Abstract: A method for manufacturing galvanic elements having a liquid organic electrolyte that contain an electrode-separator assembly that has at least one lithium intercalating electrode in whose polymer matrix insoluble, electrochemically active materials are finely distributed in the polymer involved, the electrolyte contains about 2% to about 15% by weight of a hydrocarbon-oxygen compound (carbonate) that has a central carbon atom, to which one oxygen atom is doubly bonded and two oxygen are singly bonded, where the singly bonded oxygen is not saturated by any other atoms or groups and a hydrocarbon chain having a length of four carbon atoms or less is bonded to each of those singly bonded oxygen atoms and these two chains differ by at least one, but no more than three, CH2 groups, and this electrode-separator assembly is initially impregnated with this electrolyte, then cut to size, and subsequently inserted into a housing.

Abstract: In a method for leak testing of electrochemical elements which have a thin flexible housing that is composed of a metal sheet or a metal/plastic composite sheet, after assembly and if necessary after formation in a closed container, the electrochemical element is subjected to an increased pressure and then to a reduced pressure, and any change in thickness that occurs is measured. Alternatively, after assembly, formation and storage in a closed container, the electrochemical element is subjected to a reduced pressure, and any change in thickness that occurs is measured.

Abstract: A method for producing an electrochemical element having at least one lithium-intercollating electrode and an organic electrolyte, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode and at least one separator are joined together to form an element, with the separator being a porous matrix composed of at least about 60% by weight of a ceramic material A, which contains lithium ions, and a polymer as a binding agent. The resulting element is then introduced into a housing and impregnated with a liquid organic electrolyte B, whose conductive salt contains lithium ions, so that the ionic total conductivity of the separator is formed by adding the ion conductivities of A and B and the reciprocal of the specific contact resistance of the phase boundary between A and B, and is then closed such that it is sealed. A copolymer composed of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene is used as the binder polymer. Material A is a naturally occurring mineral.

Abstract: An electrochemical element with thin electrodes in a housing formed from plastic sheets connected to one another. At least one of the plastic sheets is metallized in subareas on the side facing one of the electrodes. The metal layer forms an electrical contact with the electrode and forms an outer contact lug of the electrode. The plastic sheet may be a composite sheet with an inner metal sheet covered by a plastic sheet on both sides, and the metallization of the plastic sheet in the area outside the cell outline may be in the form of conductor tracks. In particular, the housing is formed from two plastic sheets which are sealed to one another and metallized on their side which points into the cell interior such that the metallization forms the electrical contact with the electrodes and forms the outer contact lugs of the electrodes and/or of the electrochemical element.

Abstract: A method for producing a rechargeable button cell having a negative electrode composed of a lithium/indium alloy, a positive lithium/intercalating electrode and an organic electrolyte, a lithium layer and an indium layer are introduced into a negative housing half-section. The positive electrode material is introduced into a positive housing half-section. The two housing half-sections are beaded to form the button cell once the organic electrolyte has been added and a separator has been placed in between, with a seal being inserted between the housing half-sections. A lithium-indium alloy is formed from the lithium layer and the indium layer by storage or a subsequent charging/discharge cycle.

Abstract: A galvanic element with an alkaline electrolyte and a zinc negative electrode, in a housing in the form of a button cell, where at least the outer surface of the cell's cap is coated with a Cu—Sn-alloy containing no nickel or with a Cu—Sn—Zn-alloy containing no nickel. The alloy contains about 20% to about 90% Cu, preferably about 50% to about 60% Cu, with the remainder being Sn, or about 50% to about 60% Cu and about 25% to about 35% Sn, with the remainder being Zn.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a galvanic element including forming individual cells including electrode films laminated to a separator, wherein at least one of the electrodes is a lithium intercalating electrode with a polymer matrix in which electrochemically active materials are finely dispersed, wherein the electrochemically active materials are insoluble in the polymer, verifying the function of the individual cells by measuring impedance of the individual cells, and introducing an organic electrolyte into the cells to form the element.

Abstract: A thin, flat and flexible galvanic element, its metallic housing including a foil fabricated from a copper material having a copper content of at least about 95% by weight and a light-metal alloying additive, where the copper and alloying light metal differ in atomic number by at least 15, but no more than 26, and have melting points that differ by at least about 400° C., but no more than about 950° C., the alloying metal is monovalent to trivalent in compounds and modifies the face-centered cubic hard-sphere packing of the copper during alloying such that its mass density of about 8.94 g/cm3 is altered by at least about 0.03 g/cm3, and the foil has an adhesive coating on its side facing the interior of the housing.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing galvanic elements having a liquid organic electrolyte that contain an electrode-separator assembly that has at least one lithium intercalating electrode in whose polymer matrix insoluble, electrochemically active materials are finely distributed in the polymer involved, the electrolyte contains about 2% to about 15% by weight of a hydrocarbon-oxygen compound (carbonate) that has a central carbon atom, to which one oxygen atom is doubly bonded and two oxygen are singly bonded, where the singly bonded oxygen is not saturated by any other atoms or groups and a hydrocarbon chain having a length of four carbon atoms or less is bonded to each of those singly bonded oxygen atoms and these two chains differ by at least one, but no more than three, CH2 groups, and this electrode-separator assembly is initially impregnated with this electrolyte, then cut to size, and subsequently inserted into a housing.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the operational reliability of rechargeable lithium cells including measuring the cell voltage and cell temperature, the cell is discharged if a predetermined cell limit voltage (UG) and a predetermined ambient limit temperature TG are exceeded at the same time, until a predetermined lower voltage level or a predetermined lower ambient temperature is reached. A circuit for carrying out the method has a first threshold value switch which responds when a predetermined upper limit voltage (UG) is exceeded in the cell, and a second threshold value switch (C) which responds when a predetermined ambient temperature limit (TG) is exceeded, and has a logic circuit (E) which connects (G) the cell to a load when the first and second threshold value switches respond at the same time, wherein both threshold value switches (C, D) are configured such that they trip when a lower cell voltage or a lower ambient temperature is reached.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing electrode-separator assemblies for galvanic elements includes hot-lamination at temperatures close to the melting point or softening point of at least a portion of the surface of an electrode or separator to a separator or electrode, respectively.

Abstract: A method for producing electrode sheets for electrochemical elements which contain at least one lithium-intercalating electrode which is composed of a mixture of at least two copolymerized fluorized polymers in whose polymer matrix electrochemically active materials which are insoluble in the polymer are finely dispersed, the fluorized polymers are, having being dissolved as a solvent, mixed with electrochemically active materials, the resulting pasty substance is extruded to form a sheet and then laminated with a polyolefin separator, which is provided with a mixture of the two polymers, PVDF-HFP copolymers in each case being used as the polymer, and the proportion of HFP being less than about 8 percent by weight.

Abstract: A method for producing a separator/electrode assembly for electrochemical elements which contain at least one lithium-intercalating electrode finely dispersing insoluble active materials in a polymer matrix to form a paste; directly applying the paste to a porous separator material or to a layer composed of solid ion conductors; and drying the paste.

Abstract: A wet-chemical method of fabricating electrode foils for galvanic elements including dissolving at least two different fluorinated polymers in a solvent, mixing a highly conductive carbon black, whose BET surface area is between that of surface-minimized graphite and activated carbon and an electrochemically active material having a two-dimensional layer structure and an electronic conductivity of at least about 10−4 S/cm into which lithium can be reversibly incorporated and be reversibly removed therefrom with the least two polymers dissolved in the solvent, without additions of plasticizers, swelling agents or electrolyte, applying paste composition thus obtained to an electrode collector or a support foil, and drying the paste composition.

Abstract: In a galvanic element having at least one lithium-intercalating electrode, whose electrochemically active material is applied onto a metallic output conductor, in the form of foil, the metallic output conductor is provided on its surface with electrochemically deposited crystallites of a second or identical metal, which enlarge the contact area and reduce the contact resistance to the active material. The substrate material is chosen from Al, Cu, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co or alloys of these metals, or from a corrosion-resistant stainless steel, and the deposited metal is chosen from Cu, Vi, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Zn, Sn, In, Sb, Bi, Ag or alloys of these metals. The crystallite size of the electrochemically deposited material is between 1 and 25 &mgr;m, preferably between 1 and 10 &mgr;m, and a maximum of 10 crystallite layers, preferably 1 to 3 cyrstallite layers, are deposited on the substrate sheet.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the operational reliability of rechargeable lithium cells including measuring the cell voltage and cell temperature, the cell is discharged if a predetermined cell limit voltage (UG) and a predetermined ambient limit temperature TG are exceeded at the same time, until a predetermined lower voltage level or a predetermined lower ambient temperature is reached. A circuit for carrying out the method has a first threshold value switch which responds when a predetermined upper limit voltage (UG) is exceeded in the cell, and a second threshold value switch (C) which responds when a predetermined ambient temperature limit (TG) is exceeded, and has a logic circuit (E) which connects (G) the cell to a load when the first and second threshold value switches respond at the same time, wherein both threshold value switches (C, D) are configured such that they trip when a lower cell voltage or a lower ambient temperature is reached.

Abstract: An electrochemical gas sensor has a first gas diffusion electrode for a first reaction gas, which is inactive with respect to a second reaction gas at least in a first potential window, and a second gas diffusion electrode for the second reaction gas, which is active with respect to the second reaction gas at least in a second potential window for measuring two different gases in gas mixtures in a casing. The two gas diffusion electrodes are electronically isolated from one another, but electrically connected electrolytically to a reversibly loadable electrode and have contacts for connecting external closing circuits for adjusting the cell currents. The gas mixture is fed to the gas diffusion electrodes in series or parallel. The casing containing the electrodes is, in particular, in the form of a button cell. The reversibly loadable electrode is a Cu/CuO, Zn/ZnO or hydrogen electrode. The gas diffusion electrodes have a porous structure based on carbon or have a porous silver structure.

Abstract: A method for determining relative amounts of O2 and N2O in gas mixtures by quantitative electrochemical reaction including feeding a gas mixture containing O2 and N2O to a zinc-air cell having electrodes connected to a circuit consisting of a plurality of diodes and resistors, which circuit is set to have an electrochemical working range corresponding to each of the O2 and N2O; and measuring current flowing in the respective working range to determine the relative proportions of O2 and N2O in the gas mixture. An electrochemical cell including a casing capable of containing a gas mixture, including O2 and N2O a zinc-air cell in the casing, and a circuit connected to electrodes of the zinc-air cell, the circuit containing a plurality of diodes, resistors and tap points; means for measuring current to determine the relative proportions of O2 and N2O in the gas mixture.