Process for metallization of electrochemically active powders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11682758-B2
Application number	US-201816644950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

Materials and methods for coating an electrochemically active electrode material for use in a lithium-ion battery are provided. In one example, an electrochemically active electrode material comprises: a polymer coating applied directly to an exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode material; a metal plating catalyst adhered to the continuous polymer; and a continuous metal coating that completely covers the metal catalyst and continuous polymer coating. The electrochemically active electrode material may comprise a powder comprising one or more secondary particles, and the polymer and metal coatings may be applied to exterior surfaces of these secondary particles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrochemically active electrode material, comprising:
a continuous polymer coating coupled directly to an exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode material;
a metal catalyst adhered to the continuous polymer coating for catalyzing an electroless deposition (ELD) reaction; and
a continuous metal coating that completely covers the metal catalyst and the continuous polymer coating.

2. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active electrode material comprises an electrochemically active material for an anode of a lithium-ion battery.

3. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active electrode material comprises one of a graphite powder, and graphite MesoCarbon MicroBeads (MCMBs).

4. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous metal coating comprises copper.

5. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the metal catalyst comprises a precious metal including one or more of: palladium, platinum, rhodium, gold, and silver.

6. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous polymer coating comprises one of an aromatic polyimide, lithium polyamate, alternating monomer units of a diamine and a dianhydride, a cross-linked poly(amic acid) amine salt, and a heat-treated aromatic poly(amic acid).

7. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous polymer coating is between 1-5% by weight of the electrochemically active electrode material.

8. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous metal coating is between 5-20% by weight of the electrochemically active electrode material.

9. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the metal catalyst is between 0.01-1.0% by weight of the electrochemically active electrode material.

10. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the continuous metal coating is between 75-150 nm.

11. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the metal catalyst is discontinuous on an exterior surface of the continuous polymer coating, and wherein an areal density of the metal catalyst on the continuous polymer coating is between 500-10,000 particles/μm 2 .

12. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the metal catalyst is continuous on an exterior surface of the continuous polymer coating.

13. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous metal coating has a uniform thickness.

14. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous metal coating has a non-uniform thickness, and wherein the continuous metal coating comprises a substantially smooth exterior surface such that a radial distance between the exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode material and the exterior surface of the continuous metal coating is substantially the same around the entire exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode material.

15. The electrochemically active electrode material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous metal coating is formed by the ELD reaction.

16. A coated electrochemically active electrode powder, comprising:
an electrochemically active electrode powder particle;
a polymer coated directly onto an exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode powder particle;
a metal catalyst coupled to the polymer for catalyzing an electroless deposition (ELD) reaction; and
a continuous metal coating that completely covers the metal catalyst and the polymer.

17. The coated electrochemically active electrode powder of claim 16 , wherein the electrochemically active electrode powder particle comprises a secondary particle having a diameter between 1-50 μm.

18. The coated electrochemically active electrode powder of claim 16 , wherein the electrochemically active electrode powder particle comprises graphite.

19. The coated electrochemically active electrode powder of claim 16 , wherein the polymer comprises one of lithium polyamate, and a cross-linked poly(amic acid) amine salt.

20. The coated electrochemically active electrode powder of claim 16 , wherein the polymer forms a continuous coating on the exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode powder particle such that the entire exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode powder particle is covered by the polymer.

21. The coated electrochemically active electrode powder of claim 20 , wherein a thickness of the continuous coating of the polymer on the exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode powder is between 50-200 nm.

22. The coated electrochemically active electrode powder of claim 20 , wherein the continuous coating of the polymer comprises a uniform thickness.

23. A battery cell, comprising an electrode, the electrode comprising a coated electrochemically active electrode material, the coated electrochemically active electrode material comprising powder particles having a continuous polymer coating coupled directly to an exterior surface of the powder particles, a continuous metal coating that completely covers the continuous polymer coating, and a metal catalyst adhered to the continuous polymer coating for catalyzing an electrodeless deposition (ELD) reaction, wherein the continuous polymer coating is positioned between the continuous metal coating and the exterior surface of the powder particles, and the metal catalyst is positioned between the continuous polymer coating and the continuous metal coating.

24. The battery cell of claim 23 , wherein the coated electrochemically active electrode material comprises graphite or another electrochemically active material for an anode of a lithium-ion battery cell.

25. The battery cell of claim 23 , wherein the powder particles comprise a metal catalyst adhered to the polymer coating for catalyzing an electroless deposition (ELD) of the metal coating on the powder particles.

26. The battery cell of claim 23 , wherein a capacity of the battery cell at a C-rate of 10 C is at least 80% of a maximum capacity of the battery cell.

27. A method for metallizing a powder particle of an electrochemically active electrode material, comprising:
coating an exterior surface of the powder particle with a continuous layer of a polymer;
annealing a metal catalyst for an electroless deposition (ELD) reaction to the polymer, followed by a low temperature thermal treatment; and
depositing a continuous layer of a metal that completely covers the metal catalyst and the polymer via ELD.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the electrochemically active electrode material comprises graphite.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the metal catalyst comprises one or more of: palladium, platinum, rhodium, gold, and silver and wherein the metal comprises copper.

30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polymer comprises one or more of: an aromatic polyimide, lithium polyamate, and a cross-linked poly(amic acid) amine salt.

31. The method of claim 27 , wherein the coating the exterior surface of the powder particle with the continuous layer o

Assignees

• A123 Systems Llc

Inventors

• Scanlan Kevin
• Maxwell Derrick Spencer
• Johnson Derek
• Wang Jun
• Iocco Rocco
• Zhou Weidong

Classifications

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title

• H01M4/133

  Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx · CPC title

• H01M4/38

  of elements or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/366 Primary

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M4/9083

  on carbon or graphite · CPC title