Glassy embedded solid-state electrode assemblies, solid-state batteries and methods of making electrode assemblies and solid-state batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12237511-B2
Application number	US-202418671772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2024
Priority date	Aug 4, 2020
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

Batteries, component structures and manufacturing methods, in particular including a glassy embedded battery electrode assembly having a composite material structure composed of interpenetrating material components including a porous electroactive network including a solid electroactive material, and a continuous glassy medium including a Li ion conducting sulfide glass, can achieve enhanced power output, reduced charging time and/or improved cycle life.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a glass embedded electrode assembly, the method comprising: i) providing a porous electroactive network comprising cathode active material; ii) coating the electroactive network surfaces with a protective nanofilm that covers the cathode active material surfaces; iii) impregnating the pores of the electroactive network with particles of Li ion conducting sulfide glass to form a glassy electroactive prepreg; and heating the prepreg to cause the glass particles to viscously sinter to each other and form a continuous a glassy medium interpenetrating with the electroactive network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the impregnating takes place at a temperature at or below 60° C.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electroactive network is a porous preformed electroactive monolith comprising a cathode active material of intercalation type.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electroactive network is a porous preformed electroactive monolith that is a composite material of discrete electroactive particles held together by a binder material that is thermally stable for its utility as a binder when heated to Tg of the glassy medium.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the discrete electroactive particles are of intercalation type.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the method of forming the glassy electroactive prepreg comprises:
vacuum impregnating a liquid phase dispersion of Li-sulfide glass particles in a volatile carrier solvent; and
evaporating the carrier solvent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method of forming the glassy electroactive prepreg further comprises applying Li ion conducting glassy sulfide media particles as a thin layer onto a surface of the prepreg, and wherein the heating step causes the thin layer of glassy sulfide media particles to viscously sinter thereby forming an encapsulating glassy cover region.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the electroactive network is of intercalation type.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the electroactive network is of intercalation type.

Assignees

• Polyplus Battery Co Inc

Inventors

• Visco Steven J
• Nimon Yevgeniy S
• Katz Bruce D
• Nimon Vitaliy

Classifications

• H01M4/0471

  involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis · CPC title

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · CPC title

• H01M2300/0068

  inorganic · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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