New processing technique for DEB powder for thermal batteries

The purpose of this paper is to explore how material processing influences thermal battery performance, and how battery performance can be improved by changes in processing. This discussion is confined to the class of thermal batteries designed by Sandia Laboratories and built under the supervision of General Electric in St. Petersburg, Florida. The electrochemical system employed is: Ca/LiCl-KCl-CaCrO/sub 4//Fe. These batteries are primary reserve batteries which employ a pelletized cell design. Each cell consists of an electrolyte-depolarizer pellet sandwiched between an anode and a heat pellet. The anode employed may be one of two forms: sheet calcium disc, mechanically attached to an iron or steel backing; or a substrate disc of iron or steel on which 3 to 5 mils of calcium had been evaporated. The depolarizer-electrolyte, commonly referred to as DEB, is composed of CaCrO/sub 4/, LiCl-KCl eutectic and SiO/sub 2/ binder powder, which has been blended and pressed into pellets. The DEB pellet serves as electrolyte and as active cathode when the salt becomes molten upon battery activation. The heat pellet serves the dual purpose of providing the heat necessary to activate the battery and as the cathode current collector. The heat pellet is composed of iron powdermore » and KClO/sub 4/. A battery is made up of one or more stacks of about 12 cells connected in series to produce a voltage of 28 to 32 volts. Since activated life requirements for batteries vary from seconds up to one hour, the battery must be well insulated to conserve the heat produced by the ignition of the heat pellets to maintain the electrolyte in a molten state. This insulation is also important to protect sensitive electronic components in contact with the battery case. Because the electrolyte, particularly LiCl, is hygroscopic, the batteries are hermetically sealed in stainless steel cans, and are manufactured in dryrooms maintained at 3% relative humidity or better.« less