Dual function current collector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11575114-B2
Application number	US-202117514560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

A battery can include a separator, a first current collector, a protective layer, and a first electrode. The first current collector and the protective layer can be disposed on one side of the separator. The first electrode can be disposed on an opposite side of the separator as the first current collector and the protective layer. Subjecting the battery to an activation process can cause metal to be extracted from the first electrode and deposited between the first current collector and the protective layer. The metal can be deposited to at least form a second electrode between the first current collector and the protective layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a battery cell, comprising:
applying a protective layer to a surface of a first current collector, the first current collector and the protective layer being disposed on one side of a separator with the protective layer being interposed between the first current collector and the separator;
disposing a first electrode on an opposite side of the separator as the first current collector and the protective layer; and
subjecting the battery cell to an activation process in which metal extracted from the first electrode is deposited between the first current collector and the protective layer to form a second electrode in situ between the first current collector and the protective layer, the protective layer preventing the dendrites comprising the second electrode from penetrating the separator and causing an internal short within the battery cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activation process includes charging the battery cell.

3. The method claim 1 , wherein the activation process comprising charging the battery at less than ½ C rate and/or greater than 2 volts.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first current collector comprises copper (Cu) and/or plated copper (Cu).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first current collector comprises copper (Cu), stainless steel, titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni) plated copper (Cu), aluminum (Al) plated copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti) plated copper (Cu).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first current collector has a thickness of 10 microns.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises a metal oxide, a metal fluoride, a metal sulfide, and/or a doped salt.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO 2 ), lithium nickel cobalt oxide (LiNiCoO 2 ), lithium manganese nickel cobalt oxide (LiNiMnCoO 2 ), lithium manganese silicon oxide (Li 2 MnSiO 4 ), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO 4 ), lithium fluoride (LiF), and/or lithium sulfide (Li 2 S).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal extracted from the first electrode comprises lithium (Li) metal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer comprises a polymer and/or a polymer composite.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer comprises a crosslinked polymer and/or a non-crosslinked polymer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer includes one or more additives comprising at least one of ceramic particles, metal salt particles, and metal stabilizers.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filling the battery cell with an electrolyte.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a liquid electrolyte, and wherein the protective layer and the separator are rendered ionically conductive by the liquid electrolyte.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a solid-state electrolyte.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the battery cell further comprises a second current collector coupled with the first electrode.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
depositing, on a surface of the second current collector, a safety layer being configured to respond to a temperature trigger and/or a voltage trigger.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activation process causes a reduction at the first electrode that extracts the metal from the first electrode.

Assignees

• American Lithium Energy Corp

Inventors

• Fan Jiang

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M4/38

  of elements or alloys · CPC title

• H01M10/0569

  characterised by the solvents · CPC title

• H01M4/0445 Primary

  Forming after manufacture of the electrode, e.g. first charge, cycling · CPC title

• H01M4/136

  Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy · CPC title