U.S. Patent 4,505,998 is issued to Olga D. González‑Sanabria and co‑inventors for an advanced alkaline battery separator.
On 19 March 1985, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted U.S. Patent 4,505,998, titled “Alkaline Battery Containing a Separator of a Cross‑Linked Polymer of Vinyl Alcohol and Unsaturated Carboxylic Acid”, to Olga D. González‑Sanabria and co‑inventors.
This patent disclosed an innovative alkaline battery separator based on cross‑linked polyvinyl alcohol and unsaturated carboxylic acids, improving chemical stability and performance in demanding environments. González‑Sanabria’s contribution was rooted in her expertise in electrochemistry and battery materials, developed through her work at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.
The separator technology provided more reliable, longer‑lasting alkaline cells, which were particularly valuable for aerospace and other high‑reliability applications. In the broader context of the 1980s, women—especially Puerto Rican and Latina engineers—were still a small minority in U.S. research laboratories. Her appearance on the patent as a named inventor signaled both technical authority and a break with prevailing gender and ethnic barriers in engineering.
Over time, this invention became part of a portfolio of battery advances that underpinned González‑Sanabria’s later leadership on long cycle‑life nickel‑hydrogen batteries for space power systems. The patent grant stands as an early, documented milestone in her career as a scientist‑inventor and helped establish her reputation in energy‑storage technology.