The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell comprising an anode of a Group IA metal and a cathode of a composite material prepared from an aqueous mixture of iron sulfate, nickel sulfate, and sulfur. The cathode material of the present invention provides for a lithium electrochemical cell having an increased operating voltage and power performance with high discharge capacity as compared to a lithium cell comprising nickel disulfide cathode material. In addition, the cathode material of the present invention exhibits a smaller initial irreversible voltage loss as compared to iron disulfide. This makes the cathode material of the present invention particularly useful for implantable medical applications.

The invention provides a water-activated, deferred-action battery having a housing containing at least one cell, comprising at least one anode selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, zinc and alloys thereof; a cathode comprising a skeletal frame including conductive metal and having a portion of its surface area formed as open spaces, and further comprising a heat-pressed, rigid static bed of active cathode material encompassing the skeletal frame, the cathode material comprising basic copper sulfate, said cathode material being compacted and fused to itself and to the skeletal frame under pressure and/or heat, to form a heat-fused, conductive, electrochemically active phase; at least one cavity separating the cathode and the at least one anode, and at least one aperture leading to the at least one cavity for the ingress of an electrolyte-forming, aqueous liquid.

The invention provides a water-activated, deferred-action battery having a housing containing at least one cell, comprising at least one anode selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, zinc and alloys thereof; a cathode comprising a skeletal frame including conductive metal and having a portion of its surface area formed as open spaces, and further comprising a heat-pressed, rigid static bed of active cathode material encompassing the skeletal frame, the cathode material comprising basic copper sulfate, said cathode material being compacted and fused to itself and to the skeletal frame under pressure and/or heat, to form a heat-fused, conductive, electrochemically active phase; at least one cavity separating the cathode and the at least one anode, and at least one aperture leading to the at least one cavity for the ingress of an electrolyte-forming, aqueous liquid.

A zinc foil is provided that can be used as a negative electrode active material, and in a battery including the zinc foil as a negative electrode active material, the amount of gas generated during long term storage of the battery is reduced as compared with that in a battery including a conventional zinc foil. The zinc foil contains zinc as a main material and bismuth. The bismuth content is 100 ppm or more and 10000 ppm or less on a mass basis. The zinc crystal grain size is 0.2 μm or more and 8 μm or less. The bismuth crystal grain size is less than 1000 nm, as measured in a backscattered electron image obtained using a scanning electron microscope. The zinc foil is free of aluminum and/or lead, or even if the zinc foil contains aluminum and/or lead, the aluminum content is 1% or less on a mass basis and/or the lead content is 200 ppm or less on a mass basis.

A lithium-manganese dioxide primary battery and preparation thereof. The battery has a discharge capacity greater than 3C at −40° C., and includes multiple positive plates, multiple negative plates, multiple ceramic separators, an electrolyte and a casing. The positive plates, the negative plates and the separators are laminated in a manner of repeated “positive plate-separator-negative plate-separator” to form a dry cell. The lithium-manganese dioxide primary battery is made by placement of the dry cell into the casing, injection of the electrolyte, primary aging, sealing and secondary aging. The positive plate and the negative plate are graphene-based manganese dioxide positive plate and lithium-carbon composite negative plate, respectively. The front and back surfaces of the positive plate are respectively provided with a positive reserved tab, and the front and back surfaces of the negative plate are respectively provided with a negative reserved tab.

A lithium-manganese dioxide primary battery and preparation thereof. The battery has a discharge capacity greater than 3C at −40° C., and includes multiple positive plates, multiple negative plates, multiple ceramic separators, an electrolyte and a casing. The positive plates, the negative plates and the separators are laminated in a manner of repeated “positive plate-separator-negative plate-separator” to form a dry cell. The lithium-manganese dioxide primary battery is made by placement of the dry cell into the casing, injection of the electrolyte, primary aging, sealing and secondary aging. The positive plate and the negative plate are graphene-based manganese dioxide positive plate and lithium-carbon composite negative plate, respectively. The front and back surfaces of the positive plate are respectively provided with a positive reserved tab, and the front and back surfaces of the negative plate are respectively provided with a negative reserved tab.

An electrochemical or electric layer system, having at least two electrode layers and at least one ion-conducting layer disposed between two electrode layers. The ion-conducting layer has at least one ion-conducting solid electrolyte and at least one binder at grain boundaries of the at least one ion-conducting solid electrolyte for improving the ion conductivity over the grain boundaries and the adhesion of the layers.

An electrochemical or electric layer system, having at least two electrode layers and at least one ion-conducting layer disposed between two electrode layers. The ion-conducting layer has at least one ion-conducting solid electrolyte and at least one binder at grain boundaries of the at least one ion-conducting solid electrolyte for improving the ion conductivity over the grain boundaries and the adhesion of the layers.

The present application relates to a method comprising: (a) providing a battery comprising a manganese oxide composition as a primary active material; and (b) cycling the battery by: (i) galvanostatically discharging the battery to a first V.sub.cell; (ii) galvanostatically charging the battery to a second V.sub.cell; and (iii) potentiostatically charging at the second V.sub.cell for a first defined period of time. The present application also relates to a chemical composition produced by the method above. The present application also relates to a battery comprising one or more chemical species, the one or more chemical species produced by cycling an activated composition.

The present application relates to a method comprising: (a) providing a battery comprising a manganese oxide composition as a primary active material; and (b) cycling the battery by: (i) galvanostatically discharging the battery to a first V.sub.cell; (ii) galvanostatically charging the battery to a second V.sub.cell; and (iii) potentiostatically charging at the second V.sub.cell for a first defined period of time. The present application also relates to a chemical composition produced by the method above. The present application also relates to a battery comprising one or more chemical species, the one or more chemical species produced by cycling an activated composition.