High Rate Discharge Characteristics of Li / SOCl2 Cells

The performance characteristics of the cell have been determined as a function of discharge rate, electrolyte composition, cathode thickness, and cell temperature. Cells have been discharged at rates ranging from about 3 to nearly 300 mA/cm2. Cathodes with electrolyte solutions have contained either or , with the most efficient discharge characteristics being realized with and solutions. The use of pure dissolved in as the electrolyte results in substantially higher average discharge voltages and discharge capacities than can be achieved with cells containing the conventional electrolyte. With both electrolytes, however, the discharge capacity per unit cathode volume (the effective cathode utilization) decreases with increasing cathode thickness, the rate of decrease being greater the higher the discharge current density. Increasing cell temperature results in an improvement in cathode utilization and a decrease in overvoltage, again with both and electrolyte solutions.