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 .- 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 : At least one article for delivery to, for use with, or in association with a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the at least one article having included therewith a quantity of a foam and performance supplement when delivered to, in use with, or associated with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, wherein the foam and performance supplement comprises molecules that include a hydrophilic head-group and at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail and the quantity of the foam and performance supplement is an enclosure, article, electrolyte, shaking and foam producing quantity, the at least one article including the quantity of foam and performance supplement thereby being at least one supplemented article;
 the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell being connectable in a series-connected cell configuration, and including a cell container, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, at least one porous insulating sheet, and an electrolyte therewith, the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell having facility to have or adapted to have included therewith, or both, at least one encapsulating article, the at least one article selected from the group consisting of the cell container, the at least one negative electrode, the at least one porous insulating sheet, the electrolyte, and the at least one encapsulating article, selected individually or in a combination thereof, the selected at least one article having included therewith the quantity of the foam and performance supplement;   the at least one supplemented article, 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, in the enclosure, article, electrolyte, shaking and foam producing quantity, by delivery thereof to an 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 in the enclosure, article, electrolyte, shaking and foam producing quantity, and that the foam and performance supplement includes the molecules that have the hydrophilic head-group and the at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail, and visually evidencing the at least one supplemented article, and the at least one portion thereof, include the foam and performance supplement therewith in an active concentration and in an effective treatment quantity;   the at least one article being suitable for delivery to, for use with, or to be associated with a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the least one supplemented article including the foam and performance supplement therewith in an active concentration and in an effective treatment quantity, delivered to, or in use with or associated with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, whereby the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell is a treated cell; and   the least one supplemented article, 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 the control cell does not have any article including the foam and performance supplement delivered thereto, have in use therewith, or have associated therewith.   
     
     
         42 . The at least one porous insulating sheet and the foam and performance supplement and the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte of  claim 41 , the inclusion of the foam and performance supplement with the at least one porous insulating sheet, or with at least one portion thereof, having been visually evidenced by the foaming within the closable enclosure, the at least one porous insulating sheet disposed between at least one positive electrode and at least one negative electrode of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell. 
     
     
         43 . The at least one porous insulating sheet with the foam and performance supplement of  claim 41  being the porous insulating sheet with the foam and performance supplement having been disposed between the at least one positive electrode and the at least one negative electrode of the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the at least one porous insulating sheet, or 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 at least one porous insulating sheet or with the at least one portion thereof. 
     
     
         44 . The at least one porous insulating sheet of  claim 41  made with porous polymeric sheet-forming materials processed into the porous insulating sheet and including the foam and performance supplement therewith, the porous polymeric sheet-forming materials optionally including a silica, and may be combined with a solvent, and producing the foam. 
     
     
         45 . The least one article for delivery to, for use with, or in association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell of  claim 41  comprising the at least one article 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 at least one article with the blend, or at least one portion of the at least one article with the blend, produces the foam in the H 2 SO 4  electrolyte by the shaking and, by the delivery to, the use with or the association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell of the at least one article with the blend effects the at least one performance enhancement of the treated cell. 
     
     
         46 . The least one porous insulating sheet for delivery to, for use with, or in association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, or delivered to, in use with, or in association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, of  claim 41  wherein the at least one porous insulating sheet includes a polymeric insulating sheet-forming material comprising 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 include silica, the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material processed into the porous insulating sheet by a process selected from the group consisting of injection molding, extrusion, sintering, rotation molding and blow molding, and wherein the at least one selected material processed by extrusion optionally includes a silica and may be combined with a solvent. 
     
     
         47 . The at least one porous insulating sheet of  claim 41 , 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. 
     
     
         48 . The at least one article including the foam and performance supplement of  claim 41 , wherein the foam and performance supplement consists of a compound, a component or a material selected from the group consisting of a C 8 -C 18  fatty alcohol having from six to thirty ethylene oxides, a C 8 -C 10  fatty alcohol having six ethylene oxides, a C 16 -C 18  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 the x aspect is between 7 and 29, the y aspect is between 0 and 35 and the z aspect is between 0 and 10. 
     
     
         49 . The at least one article including the foam and performance supplement of  claim 41  wherein the foam and performance supplement included therewith consists of a compound, component or material isolated from a natural material, or consists of a synthesized compound, component or material, the compound, 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 at least one article including the foam and performance supplement of  claim 41  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 rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the at least one article including the foam and performance supplement delivered to the conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, whereby a portion of the foam and performance supplement from the at least one article including the foam and performance supplement 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. 
     
     
         51 . At least one article for delivery to, for use with, or in association with a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the at least one article having included therewith a quantity of an electric potential elevating supplement when delivered to, or in use with or associated with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, wherein the electric potential elevating supplement comprises molecules that include a hydrophilic head-group and at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail and the quantity of the electric potential elevating supplement is a 2.25 volts activated, fully charged, electric potential elevating quantity, the at least one article including the quantity of electric potential elevating supplement thereby being at least one supplemented article;
 the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell being connectable in a series-connected cell configuration, and including a cell container, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, at least one porous insulating sheet, and an electrolyte therewith, the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell having facility to have or adapted to have included therewith, or both, at least one encapsulating article, the at least one article selected from the group consisting of the cell container, the at least one negative electrode, the at least one porous insulating sheet, the electrolyte, and the at least one encapsulating article, selected individually or in a combination thereof, the selected at least one article having included therewith the quantity of the electric potential elevating supplement; 
 the at least one article being suitable for delivery to, for use with, or to be associated with a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the at least one supplemented article, or at least one portion thereof, having facility to confirm the electric potential elevating supplement is included therewith or adapted to confirm the electric potential elevating supplement is included therewith, or both, in the 2.25 volts activated, fully charged, electric potential elevating quantity, by delivery to, by use with, or by association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, and by a palpable elevated electric potential, whereby the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell is a treated cell, and whereby the treated cell is connected to a charging apparatus and an electric charging current is applied between the positive and negative electrodes of the treated cell and having an electric potential upwards of 2.25 volts across the at least one positive electrode and the at least one negative electrode 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 electric charging current providing a palpable elevated electric potential of the at least one negative electrode or between the at least one positive electrode and the at least one negative electrode of the treated cell when compared in use to an electric potential of at least one negative electrode or between at least one positive electrode and at least one negative electrode of a control cell that is crafted to be equivalent to, or is substantially equivalent to the treated cell, but wherein the control cell does not have any article including the electric potential elevating supplement delivered thereto, or have in use therewith or have associated therewith, and by the palpable elevated electric potential confirming the electric potential elevating supplement is included therewith in the 2.25 volts activated, fully charged, electric potential elevating quantity, and that the electric potential elevating supplement includes the molecules that have the hydrophilic head-group and the at least one gas-attracting hydrophobic tail, and by the palpable elevated electric potential confirming the at least one supplemented article, and the at least one portion thereof, include the potential elevating supplement therewith in an active concentration and in an effective treatment quantity; and 
 the least one supplemented article, or the at least one portion thereof, including the electric potential elevating 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 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 and to the fully charged cell, but wherein the control cell does not have any article including the electric potential elevating supplement delivered thereto, or have in use therewith or have associated therewith. 
 
     
     
         52 . The at least one porous insulating sheet and the electric potential elevating supplement of  claim 51  delivered to, used with or associated with a chargeable electrochemical energy-storing cell, the inclusion of the electric potential elevating supplement with the at least one porous insulating sheet, or with the at least one portion thereof, having been confirmed by the palpable elevated electric potential of the at least one negative electrode or between the at least one positive electrode and the at least one negative electrode of the treated cell. 
     
     
         53 . The at least one porous insulating sheet with the electric potential elevating supplement of  claim 51  having been disposed between at least one positive electrode and at least one negative electrode of a chargeable electrochemical energy-storing cell, the at least one porous insulating sheet, or at least one portion thereof, delivered to the treated cell and by the palpable elevated electric potential confirming inclusion of the electric potential elevating supplement with the at least one porous insulating sheet or with the at least one portion thereof. 
     
     
         54 . The at least one porous insulating sheet of  claim 51  made with porous polymeric sheet-forming materials processed into the porous insulating sheet and including the electric potential elevating supplement therewith, the porous polymeric sheet-forming materials optionally including a silica, and may be combined with a solvent, and producing the foam. 
     
     
         55 . The least one article for delivery to, for use with, or in association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell of  claim 51  comprising the at least one article together with a blend of the electric potential elevating supplement and a natural  Hevea brasiliensis  elastomer or a synthetic elastomer, individually or in a combination of the elastomers, whereby the at least one article with the blend, or at least one portion of the at least one article with the blend, provides the palpable elevated electric potential of the at least one negative electrode or between the at least one positive electrode and the at least one negative electrode and, by the delivery to, the use with or the association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell of the at least one article with the blend effects the at least one performance enhancement of the treated cell. 
     
     
         56 . The least one porous insulating sheet for delivery to, for use with, or in association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, or the least one porous insulating sheet delivered to, in use with, or in association with the rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell of  claim 51  wherein the at least one porous insulating sheet includes a polymeric insulating sheet-forming material comprising 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 include silica, the polymeric insulating sheet-forming material processed into the porous insulating sheet by a process selected from the group consisting of injection molding, extrusion, sintering, rotation molding and blow molding, and wherein the at least one selected material processed by extrusion optionally includes a silica and may be combined with a solvent. 
     
     
         57 . The at least one porous insulating sheet of  claim 51 , wherein the electric potential elevating 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 electric potential elevating 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. 
     
     
         58 . The at least one article including the electric potential elevating supplement of  claim 51  wherein the electric potential elevating supplement consists of a compound, a component or a material selected from the group consisting of a C 8 -C 18  fatty alcohol having from six to thirty ethylene oxides, a C 8 -C 10  fatty alcohol having six ethylene oxides, a C 16 -C 18  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 the x aspect is between 7 and 29, the y aspect is between 0 and 35 and the z aspect is between 0 and 10. 
     
     
         59 . The at least one article including the electric potential elevating supplement of  claim 51 , wherein the electric potential elevating supplement included therewith consists of a compound, component or material isolated from a natural material, or consists of a synthesized compound, component or material, the compound, 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. 
     
     
         60 . The at least one article including the electric potential elevating supplement of  claim 51  wherein the electric potential elevating 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 rechargeable electrochemical energy storage cell, the at least one article including the electric potential elevating supplement delivered to the conventional energy storage cell H 2 SO 4  electrolyte, whereby a portion of the electric potential elevating supplement from the at least one article including the electric potential elevating supplement 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.