Improved Alkaline Earth-Oxyhalide Electrochemical Cell for Low Temperature Use.

This invention relates in general to an alkaline earth-oxyhalide electrochemical cell and in particular, to an improved alkaline earth oxyhalide electrochemical cell for low temperature use. A typical cell includes a calcium anode, 1M Ca(AlCl/sub 4/)/sub 2/ thionyl chloride/75% Shawinigan - 25% acetone washed Black Pearls 2000 carbon black cathode. The improvement to this cell involves the addition of 10 vol. % bromine to the electrolyte. During discharge at about -30 C, cathode potential is raised by about 0.5 volt providing a cell voltage well above the 2.0 volt minimum which is a standard military specification. Without bromine, cell capacity is about one minute. With the addition of bromine, load voltage is initially 2.5 volts, then slowly decreases to 2.0 volts over about twelve minutes.