Isolatable electrodes and associated articles and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728528-B2
Application number	US-202217698435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2022
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Articles containing electrodes and current collectors arranged such that at least one electrode can be electronically isolated from other components of the article and/or an electrochemical device, and associated systems and methods, are provided. In some cases, the articles contain substrates for which a change in volume of the substrate causes at least one electrode to become electronically isolated from other components of the article and/or an electrochemical device. In certain cases, heating the substrate causes the change in volume of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical device, comprising:
a substrate;
a first electrode adjacent to the substrate, the first electrode comprising electrode active material;
a second electrode comprising electrode active material, the second electrode having an opposite polarity of that of the first electrode;
a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
an electrode tab portion electronically coupled to the first electrode, wherein the device is configured such that when the temperature of the substrate reaches a threshold temperature, at least a portion of the first electrode is no longer electronically coupled to the electrode tab portion due, at least in part, to a heat-induced change in volume of the substrate.

2. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-induced change in volume of the substrate is an increase in the volume of the substrate.

3. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the heat-induced change in volume of the substrate is a decrease in the volume of the substrate.

4. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured such that the at least a portion of the first electrode becomes no longer electronically coupled to the electrode tab portion due at least in part to an ultimate tensile failure.

5. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is electronically coupled to the electrode tab portion via a current collector, and wherein the device is configured such that the at least a portion of the first electrode becomes no longer electronically coupled the electrode tab portion due at least in part to the current collector undergoing ultimate tensile failure.

6. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the threshold temperature has a value greater than or equal to 50° C.

7. The electrochemical device of claim 6 , wherein the threshold temperature has a value of less than or equal to 150° C.

8. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises lithium metal and/or a lithium alloy as the electrode active material.

9. An electrochemical cell comprising the electrochemical device of claim 1 .

10. A rechargeable battery comprising the electrochemical cell of claim 9 .

11. An electric vehicle comprising the electrochemical cell of claim 9 .

12. An article, comprising:
a substrate;
an electrode adjacent to the substrate, the electrode comprising electrode active material; and
a current collector electronically coupled to the electrode, wherein the article is configured such that, when the temperature of the article reaches a threshold temperature, at least a portion of the electrode is no longer electronically coupled to at least a portion of the current collector due, at least in part, to a heat-induced change in volume of the substrate.

13. The article of claim 12 , wherein the heat-induced change in volume of the substrate is an increase in the volume of the substrate.

14. The article of claim 12 , wherein the heat-induced change in volume of the substrate is a decrease in the volume of the substrate.

15. The article of claim 12 , wherein the article is configured such that the at least a portion of the electrode becomes no longer electronically coupled to the at least a portion of the current collector due at least in part to an ultimate tensile failure.

16. The article of claim 12 , wherein the threshold temperature has a value greater than or equal to 50° C.

17. The article of claim 16 , wherein the threshold temperature has a value of less than or equal to 150° C.

18. The article of claim 12 , wherein the electrode comprises lithium metal and/or a lithium alloy as the electrode active material.

19. An electrochemical cell comprising the article of claim 12 .

20. A rechargeable battery comprising the electrochemical cell of claim 19 .

21. An electric vehicle comprising the electrochemical cell of claim 19 .

22. A method, comprising:
changing a volume of a substrate that is part of an electrochemical device during charging and/or discharging of the electrochemical device, the electrochemical device comprising:
the substrate,
an electrode adjacent to the substrate, the electrode comprising electrode active material, and
an electrode tab portion electronically coupled to the electrode;

wherein the changing the volume of the substrate induces, at least in part, a loss of electronic coupling between at least a portion of the electrode and the electrode tab portion.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the changing the volume of the substrate comprises heating the substrate.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the changing the volume of the substrate comprises increasing the volume of the substrate.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the changing the volume of the substrate comprises decreasing the volume of the substrate.

26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the electrode becomes no longer electronically coupled to the electrode tab portion due at least in part to an ultimate tensile failure.

27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the electrode is electronically coupled to the electrode tab portion via a current collector, and wherein the electrode becomes no longer electronically coupled to the electrode tab portion due at least in part to the current collector undergoing ultimate tensile failure.

28. The method of claim 22 , wherein the loss of electronic coupling of the electrode to the electrode tab portion occurs when the temperature of the electrochemical device reaches a threshold temperature, wherein the threshold temperature has a value greater than or equal to 50° C.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the threshold temperature has a value of less than or equal to 150° C.

30. The method of claim 22 , wherein the electrode comprises lithium metal and/or a lithium alloy as the electrode active material.

31. The method of claim 22 , wherein the electrochemical device is part of an electrochemical cell.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the electrochemical cell is part of a rechargeable battery.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the electrochemical cell is part of an electric vehicle.

Assignees

• Sion Power Corp

Inventors

• Laramie Michael G
• Milobar Daniel G
• Mikhaylik Yuriy V
• Scordilis-Kelley Chariclea

Classifications

• H01M10/443 Primary

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H01M50/581

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H01M50/54

  Connection of several leads or tabs of plate-like electrode stacks, e.g. electrode pole straps or bridges · CPC title

• H01M2200/10

  Temperature sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01M10/0413 Primary

  Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes · CPC title