Thermal batteries are specialized as primary reserve batteries that operate when the internal heat source is ignited and the produced heat (450~550oC) melts the initially insulating salt into highly conductive eutectic electrolyte. The heat source is composed of Fe powder and KClO4 with different mass ratios and is inserted in-between the cells (stacks) to allow homogeneous heat transfer and ensure complete melting of the electrolyte. An ideal heat source has following criteria to satisfy: sufficient mechanical durability for stacking, appropriate heat calories, ease of combustion by an igniter, stable combustion rate, and modest peak temperature. To satisfy the aforementioned requirements, Fe powder must have high surface area and porosity to increase the reaction rate. Herein, the hydrothermal and spray drying synthesis techniques for Fe powder samples are employed to investigate the physicochemical properties of Fe powder samples and their applicability as a heat source constituent. The direct comparison with the state-of-the-art Fe powder is made to confirm the validity of synthesized products. Finally, the actual batteries were made with the synthesized iron powder samples to examine their performances during the battery operation.
