Patent ID: 8778522

Claim:
An electrochemical device component, comprising: an active metal electrode having a first surface and a second surface; and a handle-able composite protective membrane on the first surface of the electrode and having a gap-free interface therewith, the composite protective membrane being ionically conductive and chemically compatible with the active metal on a side in contact with the active metal electrode, and substantially impervious, ionically conductive and chemically compatible with active metal corrosive environments on the other side, the membrane comprising a substantially impervious sintered ceramic or glass-ceramic layer having a thickness between 10 and 1000 microns; wherein the ionic conductivity of the membrane is at least 10 −7 S/cm; a current collector on the second surface of the active metal electrode; and wherein the device component can be handled or stored in normal ambient atmospheric conditions without degradation prior to incorporation into an electrochemical device.