Method for preparing sulfur-polyacrylonitrile (SPAN)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12428506-B2
Application number	US-202217690831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2022
Priority date	Mar 9, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

Methods for forming sulfur polyacrylonitrile are provide. In certain variations, the method includes contacting sulfur and polyacrylonitrile to form an admixture, sealing a container holding the admixture, heating the admixture to a first temperature venting the container holding the admixture to release gases generated during the heating of the admixture to the first temperature, re-sealing the container holding the admixture, and heating the admixture to a second temperature. In other variations, the method includes contacting sulfur and polyacrylonitrile to form an admixture, heating the admixture to a first temperature, sealing a container holding the admixture, and heating the admixture to a second temperature. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming sulfur polyacrylonitrile (SPAN), the method comprising:
contacting sulfur(S) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to form an admixture having a mass ratio of sulfur:polyacrylonitrile of greater than or equal to about 1.2:1 to less than or equal to about 2:1;
heating the admixture in an open system to a first temperature and holding the first temperature for a first duration, the first temperature being greater than or equal to about 300° C. to less than or equal to about 350° C., the first duration being greater than 0 minutes to less than or equal to about 1,440 minutes;
sealing the open system to form a sealed system, and
heating the admixture to a second temperature and holding the second temperature for a second duration, the second temperature being greater than or equal to about 400° C. to less than or equal to about 600° C., the second duration being greater than 0 minutes to less than or equal to about 1,440 minutes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first duration is greater than or equal to about 15 minutes to less than or equal to about 480 minutes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second duration is greater than or equal to about 15 minutes to less than or equal to about 480 minutes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, prior to the heating of the admixture to the second temperature, cooling the admixture to a third temperature greater than or equal to about 21° C. to less than about 300° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, after the heating of the admixture to the second temperature, cooling the admixture to a third temperature greater than or equal to about 21° C. to less than about 300° C.

6. A method for forming sulfur polyacrylonitrile (SPAN), the method comprising:
contacting sulfur(S) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to form an admixture;
sealing a container holding the admixture;
heating the admixture to a first temperature;
venting the container holding the admixture to release gases generated during the heating of the admixture to the first temperature;
re-sealing the container holding the admixture; and
heating the admixture to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the admixture has a mass ratio of sulfur:polyacrylonitrile of greater than or equal to about 1.8:1 to less than or equal to about 2:1,
the first temperature is greater than or equal to about 300° C. to less than or equal to about 350° C., and
the second temperature is greater than or equal to about 400° C. to less than or equal to about 600° C.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
prior to the venting of the container holding the admixture, holding the first temperature for a first duration greater than 0 minutes to less than or equal to about 1,440 minutes.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
prior the venting of the container holding the admixture, cooling the admixture to a third temperature that is less than the first temperature.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
holding the second temperature for a second duration greater than 0 minutes to less than or equal to about 1,440 minutes.

11. A method for forming sulfur polyacrylonitrile (SPAN), the method comprising:
contacting sulfur(S) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to form an admixture having a mass ratio of sulfur:polyacrylonitrile of greater than or equal to about 1.8:1 to less than or equal to about 2:1;
heating the admixture to a first temperature greater than or equal to about 300° C. to less than or equal to about 350° C.;
sealing a container holding the admixture; and
heating the admixture to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature, the second temperature being greater than or equal to about 400° C. to less than or equal to about 600° C.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
prior to the sealing of the container holding the admixture at the first temperature for a first duration greater than 0 minutes to less than or equal to about 1,440 minutes.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
prior to the sealing of the container holding the admixture, cooling the admixture to a third temperature greater that is less than the first temperature.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
holding the second temperature for a second duration greater than 0 minutes to less than or equal to about 1,440 minutes.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Schmidt Robert D
• Chen Shuru
• Dai Fang
• Cai Mei

Classifications

• H01M10/0565

  Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M2300/0082

  Organic polymers · CPC title

• C08F120/44 Primary

  Acrylonitrile · CPC title

• H01M10/0566

  Liquid materials · CPC title