Sodium powders for use as electrode additives and methods of making and using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11658284-B2
Application number	US-201916279450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2019
Priority date	Feb 20, 2018
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

A method of producing metallic sodium powders. The method includes immersing one or more solid pieces of sodium metal in an organic liquid containing a hydrocarbon oil. The solid piece (s) of sodium metal immersed in the hydrocarbon oil is (are) then subjected to ultrasonic irradiation, wherein the solid piece of sodium metal is fragmented to form sodium powder, resulting in a dispersion of the sodium powder in the organic liquid. The dispersed sodium powder is then separated from the organic liquid, resulting in metallic sodium powder. A method of presodiation of an anode in an electrochemical cell. The method includes adding sodium metal powders to the surface of the anode either as a dry powder or as a suspension of the sodium particles in an organic liquid. An anode in an electrochemical cell containing metallic sodium particles. An electrochemical cell comprising a presodiated anode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing metallic sodium powders, the method comprising:
immersing at least one solid piece of sodium metal in an organic liquid comprising a hydrocarbon oil;
subjecting the at least one solid piece of sodium metal immersed in the hydrocarbon oil to ultrasonic irradiation for a period of time, wherein the solid piece of sodium metal is fragmented to form sodium powder, resulting in a dispersion of the sodium powder in the organic liquid; and
separating the sodium powder from the organic liquid by a separation technique, resulting in metallic sodium powder.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic liquid comprising a hydrocarbon oil is one of mineral oil, toluene, and alkanes with 2-20 carbon atoms.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separation technique is one of centrifuging, evaporation, and filtration.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising steps of removing any residual organic liquid on the sodium powder using a solvent capable of dissolving the organic liquid, and removing the solvent by a phase separation technique.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resulting metallic sodium powder has particle size in the range of 1 nm-100 micrometers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of mass in grams of sodium metal to volume of the organic liquid in liters is in the range of 1-10.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the period of time is in the range of 1-10 min.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein frequency of ultrasonic radiation is in the range of 10-100 kHz.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding at least one element from groups 13 and 14 of the periodic table of elements during the ultrasonic irradiation, wherein the resulting metallic sodium powder contains the element.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one element is one of tin, antimony, germanium, and silicon.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding an oxide of at least one element from groups 13 and 14 of the periodic table of elements during the ultrasonic irradiation, wherein the resulting metallic sodium powder contains the oxide.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one oxide is one of tin oxide or antimony oxide.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Pol Vilas Ganpat
• Tang Jialiang

Classifications

• B22F9/04

  starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M4/362

  Composites · CPC title

• B22F1/056

  Submicron particles having a size above 100 nm up to 300 nm · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title