Lithium tetrachloroaluminate (LAC, lithium aluminium chloride) is an inorganic compound

Inorganic compound

Inorganic compounds have traditionally been considered to be of inanimate, non-biological origin. In contrast, organic compounds have an explicit biological origin. However, over the past century, the classification of inorganic vs organic compounds has become less important to scientists,...

, a tetrachloroaluminate

Tetrachloroaluminate

Tetrachloroaluminate [AlCl4]− is an anion formed from aluminium and chlorine. The anion has a tetrahedral shape, similar to carbon tetrachloride where carbon is replaced with aluminium. Some tetrachloroaluminates are soluble in organic solvents, creating an ionic non-aqueous solution, making...

 of lithium

Lithium

Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...

, with the formula LiAlCl₄.

Solution of lithium tetrachloroaluminate in thionyl chloride

Thionyl chloride

Thionyl chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula SOCl2. It is a reactive chemical reagent used in chlorination reactions. It is a colorless, distillable liquid at room temperature and pressure that decomposes above 140 °C. Thionyl chloride is sometimes confused with sulfuryl...

 is the liquid cathode and electrolyte

Electrolyte

In chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible....

 of some lithium batteries

Lithium battery

Lithium batteries are disposable batteries that have lithium metal or lithium compounds as an anode. Depending on the design and chemical compounds used, lithium cells can produce voltages from 1.5 V to about 3.7 V, over twice the voltage of an ordinary zinc–carbon battery or alkaline battery...

, e.g. the lithium-thionyl chloride cell. Another cathode-electrolyte formulation is lithium tetrachloroaluminate+thionyl chloride+sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...

+bromine

Bromine

Bromine ") is a chemical element with the symbol Br, an atomic number of 35, and an atomic mass of 79.904. It is in the halogen element group. The element was isolated independently by two chemists, Carl Jacob Löwig and Antoine Jerome Balard, in 1825–1826...

.

Lithium batteries with electrolytes based on lithium tetrachloroaluminate tend to have substantial voltage delays after high temperature storage followed with discharge at low temperature. http://www.palmerpatent.com/patent_with_highlight.html?patent_num=4238552&q=additionally

Other salts used in lithium battery electrolytes are lithium bromide

Lithium bromide

Lithium bromide, or LiBr, is a chemical compound of lithium and bromine. Its extreme hygroscopic character makes LiBr useful as a desiccant in certain air conditioning systems.-Production and properties:...

, lithium perchlorate

Lithium perchlorate

Lithium perchlorate is the inorganic compound with the formula LiClO4. This white or colourless crystalline salt is noteworthy for its high solubility in many solvents. It exists both in anhydrous form and as a trihydrate.-Uses:...

, lithium tetrafluoroborate

Lithium tetrafluoroborate

Lithium tetrafluoroborate is a chemical compound with the formula LiBF4. It can be dissolved in propylene carbonate, dimethoxyethane, and/or gamma-butyrolactone for use as an electrolyte in lithium batteries....

, and lithium hexafluorophosphate

Lithium hexafluorophosphate

Lithium hexafluorophosphate is an inorganic compound with the formula LiPF6. This white crystalline powder is used in commercial secondary batteries, an application that exploits its high solubility in nonpolar solvents. Specifically, solutions of lithium hexafluorophosphate in propylene carbonate...

; less common ones are lithium chloride

Lithium chloride

Lithium chloride is a chemical compound with the formula LiCl. The salt is a typical ionic compound, although the small size of the Li+ ion gives rise to properties not seen for other alkali metal chlorides, such as extraordinary solubility in polar solvents and its hygroscopic...

, lithium iodide

Lithium iodide

Lithium iodide, or LiI, is a compound of lithium and iodine. When exposed to air, it becomes yellow in color, due to the oxidation of iodide to iodine.-Applications:...

, lithium chlorate

Lithium chlorate

Lithium chlorate is the inorganic chemical compound with the formula LiClO3.Like all chlorates, it is an oxidizer and may become unstable and possibly explosive if mixed with organic materials, reactive metal powders, or sulfur....

, lithium nitrate

Lithium nitrate

Lithium nitrate is an inorganic compound with the formula LiNO3. It is the lithium salt of nitric acid. It is made by reacting lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide with nitric acid.-Uses:...

, lithium hexafluoroarsenate, lithium hexafluorosilicate, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate. http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20080280197