.sub.1 R'.sub.2 and CR'.sub.3 R'.sub.4 R'.sub.5, and wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R'.sub.1, R'.sub.2, R'.sub.3, R'.sub.4 and R'.sub.5 are the same or different, wherein R.sub.1, R'.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R'.sub.2 can be a hydrogen atom or saturated or unsaturated organic groups containing from 1 to 9 carbon atoms, and R.sub.3, R'.sub.3, R.sub.4, R'.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R'.sub.5 can be a hydrogen atom or saturated or unsaturated organic groups containing from 1 to 13 carbon atoms, and wherein at least R.sub.3 is an unsaturated substituent if X is CR.sub.3 R.sub.4 R.sub.5 and Y is CR'.sub.3 R'.sub.4 R'.sub.5, wherein when the cell has been discharged through about 40% of its capacity, the cell is further dischargeable to deliver either a reduced voltage delay or an improved pulse discharge voltage in comparison to a second cell having a cathode active oxide produced in a reaction of the vanadium oxide and the thermally decomposable salt of silver at a temperature outside about 450.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C.