Metal accumulation inhibiting and performance enhancing supplement and a system for delivering the supplement

Abstract

The invention relates to a metal accumulation inhibiting and performance enhancing isolated or synthesized supplement for use in or in association with rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cells, and a system for delivering the supplement including articles of plastic, articles containing plastic, articles similar to plastic, plastic containers, apparatus, porous electrodes, liquids and electrolytes, in particular, articles, apparatus, electrodes, insolating sheets, liquids and electrolytes associated with rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cells incorporating one or more supplements. An effective amount of the supplement typically exhibits foaming of an electrolyte, providing a visual indicator of activity in attenuating metal deposition on, and thereby reducing metal accumulation on, various surfaces in the rechargeable electrochemical storage cell.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A porous insulating sheet including a foam and performance supplement therewith for delivery to an H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, and for disposing between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of an electrochemical cell or of a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, thereby evidencing a foaming property and providing at least one performance enhancement, the porous insulating sheet comprising a porous polymeric sheet-forming material that is processed into the porous insulating sheet, the foam and performance supplement consisting of a component or a material that include compounds with molecules that have a hydrophilic head-group and at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail when the porous insulating sheet is delivered to the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte and the supplement is present in the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte;
 wherein the electrochemical cell and the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell each include at least one positive and negative pair of successive alternating positive and negative electrodes, and   wherein the porous insulating sheet, the positive electrode, and the negative electrode are an assembly when the porous insulating sheet is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and wherein the electrochemical cell and the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell are connectable in a series-connected cell configuration;   the porous insulating sheet including the foam and performance supplement therewith, or at least one portion thereof, having facility to evidence the foam and performance supplement is included therewith or adapted to evidence the foam and performance supplement is included therewith, or both, by delivery thereof to the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, and being placed in the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, within a closable enclosure, and soaked therein for a period of time of less than one week under an atmospheric pressure between 80 and 105 kPa and at a temperature of about 10 to 100 degrees Celsius, and agitated by shaking of the enclosure by hand, whereby a foam is produced, thereby visually evidencing the foam and performance supplement is included therewith and consists of components or materials that include the compounds with the molecules that have the hydrophilic head-group and the at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail, and visually evidencing the porous insulating sheet, or the at least one portion thereof, includes the foam and performance supplement in an active concentration and in an effective treatment quantity;   the porous insulating sheet disposed between the at least one positive and negative pair of successive alternating positive and negative electrodes of the electrochemical cell or of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell and thereby included with the at least one assembly, and when the at least one porous insulating sheet includes the foam and performance supplement therewith in the active concentration and in the effective treatment quantity, the electrochemical cell and the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell are each thereby a treated cell; and   the porous insulating sheet, or the at least one portion thereof, including the foam and performance supplement in the active concentration and in the effective treatment quantity, effects at least one performance enhancement of the treated cell selected from the group consisting of a palpable elevated electric potential of the negative electrode or between the negative electrode and the positive electrode of the treated cell, an attenuated metal accumulation on the negative electrode of the treated cell, an attenuated gas evolution from the treated cell, an attenuated water consumption by the treated cell, an attenuated corrosion of the positive electrode of the treated cell, and an attenuated self-discharge of the treated cell, when compared in use to performance of a control cell that is crafted to be equivalent to, or is substantially equivalent to, the treated cell, but wherein porous insulating sheets of the control cell do not have the foam and performance supplement included therewith.   
     
     
         32 . The porous insulating sheet, the foam and performance supplement, and the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte of  claim 31 , the inclusion of the foam and performance supplement with the porous insulating sheet, or the at least one portion thereof, having been visually evidenced by the foaming within the closable enclosure, the porous insulating sheet disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell or of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell. 
     
     
         33 . The porous insulating sheet and the foam and performance supplement of  claim 31  having been disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell or of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the porous insulating sheet, or the at least one portion thereof, delivered to the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte and the foaming within the closable enclosure visually evidencing the inclusion of the foam and performance supplement with the porous insulating sheet. 
     
     
         34 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 31  made with porous polymeric sheet-forming materials processed into the porous insulating sheet and including the foam and performance supplement therewith. 
     
     
         35 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 31  comprising the porous polymeric insulating sheet-forming material together with a blend of the foam and performance supplement and a natural  Hevea brasiliensis  elastomer or a synthetic elastomer, individually or in a combination of the elastomers, whereby the porous insulating sheet with the blend, or at least one portion of the porous insulating sheet with the blend, produces the foam in the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte by the shaking, and effects the at least one performance enhancement of the treated cell. 
     
     
         36 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 31  wherein the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material included therewith comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a plastic, a polymeric material, polyethylene, polypropylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and phenolic resins and wherein the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material may further include silica, the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material processed into the porous insulating sheet by at least one process selected from the group consisting of injection molding, extrusion, sintering, rotation molding and blow molding, wherein the at least one selected material, if processed by extrusion, may be combined with a solvent. 
     
     
         37 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the foam and performance supplement is in a combination with a carrier prior to processing of the porous polymeric sheet forming material into the porous insulating sheet, and the porous insulating sheet thereby includes the foam and performance supplement as well as the carrier therewith, wherein the carrier is at least one material selected from the group consisting of a plastic, a polymeric material, polyethylene, polypropylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and phenolic resins. 
     
     
         38 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the foam and performance supplement included therewith consists of at least one component or material selected from the group consisting of a C8-C18 fatty alcohol having from six to thirty ethylene oxides, a C8-C10 fatty alcohol having six ethylene oxides, a C16-C18 fatty alcohol having thirty ethylene oxides, and a compound with a general molecular structure of CH 3 (CH 2 ) x (OCH 2 CH 2 ) y (OCH 2 CHCH 3 ) z OH, in which x is between 7 and 29, y is between 0 and 35 and z is between 0 and 10. 
     
     
         39 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 31  wherein the foam and performance supplement included therewith consists of a component or a material isolated from a natural material, or consists of a synthesized component or material, the component or material including phospholipids having a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head, the hydrophobic tail consisting of two fatty acid hydrocarbon chains at one end of the phospholipid molecules and the hydrophilic head consisting of a glycerol backbone near the middle, and phosphate and choline or ethanolamine at the other end. 
     
     
         40 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 31  wherein the foam and performance supplement components and materials include the compounds with the molecules that have the hydrophilic head-group and the at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail, a conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte being included with the electrochemical cell or the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the porous insulating sheet delivered to the conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte and present therein when disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, whereby a portion of the foam and performance supplement from the porous insulating sheet is present in the conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, and the hydrophilic head-group of that portion carries a positive charge, a portion thereof attracted to and present at the surface of the negative electrode, thereby effecting the at least one performance enhancement of the treated cell. 
     
     
         41 . A porous insulating sheet including a foam and electric potential supplement therewith for delivery to an H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, and for disposing between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of an electrochemical cell or of a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, thereby evidencing a foaming property and elevating an on-charge electric potential across positive and negative electrodes of a fully charged electrochemical cell or a fully charged rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the porous insulating sheet comprising a porous polymeric sheet-forming material that is processed into the porous insulating sheet, the foam and electric potential supplement consisting of a component or a material that includes compounds with molecules that have a hydrophilic head-group and at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail when the porous insulating sheet is delivered to the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte and the foam and electric potential supplement is present in the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte;
 wherein the electrochemical cell and the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell each include at least one positive and negative pair of successive alternating positive and negative electrodes, and   wherein the porous insulating sheet and the positive electrode and the negative electrode are an assembly when the porous insulating sheet is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and wherein the electrochemical cell and the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell each include at least one assembly, and wherein the electrochemical cell and the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell are connectable in a series-connected cell configuration;   the porous insulating sheet, or at least one portion thereof, including the foam and electric potential supplement therewith, having facility to evidence the foam and electric potential supplement is included therewith, or adapted to evidence the foam and electric potential supplement is included therewith, or both, by delivery thereof to the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, and being placed in the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, within a closable enclosure, and soaked therein for a period of time of less than one week under an atmospheric pressure between 80 and 105 kPa and at a temperature of about 10 to 100 degrees Celsius, and agitated by shaking of the enclosure by hand, whereby a foam is produced, thereby visually evidencing the foam and electric potential supplement in included therewith and consists of components or materials that include the compounds with the molecules that have the hydrophilic head-group and the at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail, and visually evidencing the porous insulating sheet, or the at least one portion thereof, includes the foam and electric potential supplement in an active concentration and in an effective treatment quantity;   the porous insulating sheet disposed between the at least one positive and negative pair of successive alternating positive and negative electrodes of the electrochemical cell or of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell and thereby included with the at least one assembly, and when the at least one porous insulating sheet includes the foam and electric potential supplement therewith in the active concentration and in the effective treatment quantity, the electrochemical cell and the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell are each thereby a treated cell; and   the treated cell connected to a charging apparatus and an electric charging current applied between the positive and negative electrodes of the treated cell and having an electric potential upwards of 2.25 volts across the positive and negative electrodes of the treated cell, the treated cell being near or at the end of a charge or being in a full state of charge, the treated cell thereby being the fully charged cell, the electric charging current providing a palpable elevated electric potential of a negative electrode or between the positive and negative electrodes of the fully charged cell when compared in equivalent use to an electric potential of a negative electrode or between positive and negative electrodes of a control cell that is crafted to be equivalent to, or is substantially equivalent to the treated cell and to the fully charged cell, but wherein the porous insulating sheets of the control cell do not have the foam and electric potential supplement included therewith.   
     
     
         42 . The porous insulating sheet, the foam and electric potential supplement, and the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte of  claim 41 , the inclusion of the foam and electric potential supplement with the porous insulating sheet, or the at least one portion thereof, having been visually evidenced by the foaming within the closable enclosure, the porous insulating sheet disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell or of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell. 
     
     
         43 . The porous insulating sheet and the foam and electric potential supplement of  claim 41  having been disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell or of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the porous insulating sheet, or the at least one portion thereof, delivered to the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte and the foaming within the closable enclosure visually evidencing the inclusion of the foam and electric potential supplement with the porous insulating sheet. 
     
     
         44 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 41  made with porous polymeric sheet-forming materials processed into the porous insulating sheet and including the foam and electric potential supplement therewith. 
     
     
         45 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 41  comprising the porous polymeric insulating sheet-forming material together with a blend of the foam and electric potential supplement and a natural  Hevea brasiliensis  elastomer or a synthetic elastomer, individually or in a combination of the elastomers, whereby the porous insulating sheet with the blend, or at least one portion of the porous insulating sheet with the blend, produces the foam in the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte by the shaking, and provides the palpable elevated electric potential of the negative electrode or between the positive and negative electrodes of the fully charged cell. 
     
     
         46 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 41  wherein the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material included therewith comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a plastic, a polymeric material, polyethylene, polypropylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and phenolic resins and wherein the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material may further include silica, the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material processed into the porous insulating sheet by at least one process selected from the group consisting of injection molding, extrusion, sintering, rotation molding and blow molding, wherein the at least one selected material, if processed by extrusion, may be combined with a solvent. 
     
     
         47 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 41 , wherein the foam and electric potential supplement is in a combination with a carrier prior to processing of the porous polymeric sheet forming material into the porous insulating sheet, and the porous insulating sheet thereby includes the foam and electric potential supplement as well as the carrier therewith, wherein the carrier is at least one material selected from the group consisting of a plastic, a polymeric material, polyethylene, polypropylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and phenolic resins. 
     
     
         48 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 41 , wherein the foam and electric potential supplement included therewith consists of at least one component or material selected from the group consisting of a C8-C18 fatty alcohol having from six to thirty ethylene oxides, a C8-C10 fatty alcohol having six ethylene oxides, a C16-C18 fatty alcohol having thirty ethylene oxides, and a compound with a general molecular structure of CH 3 (CH 2 ) x (OCH 2 CH 2 ) y (OCH 2 CHCH 3 ) z OH, in which x is between 7 and 29, y is between 0 and 35 and z is between 0 and 10. 
     
     
         49 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 41  wherein the foam and electric potential supplement included therewith consists of a component or a material isolated from a natural material, or consists of a synthesized component or material, the component or material including phospholipids having a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head, the hydrophobic tail consisting of two fatty acid hydrocarbon chains at one end of the phospholipid molecules and the hydrophilic head consisting of a glycerol backbone near the middle, and phosphate and choline or ethanolamine at the other end. 
     
     
         50 . The porous insulating sheet of  claim 41  wherein the foam and electric potential supplement components and materials include the compounds with the molecules that have the hydrophilic head-group and the at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail, a conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte being included with the electrochemical cell or the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the porous insulating sheet delivered to the conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte and present therein when disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, whereby a portion of the foam and electric potential supplement from the porous insulating sheet is present in the conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, and the hydrophilic head-group of that portion carries a positive charge, a portion thereof attracted to and present at the surface of the negative electrode, thereby providing the palpable elevated electric potential of the negative electrode or between the positive and negative electrodes of the fully charged cell.