Energy storage devices containing a carbon nanotube aerogel and methods for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10938037-B2
Application number	US-201414194531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 4, 2013
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Conventional rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, are somewhat limited in their energy storage density. Sulfur-based batteries can provide improved energy storage density, but their use can be hampered by sulfur's low electrical conductivity. Energy storage devices, particularly batteries, can have a first electrode that includes a carbon nanotube aerogel, and an electroactive material containing sulfur that is incorporated in the carbon nanotube aerogel. Methods for forming an energy storage device can include incorporating an electroactive material containing sulfur in a carbon nanotube aerogel, compressing the carbon nanotube aerogel to form a compressed carbon nanotube aerogel, and disposing a first electrode containing the compressed carbon nanotube aerogel and the electroactive material in an electrolyte with a second electrode and a plurality of lithium ions, such that a separator material permeable to the lithium ions is between the first electrode and the second electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is the following:

1. An energy storage device comprising:
a first electrode comprising:
a carbon nanotube aerogel having pores present therein; wherein the carbon nanotube aerogel comprises crosslinked carbon nanotubes, carbon nanotubes having shared walls, or dendritically branched carbon nanotubes; and
an electroactive material comprising sulfur that at least partially fills the pores of the carbon nanotube aerogel,
wherein the energy storage device does not include a current collector.

2. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube aerogel is compressed using a mechanical force.

3. The energy storage device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second electrode.

4. The energy storage device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a plurality of lithium ions configured to reversibly travel between the first electrode and the second electrode.

5. The energy storage device of claim 4 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery, the first electrode comprising a cathode and the second electrode comprising an anode.

6. The energy storage device of claim 5 , further comprising:
an electrolyte in which the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed; and
a separator material between the first electrode and the second electrode, the separator material being permeable to the lithium ions.

7. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the electroactive material comprises about 1% to about 10% of the first electrode by weight.

8. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the electroactive material comprises elemental sulfur or a polymorph thereof.

9. A method comprising:
incorporating an electroactive material comprising sulfur into a carbon nanotube aerogel having pores present therein, the electroactive material at least partially filling the pores,
wherein the carbon nanotube aerogel comprises crosslinked carbon nanotubes, carbon nanotubes having shared walls, or dendritically branched carbon nanotubes;
compressing the carbon nanotube aerogel using a mechanical force to form a compressed carbon nanotube aerogel; and
disposing a first electrode comprising the compressed carbon nanotube aerogel and the electroactive material in an electrolyte with a second electrode and a plurality of lithium ions, the first electrode and the second electrode having a separator material located therebetween that is permeable to the lithium ions, wherein the carbon nanotube aerogel and the electroactive material does not include a current collector.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electroactive material comprises elemental sulfur or a polymorph thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing elemental sulfur in a solid state;
contacting the elemental sulfur with the carbon nanotube aerogel; and
resistively heating the carbon nanotube aerogel to form the molten sulfur.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein incorporating the electroactive material in the carbon nanotube aerogel takes place before compressing the carbon nanotube aerogel.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein incorporating the electroactive material in the carbon nanotube aerogel takes place after compressing the carbon nanotube aerogel.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electroactive material comprises about 1% to about 10% of the first electrode by weight.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
contacting the compressed carbon nanotube aerogel with a metallic current collector, the first electrode comprising the metallic current collector, the compressed carbon nanotube aerogel, and the electroactive material.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
forming the carbon nanotube aerogel from a liquid phase comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the carbon nanotube aerogel comprises subliming the liquid phase.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein incorporating the electroactive material in the carbon nanotube aerogel comprises infiltrating the carbon nanotube aerogel with molten sulfur.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Golightly Justin Samuel
• Isaacson Mark Joseph
• Ward Jonathan W

Classifications

• H01M4/043

  involving compressing or compaction · CPC title

• H01M4/0416 Primary

  involving impregnation with a solution, dispersion, paste or dry powder (H01M4/0438 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/661

  Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/38

  of elements or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/5815

  Sulfides · CPC title