TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Components: The interfaces are semi-spherical, elliptical, parabolic, or faceted. The second interface between the electrolyte and the other of the anode and cathode is non-planar. The heat element is adjacent to anode and cathode and a third interface of the heat element and anode or cathode is non-planar. The thermal battery further comprises second heat element adjacent the other of the anode and cathode. The electrolyte is solid in the first inactive state and liquid in the second active state. The heat element provides heat for transforming the electrolyte from the first inactive state to the second active state. The thermal battery further comprises a separator (42) element for preventing the flow of electrolyte in the second active state. The separator element encompasses a base portion and sidewalls of the anode. It includes extension arms that extend beyond the sidewalls of the anode to ensure mechanical separation of the anode and cathode when the electrolyte is in the first inactive state. The separator element consists of a composite mixture of vanadium and a zeolite-type molecular sieve. The separator element consists of a composite mixture of vanadium, a zeolite-type molecular sieve, and a solid, three-component, eutectic electrolyte. The zeolite-type molecular sieve is zeolite CBV-100 or porous clay. The thermal battery further comprises a housing comprising a silicon-carbide (SiC) treated substrate comprising silicon substrate optionally treated with silicon dioxide prior to the SiC treatment. The housing is hermetically sealed. It comprises a microvent that releases pressure from within the housing. It comprises a cavity etched in the substrate, within which the anode, cathode, electrolyte and heat element are deposited. It also comprises multiple cavities etched in the substrate, within which multiple unit cells, each unit cell comprising anode, cathode, electrolyte and heat element, are deposited. The thermal battery further comprises a pyrotechnic initiator for activating the heat element. The heat element comprises a pyrotechnic charge comprising a mixture of chemical components, which produces an exothermic reaction upon being heated to ignition temperature, said exothermic reaction producing only reaction byproducts which are solids at ambient conditions. The pyrotechnic charge consists of thermite or blended mixture of 8 parts by weight (pbw) ferric oxide and 3 pbw aluminum powder. The pyrotechnic charge consists of bisnitro cobalt-3-perchlorate. The chemical components comprise the pyrotechnic charge are compacted and formed into a lozenge-like shape. The pyrotechnic charge is in contact with an initiator strip. The pyrotechnic charge is wrapped in a fuse roll comprising magnesium. The pyrotechnic charge is ignited by an initiator strip consisting of magnesium powder, Teflon and Viton. The initiator strip consists of 54 wt. % magnesium powder, 30 wt. % Teflon and 16 wt. % Viton. The anode comprises an alkali/alkaline earth metal alloy. The anode comprises metal alloy consisting of 15-25 (preferably 20) wt. % of lithium and 75-85 (preferably 80) wt. % of germanium. The metal alloy is pressed into thin foil of about 0.01-1.00 mm in thickness for use as said anode element. The cathode consists essentially of a compound of vanadium oxide (V2O5, V2O3 and VO2).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compositions: The separator element consists of a composite mixture of 59-79 (preferably 75) wt. % vanadium, 1-2 (preferably 17) wt. % of a zeolite-type molecular sieve, and 10-30 (preferably 8) wt. % of a solid, three-component, eutectic electrolyte. The solid three-component, eutectic electrolyte is a mixture of about 38-49 (preferably 43.5) wt. % lithium carbonate, 26-37 (preferably 31.5) wt. % sodium carbonate, and 20-30 (preferably 25) wt. % potassium carbonate, or a mixture of 34-44 (preferably 39) wt. % lithium carbonate, 33-44 (preferably 38.5) wt % sodium carbonate, and 17-28 (preferably 22.5) wt. % rubidium carbonate. The electrolyte composition contains 0.005-10 (preferably 1) wt. % of sodium lauryl sulfate. The separator element comprises vanadium.