DEVELOPMENT OF LITHIUM/METAL SULFIDE BATTERIES AT ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY: SUMMARY REPORT FOR 1975

This report presents highlights for 1975 of Argonne National Laboratory's program on the development of lithium/metal sulfide batteries. The intended applications for these high-performance batteries are energy storage on utilities and electric-vehicle propulsion. The battery cells have negative electrodes of a lithium--aluminum alloy and positive electrodes of FeS sub 2 or FeS, and operate at 400 to 450 exp 0 C. During the past year, a new cell design was adopted; the cells are prismatic and are operated with the electrodes in a vertical orientation. Conceptual designs for two types of batteries have been completed: an electric-vehicle battery that could be installed under the hood of an automobile and a load-leveling battery for testing in the Battery Energy Storage Test Facility. Promising methods for fabricating electrodes include loading of powders into porous current collector structures, incorporation of active materials into a carbon-bonded matrix, and hot-pressing of powders. Receiving major attention is a design in which cells are assembled in the uncharged state. Engineering-scale Li-Al/FeS cells of this type have achieved specific energies of 100 W-hr/kg and peak specific powers of 130 W/kg. Cell chemistry studies and materials studies are conducted to provide support to the cell effort. A method was devised for preparing lithium sulfide in a suitable form; studies of cell overcharge reactions led to the establishment of optimum cell cutoff voltages. Corrosion tests and postoperative examinations continue to provide information on construction materials. 12 figures, 3 tables. (ERA citation 01:023413)

• Corporate Authors:

  Argonne National Laboratory

  9700 South Cass Avenue
  Argonne, IL  United States  60439

  Energy Research and Development Administration

  20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1976-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 35 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aluminum alloys; Automobiles; Corrosion; Design; Electric batteries; Electric vehicles; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Energy storage systems; Fabrication; High temperature; Iron compounds; Lithium alloys; Lithium compounds; Lithium sulfur batteries; Metals; Off peak periods; Performance; Pyrite; Research projects; Shape; Sulfides
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research programs
• Old TRIS Terms: Cells; Iron sulfides
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00146728
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Contract Numbers: W-31-109-Eng-38
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 16 1977 12:00AM