Fabrication of films and coatings used to activate shear thickening, impact resistant electrolytes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233271-B2
Application number	US-202016836297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2020
Priority date	Apr 20, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A method of making a passively impact resistant composite electrolyte and separator layer includes providing a suspension composition including electrically non-conducting particles that enable shear thickening. The particles can have a polydispersity index of no greater than 0.1, an average particle size in a range of from 50 nm to 1 um, and an absolute zeta potential of greater than ±40 mV. A particle suspension solvent is provided for suspending the particles. The suspension composition is applied to a porous separator material. A portion of the particles and suspension solvent penetrate the pores and the remainder of the particles in the suspension composition are distributed across the surface of the separator material. The suspension solvent is evaporated from the separator material to provide a shear thickening particle loaded separator. A separator assembly and a passivated battery are also disclosed.

First claim

We claim:

1. A shear thickening separator assembly, comprising:
a porous separator material having a surface and percolating pores providing a porosity of from 20% to 80%;
shear thickening enabling particles having a polydispersity index of no greater than 0.1, an average particle size of in a range of 50 nm to 1 um, and an absolute zeta potential of greater than ±40 mV, the shear thickening enabling particles being distributed at the surface and within the pores of the separator, the shear thickening enabling particles comprising from 10 wt. % to 40 wt. % of the total weight of the separator and shear thickening particles, and wherein between 20-40 wt. % of the shear thickening enabling particles are located in the pores of the separator, and wherein the pores of the porous separator have an average pore diameter, and the shear thickening enabling particles have an average hydrocluster diameter, and wherein the average pore diameter is from 1 to 100 times the size of the average hydrocluster diameter.

2. The shear thickening separator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an electrolyte salt, wherein the electrolyte salt comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium triflate, lithium perchlorate, lithium tetrafluoro borate, lithium hexafluoro lithium arsenate, lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulphone)imide, lithium bis(oxalate) borate, sodium perchlorate, sodium tetrafluoro borate, sodium hexafluoro arsenate, sodium bis(trifluoromethane sulphone)imide, sodium bis(oxalate) borate, sodium hexafluorophosphate and sodium triflate.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Armstrong Beth L
• Veith Gabriel M
• Kalnaus Sergiy
• Wang Hsin
• Browning Katie L
• Cooley Kevin M

Classifications

• H01M50/443

  Particulate material · CPC title

• H01M50/491

  Porosity · CPC title

• H01M2300/0085

  Immobilising or gelification of electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M2300/0094

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

• H01M10/0567 Primary

  characterised by the additives · CPC title