In situ current collector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11228055-B2
Application number	US-202016794526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

Electrochemical cells comprising electrodes comprising lithium (e.g., in the form of a solid solution with non-lithium metals), from which in situ current collectors may be formed, are generally described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a cathode;
an anode comprising a solid solution of lithium and at least one non-lithium metal, the anode having an active surface; and
an electrolyte in electrochemical communication with the cathode and the anode;
wherein:
the electrochemical cell is under an applied anisotropic force having a force component normal to the active surface of the anode; and
the anisotropic force and the electrochemical cell are configured such that, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, the anode has a porosity of less than 20% immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle, and 75 wt % or less of the amount of lithium present in the anode in its initial fully-charged state remains in the anode immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, lead, tin, platinum, gold, aluminum, cadmium, silver, mercury, and combinations thereof.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, lead, platinum, gold, cadmium, silver, mercury, and combinations thereof.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal excludes the group consisting of silicon, germanium, tin, antimony, bismuth, and aluminum.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal comprises magnesium.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal in the anode is at least 0.1 wt % and equal to or less than 25 wt % of the combined weight of lithium and non-lithium metal in the anode during a fully charged state.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, the anode has a sheet resistance of less than 1000 Ω/sq. immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, 60 wt % or less of the amount of lithium present in the anode in its initial fully-charged state remains in the anode immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anisotropic force and the electrochemical cell are configured such that, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 50 times, the anode has a porosity of less than 20% immediately after the discharge of the 50 th cycle, and 75 wt % or less of the amount of lithium present in the anode in its initial fully-charged state remains in the anode immediately after the discharge of the 50 th cycle.

10. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a cathode;
an anode comprising a solid solution of lithium and at least one non-lithium metal, the anode having an active surface; and
an electrolyte in electrochemical communication with the cathode and the anode;
wherein:
the electrochemical cell is under an applied anisotropic force having a force component normal to the active surface of the anode; and
the at least one non-lithium metal is present at a sufficient volume such that, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, the anode has a porosity of less than 20% immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle, and 75 wt % or less of the amount of lithium present in the anode in its initial fully-charged state remains in the anode immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, lead, tin, platinum, gold, aluminum, cadmium, silver, mercury, and combinations thereof.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, lead, platinum, gold, cadmium, silver, mercury, and combinations thereof.

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal excludes the group consisting of silicon, germanium, tin, antimony, bismuth, and aluminum.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal comprises magnesium.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal in the anode is at least 0.1 wt % and equal to or less than 25 wt % of the combined weight of lithium and non-lithium metal in the anode during a fully charged state.

16. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, the anode has a sheet resistance of less than 1000 Ω/sq. immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, 60 wt % or less of the amount of lithium present in the anode in its initial fully-charged state remains in the anode immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle.

18. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal is present at a sufficient volume such that, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 50 times, the anode has a porosity of less than 20% immediately after the discharge of the 50 th cycle, and 75 wt % or less of the amount of lithium present in the anode in its initial fully-charged state remains in the anode immediately after the discharge of the 50 th cycle.

19. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a cathode;
an anode comprising a solid solution of lithium and at least one non-lithium metal, the anode having an active surface; and
an electrolyte in electrochemical communication with the cathode and the anode;
wherein:
the electrochemical cell is under an applied anisotropic force having a force component normal to the active surface of the anode; and
the anisotropic force and the electrochemical cell are configured such that, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, the anode has a sheet resistance of less than 1000 Ω/sq. immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle, and 75 wt % or less of the amount of lithium present in the anode in its initial fully-charged state remains in the anode immediately after the discharge of the tenth cycle.

20. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, lead, tin, platinum, gold, aluminum, cadmium, silver, mercury, and combinations thereof.

21. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, lead, platinum, gold, cadmium, silver, mercury, and combinations thereof.

22. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal excludes the group consisting of silicon, germanium, tin, antimony, bismuth, and aluminum.

23. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal comprises magnesium.

24. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 , wherein the at least one non-lithium metal in the anode is at least 0.1 wt % and equal to or less than 25 wt % of the combined weight of lithium and non-lithium metal in the anode during a fully charged state.

25. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 , wherein, when the electrochemical cell is fully cycled 10 times, the anode has a porosity of less than 20% immedi

Assignees

• Sion Power Corp

Inventors

• Liao Zhaohui
• Scordilis-Kelley Chariclea
• Laramie Michael G

Classifications

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M10/0525 Primary

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/446

  Initial charging measures · CPC title

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/485

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy (H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence) · CPC title