Magnesium Oxide Electrolyte Binder for Reserve Thermal Batteries

Magnesium oxide (MgO) is in reserve thermal batteries as a binder in electrolyte pellets . MgO is normally made in large industrial quantities for commodity markets by the alkaline precipitation of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) from natural brine solutions, followed by calcination at high temperature. Such commodity chemicals do not meet the needs of thermal batteries due to frequent product and process changes, and the technical function of MgO in separators. The strict requirements of MgO for thermal battery applications will be best met by a process which can be tightly controlled specifically for this use, and does not require a large physical plant. In this study, we will determine a reproducible synthesis route for Mg(OH)2 from high purity reagent grade feedstocks in the laboratory, produce MgO, and then elvaluate powder properties specifically for thermal battery applications. Potential follow-on work will scale-up the synthesis route to an appropriate scale, determine the optimum processing conditions for MgO to be used in thermal battery separators, and document the production process for use by domestic suppliers.