Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electric current-producing cell which contains:(a) an anode having as its anode-active material one or more alkali metals;(b) a cathode having as its cathode-active material one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of:(i) chalcogenide compounds having the formula:M.sub.a FeX.sub.bwherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, calcium, strontium and barium wherein X is a chalcogen selected from sulfur and selenium, wherein a is a numerical value of about 0.5 when M is a divalent metal and a is a numerical value of about 1 when M is a monovalent metal, and wherein b is a numerical value of about 2; and,(ii) species of chalcogenide compounds of said formula exhibiting alkali metal incorporation; and,(c) an electrolyte which is chemically inert with respect to said anode and said cathode and which permits the migration of ions between said anode and said cathode.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electric current-producing cell which contains:(a) an anode having as its anode-active material one or more metals selected from the group consisting of the Periodic Table Group IA metals, Group IB metals, Group IIA metals and Group IIB metals;(b) a cathode having as its cathode-active material one or more compounds selected from:(i) those having the formula:NH.sub.4 CuMoZy (1)wherein Z is a chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, sulfur-selenium mixtures, sulfur-oxygen mixtures and selenium-oxygen mixtures, and wherein y is a numerical value of about 4.(ii) the decomposition products of one or more compounds of subparagraph (i), resulting from the decomposition thereof below about 350.degree. C; and(c) an electrolyte which is chemically inert with respect to said anode and said cathode and which permits the migration of ions between said anode and said cathode.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1.

Abstract: An improved rechargeable, high energy density electrochemical cell comprising an anode having as its active material an alkali metal, a cathode having as its active material a transition metal trichalcogenide and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing at least one ionizable salt of the anode-active material dissolved in a dioxolane solvent. A specific example is an electrochemical cell with an anode-active material of lithium or alloys thereof, a cathode of niobium triselenide and an electrolyte of lithium perchlorate dissolved in dioxolane.

Abstract: Stoichiometric titanium disulfide having a high degree of crystalline perfection and particularly suited for use as an active cathode material is prepared by heating particulate metallic titanium to a reaction temperature between about 475.degree. and 600.degree. C., contacting the heated titanium with an atmosphere having a sulfur partial pressure substantially equal to the equilibrium sulfur partial pressure at the reaction temperature to form titanium disulfide, and maintaining the reactants at the reaction temperature sufficiently to insure complete reaction. A battery is described which employs a lithium anode, an electrolyte of lithium perchlorate dissolved in an organic solvent and stoichiometric titanium disulfide having a single hexagonal phase and a particle size surface area between about 2 and 4 square meters per gram.

Abstract: A new composition of matter corresponds to the formula A.sub.x M(PS.sub.3).sub.y wherein A is at least one Group Ia metal, x is a numerical value greater than zero but equal to or less than 6 divided by the valency of the element, M is at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of nickel or iron, P is phosphorus, S is sulfur and y is a numerical value between about 0.9 and 1.0. These materials are useful as cathode materials in electrochemical cells and as thermal collectors from solar radiation.Compositions of the present invention are used in fabricating rechargeable electrochemical cells in the discharged state which comprise an anode containing as the anode-active material at least one Group Ia metal; a cathode containing as the cathode-active material a non stoichiometric trisulfide of the formula A.sub.x M(PS.sub.3).sub.

Abstract: An improved cathode which contains as a cathode-active material a layered compound of the formula MA.sub.x B.sub.y wherein M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of iron, vanadium, titanium, chromium and indium, A and B are members selected from the group consisting of chalcogenides and halides, and x and y are numerical values from 0 to 2 with the sum of x and y being substantially equal to about 2, the layered compounds belonging to crystallographic space group V.sub.H.sup.13.

Abstract: Ions are intercalated in chalcogenides by flowing a current through a system comprising a cathode which contains the chalcogenides (e.g., TaS.sub.2 is a suitable chalcogenide), an anode containing electronically conductive material which is not a source of the intercalating ions (a suitable anode material would be gold) and an electrolyte comprising or containing at least one ionically conducting material which will electrochemically release ions of the species which are to be intercalated in the chalcogenide (e.g., dilute HCl, in which case hydrogen ions would be intercalated in the chalcogenide). The voltage is applied at a level sufficient to permit electrochemical decomposition of the electrolyte to thereby release the ions to be intercalated into the chalcogenide. Alternatively, the anode may act as the source of the intercalating ions and the electrolyte would comprise or contain at least one compound of the same species as that of the ions to be intercalated (e.g.

Abstract: A battery is provided in which the anode contains as the anode-active material a metal selected from the group consisting of Group Ia metals, Group Ib metals, Group IIa metals, Group IIb metals, Group IIIa metals and Group IVa metals (lithium is preferred), the cathode contains as the cathode-active material a chalcogenide of the formula MZ.sub.x wherein M is an element selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum and vanadium (titanium is preferred); Z is an element selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium, and x is a numerical value between about 1.8 and about 2.1, and the electrolyte is one which does not chemically react with the anode or the cathode and which will permit the migration of ions from said anode-active material to intercalate the cathode-active material.

Abstract: Stoichiometric titanium disulfide having a high degree of crystalline perfection and particularly suited for use as an active cathode material is prepared by heating particulate metallic titanium to a reaction temperature between about 475.degree. and 600.degree. C., contacting the heated titanium with an atmosphere having a sulfur partial pressure substantially equal to the equilibrium sulfur partial pressure at the reaction temperature to form titanium disulfide, and maintaining the reactants at the reaction temperature sufficiently to insure complete reaction. The reaction is advantageously conducted in an evacuated tube which is differentially heated to establish a hot zone where the reaction occurs and a cooler zone which controls the sulfur partial pressure within the tube so that the rate of reaction can in turn be controlled to minimize overheating, and also prevents the formation of titanium trisulfide.