PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF PURE SYNTHETIC IRON PYRITES FES2

THERMALLY ACTIVATED LITHIUM ALLOY - IRON PYRITE BATTERIES ARE USED IN A VARIETY OF MILITARY APPLICATIONS. THESE BATTERIES EXHIBIT ABNORMALLY HIGH VOLTAGES DURING THE FIRST SEVERAL MINUTES OF DISCHARGE. THE VOLTAGE TRANSIENT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE NATURALLY OCCURRING PYRITE USED IN THE CATHODE. THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HIGH PURITY SYNTHETIC PYRITE OF CONTROLLED PARTICLE SIZE CAN BE PREPARED FROM COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE, LOW COST STARTING MATERIALS. THE PROPERTIES OF THE SYNTHETIC PYRITE AS A CATHODE IN LIAL-FES2 SINGLE CELLS WILL BE MEASURED WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION PAID TO THE INITIAL VOLTAGE TRANSIENT. CATHODE PERFORMANCE WILL BE CORRELATED WITH SYNTHESES VARIABLES.