Abstract: Dendrites are prevented from shorting a secondary lithium battery by use of a first porous separator such as porous polypropylene adjacent the lithium anode that is unreactive with lithium and a second porous fluoropolymer separator between the cathode and the first separator such as polytetrafluoroethylene that is reactive with lithium. As the tip of a lithium dendrite contacts the second separator, an exothermic reaction occurs locally between the lithium dendrite and the fluoropolymer separator. This results in the prevention of the dendrite propagation to the cathode.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 17, 1993
Date of Patent:
June 27, 1995
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventors:
David H. Shen, Subbarao Surampudi, Chen-Kuo Huang, Gerald Halpert