Lithium iron sulfide cells

FIGURE 10.9 Construction of the lithium iron sulfide cell. (Courtesy of Eveready Battery Co., St Louis, MO. With permission.)... 

Figure 3. Charge-discharge records for lithium-iron sulfide cells with graphite and ceramic cases...

In these cells readily available substances are used as active materials -molten sodium and sulfur working in contact with a solid electrolyte (sodium beta-aluminate). Sulfur-sodium storage cells show rather large values of specific electrical energy. Their working temperature is 350 C, i.e. before use they must be heated up to this temperature. Storage cells with electrodes from iron sulfide and lithium alloys with a melt of chlorides as electrolyte exhibit similar properties. The working temperature of these cells is about 400°C. 

Lithium Iron Sulfide (High Temperature). High-temperature molten salt Li—Al/LiCl— KCl/FeS - cells are known for their high energy density and superior safety. At one point they were being actively pursued for electric vehicle and pulse-power applications. Historically, boron nitride (BN) cloth or felt has been used as the separator in flooded-electrolyte cells, while MgO pressed-powder plaques have been used in starved-electrolyte cells. 

Nickel-zinc storage cells Nickel-hydrogen storage cells Chlorine-zince storage cells Sulfur-sodium storage cells Iron sulfide-lithium storage cells Zinc-air cells Iron-air storage cells... 

The alkaline ceU wUl deliver essentially its fuU capacity under similar conditions. The main competition for the alkaline cell is the lithium-iron sulfide (Li-FeS2) cell. It has an open-circuit voltage of 1.5 V, better high-rate capability, and better shelf life. However it is available only in the AA- and AAA-size cells and considerably more expensive than the alkaline cell. To a first approximation, it is estimated that 12-15 billion alkaline cells are sold each year, mainly in developed countries. By comparison, the sales of Leclanche cells are estimated to be 30-35 billion cells worldwide but mainly in developing countries. 

In addition to competition from lower-cost zinc-carbon cells, the AA-size alkaline cell has experienced significant competition from the more expensive rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) and nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) cells and the lithium-iron sulfide primary cell (Li-FeS2) because of their excellent high-rate... 

Zinc-air cells are much cheaper than lithium cells, despite the benefits of zinc-air fuel cells or battery packs. Some EVs and HEVs manufacturers are investigating other battery packs, such as lithium-iron-sulfide, lithium-manganese, and nickel-zinc battery packs as shown in Figure 4.6. 

D. R. Vissers, Z. Tomczuk, and R. K. Steunenberg, A Preliminary Investigation of High Temperature Lithium/Iron Sulfide Secondary Cells, J. of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 121, 1974, p. 665. 

The lithium iron sulfide battery operates at about 400 to 500°C using a fused halide eutectic electrolyte immobilized in the pores of a suitable separator. This battery displays a number of attractive featmes compared to the Na-S battery, including prismatic flat-plate constraction, ability to withstand numerous freeze-thaw cycles, cell failures in short-circuit conditions, ability to withstand overcharge, and low-cost materials and construction techniques. The major disadvantage is a somewhat lower performance. Although this battery is suitable for both EV and load-leveling applications, recent attention has focused on battery designs suitable for EV propulsion. ... 

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