Process for the preparation of SiOx having a nanoscale filament structure and use thereof as anode material in lithium-ion batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10329157-B2
Application number	US-201415039615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A process for the preparation of nanofilament particles of SiO x in which x is between 0.8 and 1.2, the process comprising: a step consisting of a fusion reaction between silica (SiO 2 ) and silicon (Si), at a temperature of at least about 1410° C., to produce gaseous silicon monoxide (SiO); and a step consisting of condensation of the gaseous SiO to produce the SiO x nanofilament particles. The process may also comprising using carbon.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the preparation of nanofilament particles of SiO x in which x is between 0.8 and 1.2, the process comprising:
a step comprising a fusion reaction between silica (SiO 2 ), liquid silicon (Si) and, a source of carbon, at a temperature of at least about 1410° C., to produce gaseous silicon monoxide (SiO); and
a step comprising condensation of the gaseous SiO to produce the SiO x nanofilament particles, wherein the condensation step is performed in a low temperature area of a furnace, the gaseous SiO being moved to the low temperature area by a vector gas.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the SiO 2 is in solid form.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fusion step is performed in an induction furnace, an electric arc furnace or a submerged arc furnace.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the vector gas is selected from the group consisting of inert gas, oxidant gas, reduction gas, volatile hydrocarbon and combinations thereof.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fusion step is performed under vacuum.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fusion step is performed under inert atmosphere which is of Ar, He or N 2 .

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature at the fusion step is between about 1450 and about 1700° C.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the source of carbon is selected from the group consisting of graphite, charcoal, petroleum coke, charcoal, wood and combinations thereof.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein x is about 1.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the SiO 2 is in a form which is quartz, quartzite or a combination thereof.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the SiO x particles are in spherical agglomerates consisting of nanofilaments, each agglomerate having a diameter of about 2 to 10 μm.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the nanofilaments each have a diameter of about 50 nm, and the spherical agglomerates are linked together by spheres each having a diameter of about 100 to 150 nm.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the nanofilament SiO x particles obtained comprise at least one of: amorphous SiO 2 , crystalline Si and SiC.

14. A process for the preparation of nanofilament particles of SiO x in which x is between 0.8 and 1.2, the process comprising the following steps:
introducing liquid silicon (Si) in a furnace and bringing the temperature to at least about 1410° C.;
introducing solid silica (SiO 2 ) in the furnace while agitating the mixture and producing gaseous silicon monoxide (SiO); and
moving the gaseous SiO to a low temperature area of the furnace using a vector gas, and condensing to yield the SiO x nanofilament particles.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the furnace is an induction furnace, and the agitation stems from a magnetic field produced by the furnace.

16. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the step of introducing the solid silica in the furnace is accompanied by a purge process during which oxygen present is eliminated.

17. A process for the preparation of nanofilament particles of SiO x in which x is between 0.8 and 1.2, the process comprising the following steps:
introducing solid silica (SiO 2 ) and a source of carbon in the furnace and bringing the temperature-to at least about 1410° C., and producing metallic silicon (Si) and gaseous silicon monoxide (SiO); and
moving the gaseous SiO to a low temperature area of the furnace using a vector gas, and condensing to yield the SiO x nanofilament particles, wherein the furnace is a submerged arc furnace.

18. Nanofilament particles of SiO x obtained by the process as defined in claim 1 .

19. A material comprising nanofilament particles of SiO x in which x is between 0.8 and 1.2 obtained by a process comprising:
a step comprising a fusion reaction between silica (SiO 2 ), liquid silicon (Si), and, a source of carbon (C), at a temperature of at least about 1410° C., to produce gaseous silicon monoxide (SiO); and
a step comprising condensation of the gaseous SiO to produce the SiO x nanofilament particles, wherein the condensation step is performed in a low temperature area of a furnace, the gaseous SiO being moved to the low temperature area by a vector gas.

20. A method comprising fabricating an anode with nanofilament particles of SiO x obtained by the process as defined in claim 1 .

21. An anode comprising the material as defined in claim 19 .

22. A battery comprising the anode as defined in claim 21 .

Assignees

• Hydro Quebec

Inventors

• Leblanc Dominic
• Guerfi Abdelbast
• Zaghib Karim
• Hovington Pierre
• Trottier Julie

Classifications

• C01P2004/16

  Nanowires or nanorods, i.e. solid nanofibres with two nearly equal dimensions between 1-100 nanometer · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/136

  Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy · CPC title

• C01B33/182

  by reduction of a siliceous material, e.g. with a carbonaceous reducing agent and subsequent oxidation of the silicon monoxide formed · CPC title

• C01P2004/01

  depicted by an image · CPC title