Production of lithium via electrodeposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11201324-B2
Application number	US-201816134378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2018
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems for producing lithium metal through room temperature electrodeposition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing lithium comprising:
applying a current to an electrolytic cell comprising a cell having a cathode associated with a catholyte and an anode associated with a lithium cation-containing anolyte, the lithium cation-containing anolyte and catholyte being separated by an ion-permeable membrane having a plurality of inorganic particles disposed within a polymeric matrix and having lithium ions bound thereto via electrostatic forces forming a plurality of ion-conducting particles, the plurality of ion-conducting particles forming ion conducting channels in the polymeric matrix, whereby the;
inducing an oxidation of the lithium cation-containing anolyte at the anode;
flowing electrons from the anode to the cathode;
reducing lithium cations at the cathode;
depositing lithium metal on the cathode; and
flowing lithium ions through the ion-conducting particles channels from the lithium cation-containing anolyte to the catholyte.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing the electrons from the anode to the cathode comprises flowing the electrons through a galvanostat electrically positioned between the cathode and anode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating lithium cation-containing anolyte from an anolyte reservoir into the cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating catholyte from a catholyte reservoir into the cell.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the lithium metal comprises the formation of lithium metal nanorods.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the lithium metal nanorods have a diameter of 250 to 350 nm and a length of up to 60 μm.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the lithium metal nanorods are dendrite-free.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the deposited lithium metal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metallic foil and further comprising removing a lithium-coated metallic foil from the cell.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the lithium cations at the cathode and depositing lithium metal are at a temperature of 15 to 40° C.

Assignees

• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• Hryn John N
• Ignacio-De Leon Patricia
• Spangenberger Jeffrey S

Classifications

• C25C7/04

  Diaphragms; Spacing elements · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M4/667

  in the form of layers, e.g. coatings · CPC title

• C25C1/02

  of light metals · CPC title

• C25C7/005

  of cells for the electrolysis of melts (C25C7/02 - C25C7/06 take precedence) · CPC title