ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL

摘要

The invention provides a high temperature electrochemical cell (10), a cathode (66) for the cell and methods of making the cell and cathode. A solid electrolyte sodium ion conductor (14) separates a cell housing (12) into anode and cathode compartments respectively containing molten sodium anode material (68) and nickel/nickel chloride active cathode material. The active cathode material is dispersed in a porous matrix which is electronically conductive and has molten alkali metal aluminium halide molten salt electrolyte, containing sodium and chlorine ions, impregnated therein. The active cathode material has a dopant metal selected from iron, cobalt and mixtures thereof dispersed therein, the cell having a fully charged open circuit voltage corresponding to the Na/NiCl2 couple and the dopant metal:NiCl2 mass ratio in said charged active cathode material being at least 2:100 and less than 20:100.