Particle Size Distribution Variations in Iron Disulfide Cathodes

• Main Authors: CRAWFORD RONALD, MARPLE JACK W, SCHIMEK GEORGE L, WEMPLE MICHAEL W, HUANG WEIWEI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.01.2013
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSESC01D OR C01F; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OFSOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; METALLURGY; NANOTECHNOLOGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING

A cathode, electrochemical cell and process for making either is disclosed. The cathode includes iron disulfide which exhibits multiple peaks representing distinct maxima of mean diameters for the volume-based particle size distribution. All of the maxima are less than 20 microns. A combination of natural pyrite ore and synthetic iron disulfide may be mixed to achieve the desired distribution, or a combination of natural pyrite ores may be processed in different manners to achieve the desired characteristics.