Electrochemical cell with a liquid negative electrode

An electrochemical cell which has a negative electrode (1) including an alkali or alkali-earth metal dissolved in liquid ammonia, a positive electrode (2), an electrolyte (3), and a separator (4). The positive electrode (2) is constituted by a solution in ammonia of a chalcogen or of a chalcogenide or of an emulsion or suspension in ammonia of a solid compound suitable for intercalating the metal of the negative electrode (1). Said electrolyte (3) includes a solution of an iodide of an alkali or alkali-earth metal. The invention is used in the field of reversible high-power electric cells operating at low temperatures.

The present invention relates to an electrochemical storage cell having a 
negative electrode which is in the liquid state. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,229 granted on Oct. 29, 1968 discloses an electric cell 
having a negative electrode based on an alkali or alkali-earth metal, e.g. 
based on lithium in solution in ammonia, a positive electrode comprising a 
solution of thiocyanates and sulphur in ammonia, and a thin, 
cellophane-based membrane separating said positive electrode from said 
negative electrode. 
However, the work done by the Applicant has made it evident that the 
teachings contained in said U.S. patent do not make it possible to provide 
an electric cell which operates adequately. 
Firstly, the Applicant has observed that membranes based on cellophane are 
not stable in the proposed medium (e.g. Li(NH.sub.3).sub.4) and are very 
rapidly destroyed. 
Secondly, thiocyanates are not stable in the presence of the sulphur 
positive electrode, and decompose to give cyanides. 
Thirdly and above all, since the cathode solution contains sulphur and wets 
the separator, it diffuses therethrough and mixes with the anode mass, 
thereby short-circuiting the cell. This is due to the fact that contrary 
to what is set forth by the authors of said patent, cellophane does not, 
in actual fact, constitute an effective barrier against sulphur dissolved 
in an ammonia solution nor against lithium in an ammonia solution. 
Preferred embodiments of the present invention remedy these drawbacks. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an electrochemical cell which has a negative 
electrode including an alkali or alkali-earth metal dissolved in liquid 
ammonia, a positive electrode, an electrolyte, and a separator, wherein 
the positive electrode is chosen from the group formed by solutions in 
ammonia of a chalcogen or of a chalcogenide and by emulsions or 
suspensions in ammonia of a solid compound suitable for intercalating the 
metal of the negative electrode, said electrolyte including a solution of 
an iodide of an alkali or alkali-earth metal. 
According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said chalcogen is 
sulphur. 
Said chalcogenide is advantageously chosen from the group comprising 
alkali, alkali-earth or ammonium chalgogenides. 
According to another embodiment of the invention, said substance suitable 
for intercalating the metal of the negative electrode is chosen from the 
group comprising Li.sub.x NiPS.sub.3, Li.sub.x FeS.sub.2, and Li.sub.x 
TiS.sub.2. 
When the positive electrode is in the form of a solution, the separator is 
constituted by a cation-exchange membrane, in which case the electrolyte 
can advantageously be located within said separator.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
In FIG. 1, a negative electrode 1 is formed by liquid ammonia with an 
alkali metal consisting e.g. of sodium, potassium, lithium or an 
alkali-earth metal such as calcium, in solution therein. 
A positive electrode 2 is separated from the negative electrode 1 by an 
electrolyte 3 which contains a solution in ammonia of an iodide of an 
alkali or alkali-earth metal, e.g. LiI, NaF, KI or CaI.sub.2, which 
electrolyte does not mix solution with the negative electrode 1. A 
separator 4 is disposed between the positive electrode 2 and the 
electrolyte 3. References 5 and 6 designate output terminals. 
The positive electrode 2 is constituted by a solution of a chalcogen (e.g. 
sulphur) or of a polysulphide in liquid ammonia. The solution is 
impregnated in a graphite felt. 
The positive electrode 2 could alternatively be constituted by a suspension 
or emulsion in ammonia of a compound such as Li.sub.x NiPS.sub.3, Li.sub.x 
FeS.sub.2, Li.sub.x TiS.sub.2 capable of intercalating the metal of the 
negative electrode. 
Advantageously, in the case where the positive electrode is formed by a 
solution, the separator 4 is a cation-exchange membrane. In the case of 
intercalated compounds such as mentioned hereinabove, the separator may be 
formed by a porous non-selective membrane. 
Such an electric cell operates at temperatures from -70.degree. C. up to 
50.degree. C. (under pressure). 
The advantages of such an electric cell are as follows: The negative 
electrode has excellent reversibility and hence it can perform a high 
number of charge-discharge cycles with limited polarization and at low 
temperatures. The positive electrode which may be a sulphur electrode 
associated with a selective cation exchanger also has high reversibility. 
The use of compounds for intercalating the metals of the negative electrode 
when constituting the positive electrode also provides for good 
rechargeability. 
The operating principle of such an electric cell is as follows: 
If the negative electrode is formed by an alkali metal A in solution in 
liquid ammonia, the following reactions take place: 
EQU A.revreaction.A.sup.+ +e.sup.- 
A.sup.+ in solution passes through the exchanger separator. 
In the case of sulphur as a positive material, the following reaction takes 
place: 
EQU S.sub.(n) +2e.sup.- +2A.sup.+ .revreaction.(A.sub.2 S.sub.(n)) in solution 
in ammonia. 
In the case of an intercalation compound Z, the reaction is: 
EQU xA.sup.+ +Z+xe.sup.- .revreaction.(A.sub.x Z) singlephase. 
Such an electric cell can be recharged. 
In the variant illustrated in FIG. 2 and corresponding more particularly to 
the case where the negative electrode is formed by a solution of sulphur 
in ammonia, the electrodes 1 and 2 are separated only by an exchanger 
membrane 4 of the cation type impregnated with electrolyte formed by a 
solution of an iodide of an alkali or alkali-earth metal (e.g. LiI, NaI, 
KI, CaI.sub.2) in liquid ammonia as in the preceding case. 
Such an electric cell also operates at temperatures ranging from 
-70.degree. C. to 50.degree. C., under pressure. 
By way of example, the constitution of an electric cell such as illustrated 
in FIG. 1 may be as follows: 
The negative electrode 1 includes potassium dissolved in liquid ammonia. 
The electrolyte is a saturated solution of potassium iodide in liquid 
ammonia, the positive electrode 2 is formed by sulphur dissolved at 
ambient temperature and under pressure in liquid ammonia. The separator is 
a cation-exchange membrane with a surface area of 7 mm.sup.2 of the PP2291 
type sold under the trade mark "Permion" by the company RAI. The current 
collectors 5 and 6 are made of tungsten. 
Such an electric cell has a no-load potential of about 2.3 volts. 
FIGS. 3 to 7 illustrate the characteristics of such an electric cell, at 
temperatures of -40.degree. C. (FIG. 3), -18.degree. C. (FIG. 4) and 
-2.5.degree. C. (FIG. 5), with potential, E, plotted along the X-axis in 
volts, current, I, plotted along the Y-axis in microamps. 
The capacity of the electric cell is about 1 Ah, the positive electrode 
being constituted by 5% sulphur in liquid ammonia (% on a molar basis). 
FIG. 6 illustrates the variation in the potential E (in volts) as a 
function of time (in hours). Curve A is for charging and curve B is for 
discharging at currents of 13.5 and 8.4 mA/cm.sup.2 respectively from an 
initial state at -40.degree. C. 
Excellent stability of the characteristics is observed. 
FIG. 7 illustrates the charge-discharge characteristics as a function of 
time at a temperature of -40.degree. C. for an electric cell whose 
positive electrode does not include graphite felt (curves C and D) and in 
the case where it does include graphite felt (curves A and B). It is seen 
that it is desirable to use such a felt to stabilize the characteristics. 
FIG. 8 is a cross-section through a practical embodiment of an electric 
cell in accordance with the invention. 
It has two stainless steel circular plates 11 and 12 laid one on the other 
and fixed together in a sealed manner by means of a silicone O ring 13. 
The plates delimit an inner cavity 14 in which the negative electrode 15, 
the positive electrode 16 and the electrolyte 17 are disposed. 
A grating 18 is designed to support a separator membrane 19; O rings such 
as 20 provide sealing and serve to limit the membrane short of the O ring 
13. 
Stoppers 21 block filler ducts 22 which also include cocks 23 for closing 
purposes. 
It is possible to produce an electric cell which has a structure analogous 
to that of FIG. 8, but in which the negative electrode is constituted by a 
solution of potassium in ammonia represented by the formula K 
(NH.sub.3).sub.4 which is not mixed with an electrolyte solution of KI in 
ammonia. 
The positive electrode is constituted by a suspension of NiPS.sub.3 in 
ammonia. The non-selective separator membrane can be made of polyethylene 
felt. 
Such an electric cell has slow self-discharge which does not affect its 
electrochemical behaviour in that the electrodes can be recharged. Its 
equilibrium potential lies between 1.5 V and 2.2 V and it accepts current 
densities of more than 5 milliamps/cm.sup.2 with polarization of less than 
1 V both during charging and during discharging. 
By way of example, the constitution of an electric cell such as illustrated 
in FIG. 2 can be as follows. 
The negative electrode includes potassium dissolved in liquid ammonia. 
The positive electrode contains 20% (moles) of sulphur also dissolved at 
ambient temperature and under pressure in liquid ammonia. 
These electrodes are separated by a cationic membrane of the aforementioned 
LDE P2291 type with a surface area of 7 mm.sup.2. It is impregnated with 
KI dissolved in liquid ammonia. Its resistance is 600 ohms at about 
-40.degree. C. 
Such an electric cell has a no-load potential of about 2.3 volts and a 
capacity of about 1 Ah and its characteristics are substantially those 
previously set forth with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. 
Advantageous applications are found for the invention in the field of 
high-power reversible electric cells which operate at low temperature.