Ammonia vapor-activated battery

J. M. Freund and R. W. Graham, Basic Research for Ammonia Vapor Activated Batteries, lieport No. 1, Contract DA 36-039-SC-72306 July (1956). 

System Spin-dependent battles Lithium-nonaqueous batteries Liquid ammonia batteries Gas-activated batteries Ammonia-vapor-activated Chlorine depolarized (AVA) Thermal batteries... 

Gas-activated Batteries. The gas-activated batteries were attractive because their activation was potentially simpler and more positive than liquid or heat activation. The ammonia vapor-activated (AVA) battery was representative of a system in which the gas served to form the electrolyte. (Solids such as ammonium thiocyanate will absorb ammonia rapidly to form electrolyte solutions of high conductivity.) In practice, ammonia vapor activation was found to be slow and nonuniform, and the development of the ammonia battery was directed to liquid ammonia activation which, in turn, was found to be inferior to newer developments. The chlorine-depolarized zinc/chlorine battery was representative of the gas depolarizer system. This battery used a zinc anode, a salt electrolyte, and chlorine, which was introduced into the cell, at the time of use, as the active cathode material. The battery was designed for very high rate discharge ranging from 1 to 5 min, but its poor shelf life while inactivated limited further development and use. 

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