Electrode materials in the form of lithium-based alloy and methods for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11417878-B2
Application number	US-201816638506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2018
Priority date	Aug 15, 2017
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

The present technology described relates to lithium-based alloy electrode materials used for the production of anode in lithium accumulators and processes for obtaining same. The alloy comprises metallic lithium, a metallic component X 1 selected from magnesium and aluminum and a metallic component X 2 selected from alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, rare earths, zirconium, copper, silver, bismuth, cobalt, zinc, aluminum, silicon, tin, antimony, cadmium, mercury, lead, manganese, boron, indium, thallium, nickel, germanium, molybdenum and iron. Processes for preparing electrode materials thus obtained and their uses are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Electrode material comprising, in the form of an alloy:
metallic lithium;
a metallic component X 1 selected from magnesium and aluminum; and
a metallic component X 2 selected from alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, rare earths, zirconium, copper, silver, manganese, zinc, aluminum, silicon, tin, molybdenum and iron;
wherein the metallic component X 2 is different from the metallic component X 1 and different from metallic lithium;
wherein the metallic lithium is present at a concentration of at least 65% by weight, the metallic component X 1 is present at a concentration between 0.1 and 30% by weight, the component X 2 is present at a concentration between 0.1 and 5% by weight, and where the concentration of components [X 1 +X 2 ] in the material is between 0.2% and 35%, and where [Li]>[X 1 ]>[X 2 ].

2. Electrode material comprising, in the form of an alloy:
metallic lithium;
a metallic component X 1 selected from magnesium and aluminum; and
a metallic component X 2 selected from alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, rare earths, zirconium, copper, silver, bismuth, cobalt, zinc, aluminum, silicon, tin, antimony, cadmium, mercury, lead, manganese, boron, indium, thallium, nickel and germanium;
wherein the metallic component X2 is different from the metallic component X1 and different from metallic lithium; and
wherein the metallic lithium is present at a concentration of at least 65% by weight, the metallic component X1 is present at a concentration between 0.1 and 30% by weight, the component X2 is present at a concentration between 0.05 and 5% by weight, and where the concentration of the components [X1+X2] in the material is between 0.15% and 35%.

3. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic component X1 is magnesium.

4. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic component X1 is aluminum.

5. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic component X2 is selected from Na, K, Zr and rare earths.

6. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic component X 2 is an alkali metal selected from Na, K, Rb and Cs.

7. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic component X 2 is an alkaline earth metal selected from Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba.

8. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic component X 2 is a rare earth selected from Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and their mixtures (such as a mischmetal).

9. The electrode material according to claim 2 , wherein the metallic component X 2 is a rare earth selected from Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and their mixtures (such as a mischmetal).

10. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic component X 2 is selected from Zr, Cu, Ag, Mn, Zn, Al, Si, Sn, Mo or Fe.

11. The electrode material according to claim 2 , wherein the metallic component X 2 is selected from Zr, Cu, Ag, Bi, Co, Zn, Al, Si, Sn, Sb, Cd, Hg, Pb, Mn, B, In, TI, Ni or Ge.

12. The electrode material according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode material is a thin foil having a thickness of 15 to 300 μm.

13. The electrode material according to claim 12 , wherein the thickness is of 15 to 200 μm.

14. The electrode material according to claim 12 , wherein the thickness is of 15 to 100 μm.

15. The electrode material according to claim 12 , wherein the thickness is of 15 to 50 μm.

16. Process for preparing an electrode material as defined in claim 1 , the process comprising the following steps:
a. alloying by melting the metallic lithium with the metallic component X 1 in a molten alloy bath;
b. adding the metallic component X 2 to the molten alloy bath; and
c. solidifying the alloy obtained in (b) in a permanent mold in a form suitable for extrusion such as in the form of a billet.

17. The process according to claim 16 , which further comprises the following steps:
d. transforming the solid billet into a thin foil (100-600 μm) suitable for rolling; and
e. transforming the thin foil into a thin foil (15-200 μm) by rolling.

18. The process according to claim 16 , which further comprises the following steps:
d. transforming the solid billet into a thin foil (100-300 μm) suitable for rolling; and
e. transforming the thin foil into an ultra-thin foil (15-50 μm) by lamination in a single step.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the alloy solidification step is carried out in a permanent mold at a controlled rate.

20. Anode comprising an electrode material according to claim 1 applied on a current collector.

21. Anode comprising the ultra-thin foil obtained in step (e) of the process as defined in claim 17 applied on a current collector.

22. Electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode, wherein the anode comprises an electrode material as defined in claim 1 .

23. Electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode as defined in claim 20 .

24. Electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode comprising the electrode material obtained by the process as defined in claim 16 .

25. A lithium accumulator comprising an electrochemical cell as defined in claim 22 .

Assignees

• Hydro Quebec

Inventors

• Zaghib Karim
• Armand Michel
• Bouchard Patrick
• Verreault Serge
• Turcotte Nancy
• Leblanc Dominic
• Amouzegar Kamyab

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/0435

  Rolling or calendering · CPC title

• H01M4/5825

  Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines · CPC title

• H01M4/405 Primary

  Alloys based on lithium · CPC title