Oxyhalide electrochemical cell including an alkali metal intercalated carbon as the anode

Abstract

An oxyhalide electrochemical cell is provided including an alkali metal ircalated carbon as the anode, a high surface area carbon black as the cathode, and a solution of an alkali metal salt in an oxyhalide solvent as the electrolyte.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell including an alkali metal intercalated carbon as the anode. 
     
     
       2. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the alkali metal is lithium. 
     
     
       3. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the alkali metal is calcium. 
     
     
       4. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell according to claim 1 wherein the carbon is a high surface area carbon black. 
     
     
       5. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell according to claim 4 wherein the high surface area carbon black is selected from the group consisting of graphite, petroleum coke, charcoals, soots, and fullerenes. 
     
     
       6. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell according to claim 5 wherein the high surface area carbon black is graphite. 
     
     
       7. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell including an alkali metal intercalated carbon as the anode, a high surface area carbon black as the cathode, and a solution of an alkali metal salt in an oxyhalide solvent as the electrolyte. 
     
     
       8. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell according to claim 7 wherein the alkali metal of the anode is selected from the group consisting of lithium and calcium, the intercalated carbon of the anode is selected from the group of carbons consisting of graphite, petroleum coke, carbon black, charcoals, soots, and fullerenes, wherein the high surface area carbon black of the cathode is selected from the group consisting of graphite, petroleum coke, charcoals, soots, and fullerenes, wherein the alkali metal salt is a lithium salts selected from the group consisting of LiAlCl 4 , LiBCl 4 , Li 2  B 10  Cl 10  and Li 2  B 12  Cl 12 , and wherein the oxyhalide solvent is an oxychloride solvent selected from the group consisting of SOCl 2 , SO 2  Cl 2 , POCl 3 , CSCl 2 , CH 3  CClO, Si 2  OCl 6 , P 2  O 3  Cl 4 , and S 2  O 5  Cl 2 . 
     
     
       9. An oxyhalide electrochemical cell according to claim 8 wherein the lithium intercalated carbon anode is LiC 6 , wherein the carbon cathode is shawinigan black, and wherein the electrolyte is a solution of LiAlCl 4  in SOCl 2 .