The present invention provides an energy storage device having high discharge capacity and high cycling ability. More particularly, the present invention provides Zn/V.sub.2O.sub.5 battery having cation selective ionomer membrane and free-standing electrode.

An electrolyte, a method for making the electrolyte, and a flow cell battery are provided. The electrolyte includes about 1.0 molar (M) to about 1.5 M iron ions and about 1.0 M to about 1.5 M vanadium ions.

The weight and size of a lead-acid battery is reduced and the energy density per mass by forming base members of components of the lead-acid battery is improved by using aluminum or aluminum alloy and forming multiple plating layers on a surface of each base member. In order to prevent formation of pinholes in the multiple plating layers, the surface of the base member 22 is subjected to flattening processing, a solder plating layer with a film thickness of 10 μm or more is formed, or many layers of group 4 metals with similar chemical properties are laminated. Moreover, in a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, an active material layer 24 is formed on the outermost lead plating layer by an electrolytic formation treatment to improve the charging and discharging efficiencies of the lead-acid battery and to greatly reduce fall-off the active material layer 24.

An electrochemical cell includes a housing, a positive electrode substrate disposed within a first electrode chamber of the housing, a negative electrode substrate disposed within a second electrode chamber of the housing, and a separator may be disposed within the housing between the first electrode chamber and the second electrode chamber. A method further includes pumping a manufacturing electrolyte through the positive electrode portion around the positive electrode substrate. The method further includes applying a first electrical signal to the positive electrode substrate so as to electrochemically fabricate one or both of an active material the negative electrode substrate to form a negative electrode and/or an active material on the positive electrode substrate, thereby forming a positive electrode.

The present invention relates to novel lignin-derived compounds and compositions comprising the same and their use as redox flow battery electrolytes. The invention further provides a method for preparing said compounds and compositions as well as a redox flow battery comprising said compounds and compositions. Additionally, an assembly for carrying out the inventive method is provided.

A lead acid or lead carbon battery includes a sealed casing including an acid and an electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, and a non-fibrous separator disposed between and in contact with at least a portion of both the anode and the cathode, wherein the anode, cathode, and non-fibrous separator are at least partially immersed in the acid. The anode includes an electrically conductive carbon active material, the cathode includes a lead oxide active material, and the non-fibrous separator has a thickness of about 0.005 to about 1.5 mm.

A battery has anodes, cathodes, separators, and electrolyte. Particles of loose hydrated alkali aluminum silicate contact the anodes and cathodes and are immersed in the electrolyte, to enhance operability of the battery. The maximum dimensions of at least a majority of the particles are between about 5-10 mm, and they range in shape from spherical to irregular.

The invention relates to a laminar textile material for covering a pasty active mass on a battery electrode. The invention further relates to a battery electrode having such a material, to a battery, and to a method for producing battery electrodes. Potential improvements of lead batteries are disclosed that are more practical than previously known solutions, and that stabilize the pasty active mass on the battery electrodes. A laminar textile material is disclosed to this end, comprising glass fibers and fibers made of a thermoplastic, e.g. polyester.

Provided is an electrolyte for a flow battery, the electrolyte being supplied to a flow battery, in which a total concentration of ions of elements of groups 1 to 8 and ions of elements of groups 13 to 16 in the fifth period of the periodic table, and ions of elements of groups 1, 2, and 4 to 8 and ions of elements of groups 13 to 15 in the sixth period of the periodic table, the ions being impurity element ions involved in generation of a gas containing elemental hydrogen, is 610 mg/L or less, a concentration of vanadium ions is 1 mol/L or more and 3 mol/L or less, a concentration of free sulfuric acid is 1 mol/L or more and 4 mol/L or less, a concentration of phosphoric acid is 1.0×10.sup.−4 mol/L or more and 7.1×10.sup.−1 mol/L or less, a concentration of ammonium is 20 mg/L or less, and a concentration of silicon is 40 mg/L or less. When a charging and discharging test is performed by circulating and supplying the electrolyte to the flow battery under specific conditions, a generation rate of hydrogen is less than 10 cc/h/m.sup.2 and a generation rate of hydrogen sulfide is less than 5.0×10.sup.−3 cc/h/m.sup.2, the hydrogen and the hydrogen sulfide being generated in a negative electrode of the flow battery during charging and discharging.

The present invention relates to a method for producing one or more low molecular weight aromatic lignin-derived compounds. The method preferably comprises providing lignocellulosic material, subjecting the lignocellulosic material to a pulping process, separating pulp to provide a substantially pulp-free process stream comprising a modified lignin-derived component, isolating the modified lignin-derived component, subjecting the isolated modified lignin-derived component to a decomposition step comprising oxidative cracking (cracking and oxidizing) or reducing under the influence of a catalyst or electro-oxidation, and subjecting the resulting products to an isolation step, to provide a low molecular weight aromatic lignin-derived compound. Said compound may be further modified, e.g. by annulation. The inventive method preferably comprises further oxidizing said compound to a redox active compound. Additionally, the present invention relates to compounds obtainable by the inventive method and to an assembly for carrying out the inventive method. Furthermore, the present invention refers to a method for providing an existing pulp and/or paper manufacturing plant with said assembly.