"ZOOM" SEMINAR
School of Mechanical Engineering Seminar
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 14:00
Development of a lithium thionyl-chloride battery with a carbon cathode produced without isopropanol
Karin Levi
MSc Under the supervision of Prof. Naima Brauner
Lithium batteries have come a significant long way in the past decades. The batteries have changed from a product of curiosity to a dominant product to variety of consumers, such as medical equipment, water meters and so on. The electrical performance of a lithium thionyl-chloride battery is greatly influenced by the carbon cathode, on which the chemical reaction is carried out between the lithium ions and the thionyl-chloride ions. Consequently, the structure, size, and physical properties, such as porosity of the cathode, are very important.
An essential component used in the manufacturing of the currently used cathode is Isopropanol. It helps achieving the necessary wetness of the carbon, resulting in a homogenous slurry while mixing with water and Teflon. Isopropanol is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor. Therefore, it must be used under strict safety rules. Moreover, isopropanol is considered environmental pollutant and the European standard TA LUFT (adopted in Israel), allows max of 50 mg/m^3.
The properties of cathodes produced with and without Isopropanol and the difficulties during manufacturing are described. In addition, the effect of the new cathode on the batterie's capacities and voltages are presented and discussed. It is argued that the significant advantage of a cathode without isopropanol is the porous structure. This structure allows a better adsorption of the electrolyte solution. The presence of more active sites allows more precipitation of reaction products, and an increase in the anode area in front of the cathode. The results of this research showed that the electrical performances of lithium chloride batteries were not affected using a cathode without Isopropanol and the electrical performances were even improved.
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