Polymer nanocomposites for lithium battery applications

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved electrolyte for a lithium ion secondary battery.
Another object of the present invention to provide a single ion-conducting material of a substantially amorphous polyethylene ether and a negatively charged synthetic smectite clay.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a single ion-conducting polymer electrolyte in which a substantially amorphous polyethylene ether is intercalated in a synthetic phyllosilicate clay having excess silicon dioxide distributed therein wherein the transference numbers are greater than 0.
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Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a lithium ion conducting polymer electrolyte in which polyethylene oxide is intercalated in phyllosilicate clay forming platelets having thicknesses in the 15 40 nanometer range.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a both individual cells and battery of an alkali metal containing cathode and an anode separated by an electrolyte membrane of the type hereinbefore set forth.
A final object of the present invention is to provide a method of making a single ion-conducting material in which a single ion-conducting material is formed by providing a single ion-conducting solid electrolyte, providing and mixing negatively charged synthetic smectite clay and a polyethylene ether to intercalate the polyethylene ether in the clay, heating the mixture beyond the glass transition temperature of the clay and cooling.