High discharge capacity electrolytic manganese dioxide and methods of producing the same

• Main Authors: ANDERSEN TERRELL NEILS, BURKHARDT SAMUEL FAUST, KAZEROONI VAHID, WOHLETZ RICHARD F, MOUMENZADEH MOHAMMAD REZA, UNSELL AMY WREN, HOWARD, JR. WILMONT FREDERICK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.03.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSESC01D OR C01F; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OFSOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

The present invention provides improved cathode material comprised of electrolytic manganese dioxide having high discharge capacity at high discharge rates and methods of producing such electrolytic manganese dioxide by electrolysis in an electrolytic cell. The methods are basically comprised of maintaining a heated high purity aqueous electrolyte solution comprising specific amounts of sulfuric acid and manganese sulfate in the electrolytic cell and maintaining the amounts of the sulfuric acid and manganese ion in the solution at a ratio of sulfuric acid to manganese ion greater than 2. An electric current is applied to the electrodes of the electrolytic cell whereby the anodic electrode current density is in the range of from about 2.5 to about 6 amperes per square foot and the high discharge capacity EMD produced is deposited on the anodic electrode.