Abstract: A battery having a lithium metal anode, a solid polymer electrolyte and a cathode material enabling high voltage discharge.

Abstract: A battery comprising: an anode comprising a first electrochemically active material: a cathode comprising both a second electrochemically active material and a first electrolyte; and a second electrolyte interposed between the anode and the cathode; wherein at least one of the first electrolyte and second electrolyte comprises a solid polymer electrolyte; wherein the solid polymer electrolyte has a glassy state, and comprises both at least one cationic diffusing ion and at least one anionic diffusing ion; wherein at least one of the at least one cationic diffusing ions comprises lithium; wherein at least one of the at least cationic diffusing ion and the at least one of the anionic diffusing ion is mobile in the glassy state; and wherein the first electrochemically active material comprises a lithium metal.

Abstract: The invention features an electrode useful in an electrochemical cell. The electrode includes an electrochemically active material; an electrically conductive material; a solid ionically conductive polymer electrolyte; and a binder; wherein the binder is dispersed in an aqueous solution. The invention also features a method of making the battery including the electrode.

Abstract: A battery having a lithium metal anode, a solid polymer electrolyte and a cathode material enabling high voltage discharge.

Abstract: A new cathode design is provided comprising a cathode active material mixed with a binder and a conductive diluent in at least two differing formulations. Each of the formulations exists as a distinct cathode layer. After each layer is pressed or sheeted individually, a first one of the layers is contacted to a current collector. The other layer is then contacted to the opposite side of the layer contacting the current collector. Therefore, by using electrodes comprised of layers, where each layer is optimized for a desired characteristic (i.e. high capacity, high power, high stability), the resulting battery will display improved function over a wide range of applications. Such an exemplary cathode is comprised of: SVO (100?x %)/SVO (100?y %)/current collector/SVO (100?y %)/SVO (100?x %), wherein x and y are different and represent percentages of non-active materials.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell comprising an electrode, whether it is the cathode of a primary cell or an anode or a cathode of a secondary cell, comprised of a mixture of a robust, high temperature binder along with a sacrificial decomposable polymer is described. The robust binder remains in the electrode throughout formation and processing, and maintains adhesion and cohesion of the cathode during utilization. The sacrificial decomposable polymer is present during the electrode formation stage. However, it is decomposed via a controlled treatment prior to electrode utilization. Upon subsequent high pressure pressing, the void spaces formerly occupied by the sacrificial polymer provides sites where the electrode active material collapses into a tightly compressed mass with enhanced particle-to-particle contact between the active material particles. For a cathode in a primary cell, for example a Li/SVO cell, the result is believed to be improved rate capability, capacity and stability throughout discharge.

Abstract: The use of an increased cathode weight and thickness or basis weight in a primary electrochemical cell for the purpose of reducing DC resistance (Rdc) is described. This is particularly important when the cell is subjected to high rate discharge conditions of the type typically required for medical device applications, such as activating a cardiac defibrillator. A preferred couple is of a lithium/silver vanadium oxide (Li/SVO) cell or a lithium/copper silver vanadium oxide (Li/CSVO) cell. Reducing cell Rdc by increasing basis weight has the added benefit of increasing the cell's energy density through comparatively greater amounts of active cathode material in a give casing volume.

Abstract: An improved cathode material for nonaqueous electrolyte lithium electrochemical cell is described. The preferred active material is silver vanadium oxide (SVO) coated with a protective layer of an inert metal oxide (MxOy) or lithiated metal oxide (LixMyOz). A preferred coating method is by a sol-gel process. The SVO core provides high capacity and rate capability while the protective coating reduces reactivity of the active particles with electrolyte to improve the long-term stability of the cathode.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell comprising a lithium anode and a fluorinated silver vanadium oxide cathode activated with a nonaqueous electrolyte is described. The fluorinated silver vanadium oxide is of the formula Ag4V2O11-xFx, wherein x ranges from about 0.02 to about 0.3.

Abstract: The prevention of lithium clusters from bridging between the negative and positive portions of a cell during discharge is described. This is done by limiting the amount of electrolyte in the cell, thereby eliminating excess electrolyte pooling above the cell stack. It is in this excess electrolyte that a relatively higher Li+ ion concentration can occur, creating an anodically polarized region resulting in the reduction of lithium ions on the negative and positive surfaces as the concentration gradient is relaxed. Typically, a lithium ion concentration gradient sufficient to cause lithium cluster formation is induced by the high rate, intermittent discharge of a lithium/silver vanadium oxide (Li/SVO) cell.

Abstract: The current invention relates to the preparation of an improved cathode active material for non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell. In particular, the cathode active material comprised ?-phase silver vanadium oxide prepared by using silver- and vanadium-containing starting materials in a stoichiometric molar proportion to give a Ag:V ratio of about 1:2. The reactants are homogenized and then added to an aqueous solution followed by heating in a pressurized vessel. The resulting ?-phase SVO possesses a higher surface area than ?-phase SVO produced by other prior art techniques. Consequently, the ?-phase SVO material provides an advantage in greater discharge capacity in pulse dischargeable cells.

Abstract: Increased Rdc in electrochemical cells is detrimental because under high rate discharge regimes, such as used in powering an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD), the amount of energy delivered by the cell over a given period of time is lower as Rdc increases. This reduction in delivered energy results in a longer period of time needed to fully charge the ICD capacitors so that it takes longer to deliver the necessary therapy. Further, an industry recognized standard is to pulse discharge cell about every 90 days to charge the capacitors in the ICD to or near their maximum energy breakdown voltage to heal microfractures that can occur in the capacitor dielectric oxide. However, the present invention requires initiation of more frequent current pulsing upon the detection of an increase in Rdc or charge time. This is even though the Rdc measurement may be below some threshold reading.

Abstract: The prevention of lithium clusters from bridging between the negative and positive portions of a cell during discharge is described. This is done by matching the pulse-discharged capacity of a primary lithium cell powering a therapy device to one where should lithium clusters form, the total lithium cluster surface area will be less than the nominal gap distance between a positive polarity member and a negative polarity member.

Abstract: An improved cathode material for nonaqueous electrolyte lithium electrochemical cell is described. The preferred active material is ?-phase silver vanadium oxide (Ag2V4O11) coated with a protective layer of a metal oxide, preferably ?-phase SVO (Ag1.2V3O1.8). The SVO core provides high capacity and rate capability while the protective coating reduces reactivity of the active particles with electrolyte to improve the long-term stability of the cathode.

Abstract: The current invention relates to the preparation of an improved cathode active material for non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell. In particular, the cathode active material comprises ?-phase silver vanadium oxide prepared by using a ?-phase silver vanadium oxide starting material. The reaction of ?-phase SVO with a silver salt produces the novel ?-phase SVO possessing a lower surface area than ?-phase SVO produces from vanadium oxide (V2O5) and a similar silver salt as starting materials. Consequently, the low surface area ?-phase SVO material provides an advantage in greater long-term stability in pulse dischargeable cells.

Abstract: The current invention relates to the preparation of an improved cathode active material for non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell. In particular, the cathode active material comprises ?-phase silver vanadium oxide prepared by using a ?-phase silver vanadium oxide starting material. The reaction of ?-phase SVO with a silver salt produces the novel ?-phase SVO possessing a lower surface area than ?-phase SVO produced from vanadium oxide (V2O5) and a similar silver salt as starting materials. Consequently, the low surface area ?-phase SVO material provides an advantage in greater long-term stability in pulse dischargeable cells.

Abstract: It is known that reforming implantable defibrillator capacitors at least partially restores and preserves their charging efficiency. An industry-recognized standard is to reform implantable capacitors by pulse discharging the connected electrochemical cell about once every three months throughout the useful life of the medical device. A Li/SVO cell typically powers such devices. The present invention relates to methodologies for significantly minimizing, if not entirely eliminating, the occurrence of voltage delay and irreversible Rdc growth in the about 35% to 70% DOD region by subjecting Li/SVO cells to novel discharge regimes. At the same time, the connected capacitors in the cardiac defibrillator are reformed to maintain them at their rated breakdown voltages.

Abstract: The current invention provides a method of preparing a cathode material in a sequential two-part reaction process. In the first step, silver nitrate and vanadium oxide are decomposed by heat under an inert atmosphere. In the second part of the process, the resulting intermediate material is heat treated under an oxidizing atmosphere. The sequential combination of steps produces a highly crystalline silver vanadium oxide cathode material which has properties not heretofore exhibited by SVO prepared by prior art methods.

Abstract: The current invention relates to the preparation of an improved cathode active material for non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell. In particular, the cathode active material comprises ?-phase silver vanadium oxide prepared by using a ?-phase silver vanadium oxide starting material. The reaction of ?-phase SVO with a silver salt produces the novel ?-phase SVO possessing a lower surface area than ?-phase SVO produced from vanadium oxide (V2O5) and a similar silver salt as starting materials. Consequently, the low surface area ?-phase SVO material provides an advantage in greater long-term stability in pulse dischargeable cells.

Abstract: The current invention relates to the preparation of an improved cathode active material for non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell. In particular, the cathode active material comprises &egr;-phase silver vanadium oxide prepared by using a &ggr;-phase silver vanadium oxide starting material. The reaction of &ggr;-phase SVO with a silver salt produces the novel &egr;-phase SVO possessing a lower surface area than &egr;-phase SVO produced from vanadium oxide (V2O5) and a similar silver salt as starting materials. Consequently, the low surface area &egr;-phase SVO material provides an advantage in greater long-term stability in pulse dischargeable cells.