Non-aqueous flow cell comprising a polyurethane separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10186716-B2
Application number	US-201615059339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A non-aqueous flow cell energy storage device comprises a ionically conductive separator, which separator comprises a polyurethane prepared by curing an isocyanate capped prepolymer, which prepolymer was prepared from a polyol having polycarbonate backbone, wherein the separator may be impregnated with electrolyte salts and/or swelled by an organic solvent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A non-aqueous flow cell comprising an anode region, a cathode region and an ion permeable, single layer or multilayer, non-porous polyurethane separator situated between the anode region and cathode region wherein:
the anode region comprises an anode chamber, a current collector residing within the anode chamber, and a non-aqueous flowable organic electrolyte in the form of a solution, slurry or dispersion comprising an organic redox active compound that releases electrons during discharge of the cell and an organic solvent,
the cathode region comprises a cathode chamber, a current collector residing within the cathode chamber, and a non-aqueous flowable organic electrolyte in the form of a solution, slurry or dispersion comprising an organic redox active compound that accepts electrons during discharge of the cell and an organic solvent,
the separator comprises an ion permeable non-porous film layer formed from a polycarbonate based polyurethane prepared by curing a mixture comprising an isocyanate terminated pre-polymer having a polycarbonate backbone and a curing agent comprising a C 2-12 diol, methylene dianiline, methylene bis chloroaniline, ethylene bis orthochloroaniline, 4,4′-methylene-bis(3-chloro-2,6-diethyl)aniline, dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, di-p-aminobenzoate, phenyldiethanol amine mixture, or methylene dianiline sodium chloride complex,
wherein the anode electrolyte, the cathode electrolyte and the separator each comprise less than 10% by weight of water.

2. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 1 wherein the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprises a metal salt and/or an organic solvent.

3. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 2 wherein the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprises a metal salt and an organic solvent.

4. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 3 , wherein each of the flowable electrolytes further comprise a metal salt.

5. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 2 , wherein the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprises a lithium or sodium salt.

6. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 5 , wherein the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprises a lithium salt selected from the group consisting of lithium halides, lithium borates, lithium aluminates, lithium aluminosilicates, lithium-containing zeolites, lithium carbides, lithium oxides, lithium phosphates, lithium silicates, lithium sulfides, lithium sulfates.

7. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 6 , wherein the lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium perchlorate, lithium tetrachloroaluminate, lithium bromide, lithium hexafluoroarsenate and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide.

8. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 4 , wherein each of the flowable electrolytes and the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprise a lithium salt selected from the group consisting of lithium halides, lithium borates, lithium aluminates, lithium aluminosilicates, lithium-containing zeolites, lithium carbides, lithium oxides, lithium phosphates, lithium silicates, lithium sulfides, lithium sulfates.

9. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 8 , wherein each of the flowable electrolytes and the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprise the same lithium salt.

10. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 8 , wherein the lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium perchlorate, lithium tetrachloroaluminate, lithium bromide, lithium hexafluoroarsenate and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide.

11. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 9 , wherein the lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium perchlorate, lithium tetrachloroaluminate, lithium bromide, lithium hexafluoroarsenate and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide.

12. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 6 wherein each of the flowable electrolytes comprise at least one organic solvent selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, methyl propyl carbonate, ethyl propyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, butylmethyl carbonate, butylethyl carbonate, butylpropyl carbonate, butyrolactone, ethyl acetate, methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, dimethoxyethane, diethoxyethane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran, 1,3-dioxolane, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, diethyleneglycol diethylether, triethyleneglycol diethylether, dimethylsulfoxide, sulfolane, methylsulfolane, dimethylformamide, dimethyl acetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, acetonitrile and propiononitrile.

13. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 9 wherein each of the flowable electrolytes and the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprise at least one organic solvent selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, methyl propyl carbonate, ethyl propyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, butylmethyl carbonate, butylethyl carbonate, butylpropyl carbonate, butyrolactone, ethyl acetate, methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, dimethoxyethane, diethoxyethane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran, 1,3-dioxolane, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, diethyleneglycol diethylether, triethyleneglycol diethylether, dimethylsulfoxide, sulfolane, methylsulfolane, dimethylformamide, dimethyl acetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, acetonitrile and propiononitrile.

14. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 13 , wherein each of the flowable electrolytes and the polycarbonate based polyurethane of the separator comprise the same organic solvent.

15. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 14 , wherein the organic solvent comprises at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, methyl propyl carbonate, ethyl propyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, butylmethyl carbonate, butylethyl carbonate, butylpropyl carbonate and acetonitrile.

16. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 15 wherein the lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium perchlorate, lithium tetrachloroaluminate, lithium bromide, lithium hexafluoroarsenate and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide.

17. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 1 wherein the separator is an article wherein the non-porous film layer formed from the polycarbonate based polyurethane is laminated on a chemically inert porous support.

18. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 17 wherein the separator is an article wherein the non-porous film layer formed from the polycarbonate based polyurethane is sandwiched between multiple support layers.

19. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 1 wherein at least one current collector comprises a porous graphite felt.

20. The non-aqueous flow cell according to claim 19 wherein each current collector comprises a porous graphite felt and each is adhered to an opposite side of the separator.

Assignees

• Chemtura Corp
• Lanxess Solutions Us Inc

Inventors

• Madabusi Venkatramanan K
• Stieber Joseph F
• Jackson Kevin
• Brereton George
• Wang Fei
• Peramunage Dharmasena

Classifications

• H01M8/20 Primary

  Indirect fuel cells, e.g. fuel cells with redox couple being irreversible (H01M8/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/528

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/0221

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title

• H01M8/188

  by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries · CPC title

• H01M2300/0028

  characterised by the solvent · CPC title