A Study of the Calcium‐Thionyl Chloride Electrochemical System

The use of calcium metal as an anode in electrolytes was investigated. Calcium showed an open‐circuit potential (OCP) of 3.22V vs. a carbon cathode in electrolyte. Hermetically sealed D cells, when discharged at 1 mA/cm2, displayed level discharge plateaus of 2.8V. SEM photographs indicated the rapid formation of a crystalline layer on the anode; the composition of this film was established as . Storage of calcium samples in electrolyte resulted in corrosion of the metal. This corrosion was particularly pronounced at 55°C and it appeared to be a fundamental behavior which was not eliminated by rigid control of electrolyte purity. The following cell chemistry was suggested by chemical analysis of discharged electrolytes and cathodes