Crown Ethers: a New Generation of Surface-Active Substances
M.E.Alexeeva, L.B.Reikhelson, F.Kh.Mansurov, V.N.Zgonnik¹
Scientific Technical Center of Electrochemical Power Engineering of JS Battery Company "RIGEL", 197376 St Petersburg, Russia
¹Institute of Highmolecular Compounds, St Petersburg

A study has been made of the surface-active substances representing linear polyesters (polyethylenoxides) and their cyclic analogs (crown ethers) intended for use as corrosion inhibitors and stabilizers of the electrical characteristics of chemical storage cells.

Main Characteristics of the Surface-Active Substances:

The proposed surface-active substances belong to organic compounds whose molecules possess excess electrons localized at oxygen atoms, and which are capable of adsorption involving formation of hydrogen bonds, thus stabilizing the processes at the electrodes of storage cells. Having a larger polyester ring, crown ethers are capable of interacting with metal ions to produce complex associates, which increases their efficiency as surface-active substances and corrosion inhibitors.

Using polyethylenoxides and their analogs in chemical storage cells with zinc and cadmium anodes permits stabilization of their characteristics under secondary operation and after prolonged storage. In particular, the zinc corrosion rate in silver-zinc storage cells decreases by a factor 2-3, and the operating life of silver-zinc and silver-cadmium cells increases by a factor 1.5-2.

Potential customers of these materials are producers of chemical storage cells.

This development is protected by Inventor's Certificates Nos. 756526 (M.E. Alekseeva, Z.P. Arkhangel'skaya, V.N. Zgonnik, and others), 1005622 (Z.P. Arkhangel'skaya, V.A. Nikol'skii, M.E. Alekseva, and others).

Fulkl-scale production of the proposed materials with optimized structural parameters would require manufacture of special equipment and instrumentation for monitoring the parameters of the materials.

Total required financing is 100 thous. USD.