Alkaline Battery Negative Electrode with Gallium Indium Alloy Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Alkaline batteries exhibit insufficient heavy load characteristics, necessitating an improvement in their performance under demanding conditions.
Innovation Solution
The alkaline battery design incorporates a negative electrode with a center part made of zinc, a covering layer of gallium, and island-form layers of indium, formed by mixing zinc-based material, an alkaline electrolytic solution, a thickener, and a liquid metal alloy containing gallium and indium, which enhances electrical conductivity and capacity retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional zinc negative electrode is used, then the battery structure is simple, but the heavy load characteristic is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The negative electrode uses a composite structure with zinc powder as the core material and a zinc alloy coating layer containing gallium and indium. This composite material approach improves heavy load characteristic by enhancing electrical conductivity and suppressing hydrogen generation, while maintaining a relatively simple overall electrode structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies a localized zinc alloy coating layer on the surface of zinc powder particles rather than changing the entire electrode structure. The coating layer with specific composition (gallium and indium) is applied locally to surfaces, providing improved conductivity and hydrogen suppression where needed, while keeping the bulk zinc structure intact.
2Reliability
If indium is added to zinc powder surface, then heavy load characteristic improves, but manufacturing complexity increases due to inert gas atmosphere requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple alloying elements (gallium and indium) into a single liquid metal alloy that is added to the zinc powder in one step. This merging of alloying operations simplifies the manufacturing process compared to sequential additions, and the liquid alloy form facilitates easier mixing and distribution on particle surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the alloying agents from solid powders to a liquid metal alloy form. This parameter change (from solid to liquid) enables simpler mixing processes without requiring inert gas atmospheres, as the liquid alloy can be uniformly distributed on zinc powder surfaces through wetting and drying processes under normal atmospheric conditions.
3Reliability
If gallium oxide is added to electrolytic solution, then liquid leakage is prevented, but storage characteristic improvement is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a zinc alloy coating layer as an intermediary between the zinc negative electrode and the alkaline electrolytic solution. This coating layer mediates the interaction by providing a barrier that suppresses direct contact between zinc and electrolyte, thereby reducing hydrogen generation and improving storage characteristics without requiring gallium oxide additives in the electrolyte solution.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If a coating layer is provided on negative electrode, then hydrogen generation is suppressed, but electrical conductivity may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the compositional parameters of the coating layer by incorporating both gallium and indium in specific proportions. This parameter optimization ensures that the coating layer maintains sufficient electrical conductivity while effectively suppressing hydrogen generation. The liquid metal alloy form also ensures good wetting and adhesion, maintaining electrical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating layer is designed as a composite material combining zinc with gallium and indium in specific ratios. This composite structure provides both the hydrogen suppression benefits of alloying and the electrical conductivity needed for high-performance operation. The multi-element composition allows simultaneous optimization of conflicting properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly improves the alkaline battery's heavy load characteristic and capacity retention, even in severe environments like low temperatures, by increasing the contact area between active material particles and suppressing hydrogen gas generation.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid metal alloy with each other. The particle includes zinc as a constituent element. The alkaline electrolytic solution includes an aqueous solution including an alkali metal hydroxide
Data Source
AI summary
An alkaline battery includes a negative electrode. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material particle. The negative electrode active material particle includes a center part, a covering layer, and island-form layers. The center part includes zinc as a constituent element. The covering layer covers a surface of the center part and includes gallium as a constituent element. The island-form layers are present on a surface of the covering layer and include indium as a constituent element.