Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
  • B23K35/00—Rods, electrodes, materials, or media, for use in soldering, welding, or cutting
  • B23K35/22—Rods, electrodes, materials, or media, for use in soldering, welding, or cutting characterised by the composition or nature of the material
  • B23K35/36—Selection of non-metallic compositions, e.g. coatings, fluxes; Selection of soldering or welding materials, conjoint with selection of non-metallic compositions, both selections being of interest
  • B23K35/3612—Selection of non-metallic compositions, e.g. coatings, fluxes; Selection of soldering or welding materials, conjoint with selection of non-metallic compositions, both selections being of interest with organic compounds as principal constituents
  • B23K35/3618—Carboxylic acids or salts
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
  • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
  • H01M50/531—Electrode connections inside a battery casing
  • H01M50/54—Connection of several leads or tabs of plate-like electrode stacks, e.g. electrode pole straps or bridges
  • H01M50/541—Connection of several leads or tabs of plate-like electrode stacks, e.g. electrode pole straps or bridges for lead-acid accumulators
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries

Definitions

• ABSTRACT Fluxes for use in forming a bond between the lugs of the positive and negative plates, or grids, of a storage battery, and the terminal post-bearing connecting straps thereof which, in their preferred form, comprise an aqueous suspension of an organic, substantially water-insoluble polyearboxylic acid such as adipic acid, and a water-soluble binder exemplified by polyvinylpyrrolidone.
• This invention relates to fluxes for use in forming a bond between the lugs of the positive and negative plates, or grids, of a lead storage battery, and the terminal post-bearing connecting straps of the battery.
• One such procedure involves preheating the lugs of the plates, or grids, to a temperature of approximately 450F, and contacting the preheated lugs with the metal of the connecting straps which is held in a mold in a molten condition at a temperature of approximately 925F.
• a flux is customarily applied to the lugs prior to contacting them with the molten metal in the connecting strap molds.
• I-Ieretofore fluxes such as zinc chloride and tin chloride, and mixtures thereof, which have been dissolved in water, with or without an acid, such as hydrochloric acid, have been used in forming a bond between the lugs and the molten metal of the connecting straps.
• These fluxes have been found to be unsatisfactory due, in the main, to their corrosive properties and to their tendency to form oxides, the effect of which is to weaken the bond between the lugs and the connecting straps. These weakened bonds cause heating and resistance in the cells of the battery, and materially shorten the useful life of the battery.
• fluxes have been evolved which eliminate the disadvantages of fluxes heretofore used in connection with the bonding of the lugs of plates, or grids, to the connecting straps of storage batteries.
• the fluxes of this invention are characterized by their ability to function at the relatively high temperatures utilized in'the bonding operation to provide bonds between the lugs and the connecting straps which are uniformly strong.
• the fluxes of the present invention in their preferred form, comprise, as essential ingredients, an organic, substantially water-insoluble polycarboxylic acid, and a watersoluble binder.
• the fluxes are utilized in the form of aqueous dispersions or suspensions, the aqueous phase of the dispersion or suspension acting as a carrier for the particles of the substantially water-insoluble polycarboxylic acid, and as the solubilizing agent for the binder.
• polycarboxylic acid as used herein is intended to encompass acids having 2, or more, preferably 2 to 4, car boxyl groups.
• organic polycarboxylic acids useful in the preparation of the fluxes of this invention apart from being substantially water-insoluble, are characterized in that they will not sublime, or manifest no substantial sublimation, at the temperatures employed in bonding the lugs of battery plates, or grids, to the connecting straps. As indicated hereinabove, these temperatures are of an order of 900F, more or less.
• organic polycarboxylic acids which meet the aforementioned desiderata are aliphatic hydrocarbon dicarboxylic acids such as adipic acid and azelaic acid; aromatic dicarboxylic acids specific examples of which are uvitic acid, isouvitic acid, and homophthalic acid; aromatic polycarboxylic acids exemplified by pyromellitic acid; and the like.
• adipic acid is outstandingly effective.
• the binders having utility in the preparation of the fluxes can be selected from various water-soluble gums and resins.
• exemplary thereof are water-soluble gums such as gum arabic, cedar gum and cebil gum; watersoluble gun-like compounds exemplified by sodium carboxymethyl celluloses; higher fatty acid partial esters of aliphatic water-soluble polyhydric alcohols or polyhydroxy substances; and water-soluble polymeric materials exemplified by polyvinylpyrrolidone, the latter being particularly preferred as a binder because it serves the added function of improving the wetting, spreading and capillary action of the fluxes.
• the fluxes of this invention advantageously are used in the form of aqueous dispersions or suspensions, the water-insoluble organic polycarboxylic acid constituting the dispersed or suspended phase of the dispersion.
• the distribution of the acid in the dispersion or suspension can be enhanced by reducing, as by grinding, the size of the crystals or particles of the acid. Excellent results can thus be attained with particles having a mesh size of the order of about 40 to about 150, especially desirably about 90 to about 120.
• a flux in the form of an aqueous dispersion or suspension, will contain from about 10 to 80 percent, usually about 40 to about percent, by weight, of the water-insoluble organic polycarboxylic acid, and from about 0.2 to about 5 percent, especially desirably from about 0.5 to about 2 percent, by weight, of the binder.
• tap water can be used to form the dispersions or suspensions, it is desirable to use distilled water for this purpose, especially in those instances where undesirable chemicals may have been introduced into the tap water at, a water treatment plant, or by natural processes.
• the fluxes of the present invention are advantageously applied to the lugs of the battery plates, or grids, at ambient temperatures.
• the flux coated lugs are then subjected to a preheating operation, after which they are brought into contact with the molten metal of the connecting straps.
• the fluxes may be applied to the lugs in any convenient manner known to the art as by dipping, spraying, brushing, or the like.
• the fluxes in their preferred form, contain as essential ingredients, a waterinsoluble, organic polycarboxylic acid and a watersoluble binder
• the binder can be eliminated, and the polycarboxylic acid, in a dry, powdered or pulverulent form, can be used alone.
• the dry, powdered acid advantageously is applied, as by spraying from an aerosol container, or the like, to the surface of the lugs, advantageously after the lugs have been preheated.
• an inert alcohol or ether can be used in place of water as a carrier for the polycarboxylic acid, with or without the binder.
• specific examples of alcohols and ethers which can be used, and which include higher boiling alcohols are ethanol, isopropanol, hexanol, heptanol, glycerol, and the like, and higher boiling ethers exemplified by methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, butyl cellosolve, and the like, and compatible mixtures thereof.
• suitable steps should be taken to vent any vapors or fumes from the work area.
• a water-based flux for use in forming a bond between the lugs of the plates of a lead storage battery and the connecting straps of said plates consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of a substantially water-insoluble polycarboxylic acid in particular form, and a water-soluble binder dissolved in the aqueous phase of the suspension, the polycarboxylic acid being characterized in that it does not undergo any substantial sublimation at the temperatures at which the lugs of the plates of a lead storage battery are bonded to the connecting straps.
• a flux according to claim 1 wherein the polycarboxylic acid comprises from about 10 percent to about percent, by weight, of the suspension.
• a flux according to claim 1 wherein the polycar boxylic acid comprises from about 40 percent to about 60 percent, by weight, of the suspension 4.
• a water-based flux for use in forming a bond between the lugs of the plates of a lead storage battery and the connecting straps of said plates consisting essentially of an aqueous suspension of adipic acid in particulate form, and a water-soluble binder dissolved in the aqueous phase of the suspension, the adipic acid being characterized in that it does not undergo any substantial sublimation at the temperatures at which the lugs of the plates of a lead storage battery are bonded to the connecting straps.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Connection Of Batteries Or Terminals (AREA)
• Battery Electrode And Active Subsutance (AREA)
• Nonmetallic Welding Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22898620

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (14)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (12)

• 1972
  • 1972-03-27 US US00238609A patent/US3837932A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1973
  • 1973-03-15 IT IT21676/73A patent/IT983555B/it active
  • 1973-03-19 DE DE2313523A patent/DE2313523A1/de active Pending
  • 1973-03-26 FR FR7310834A patent/FR2178013B3/fr not_active Expired
  • 1973-03-26 BE BE129269A patent/BE797337A/xx unknown
  • 1973-03-27 JP JP48034170A patent/JPS4913631A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (12)

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