High throughput materials screening

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474238-B2
Application number	US-202217932723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2022
Priority date	Sep 16, 2022
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

Screening for screening a material includes: providing active mixing direct-ink-writing of the material, providing in situ characterization substrates or probes that receive the material, and providing active learning planning for screening the material. The providing active mixing direct-ink-writing of the material prints five to ten films. The providing in situ characterization substrates or probes includes printing five to ten films on the substrates or probes with a first set of constituents. The providing active learning planning for screening the material includes providing machine learning that takes the first set of constituents and uses the first set of constituents to dictate a next batch of films to achieve improved additional sets of constituents.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A screening method for screening a material, comprising the steps of:
providing computer with a database and an experimental planner subsystem; using the computer to control a composition of a plurality of different constituents being loaded from a plurality of separate inlets into a mixing device; providing mixing direct-ink-writing of the constituents to form the material, providing in situ characterization substrates or probes that receive the material; the in situ characterization substrates or probes including printing multiple films on said substrates or probes, wherein said multiple films have differing sets of the constituent materials; and experimental planner subsystem employing active learning planning for screening the material and to use the multiple films and active machine learning to generate a new, improved set of constituents for use, by further controlling an admission of additional constituents through the plurality of separate inlets, in a subsequent printing operation.

2 . The screening method of claim 1 ,
wherein said step of providing active learning planning for screening the material includes using the active machine learning to analyze said set of constituents and to dictate a next batch of films to achieve improved additional sets of constituents.

3 . The screening method of claim 2 ,
wherein said step of providing mixing direct-ink-writing comprises active mixing or static mixing direct-ink-writing of five to ten films.

4 . The screening method of claim 2 ,
wherein said step of providing mixing direct-ink-writing comprises active mixing or static mixing direct-ink-writing of one to twenty films.

5 . A material screening method comprising the steps of:
using a computer to control an admission of constituent materials through different material inlets into a nozzle for subsequent mixing to provide multiple differing material samples including a first material sample, a second sample material and additional material samples; mixing said first, second and additional material samples, thereby producing multiple sample batches comprising a first sample batch, a second sample batch, and additional sample batches; depositing said first, second and additional sample batches on a substrate in multiple group deposits comprising a first group deposit containing said first sample batch, a second group deposit containing said second sample batch, and additional group deposits containing said additional sample batches; scanning said group deposits producing multiple data scan units comprising a first data scan unit comprising said first sample batch, a second data scan unit comprising said second sample batch, and additional data scan units comprising said additional sample batches; establishing desired material characteristics comprising first desired material characteristic, second desired material characteristic, and additional desired material characteristics; analyzing and comparing said multiple data scan units and said desired material characteristics; rating said multiple material samples according to said desired material characteristics; and using an experimental planning machine employing learning to analyze said ratings to generate information for creating a new sample batch having an improved material characteristic.

6 . The material screening method of claim 5 wherein said multiple material samples are polymer material samples.

7 . The material screening method of claim 5 wherein said multiple material samples are composite material samples.

8 . The material screening method of claim 5 wherein said multiple material samples are battery polymer material samples.

9 . The material screening method of claim 5 wherein said multiple material samples are Lithium ion battery material samples.

10 . The material screening method of claim 5 wherein said multiple material samples are Lithium metal battery material samples.

11 . The material screening method of claim 5 wherein said first desired material characteristic is viscosity or impedance or thermomechanical properties, wherein said second desired material characteristic is viscosity or impedance or thermomechanical properties, and wherein said additional desired material characteristic is viscosity or impedance or thermomechanical properties.

12 . The material screening method of claim 11 wherein said first desired material characteristic is viscosity, wherein said second desired material characteristic is viscosity, and wherein said additional desired material characteristic is viscosity.

13 . The material screening method of claim 11 wherein said first desired material characteristic is impedance, wherein said second desired material characteristic is impedance, and wherein said additional desired material characteristic is impedance.

14 . The material screening method of claim 11 wherein said first desired material characteristic is thermomechanical properties, wherein said second desired material characteristic thermomechanical properties, and wherein said additional desired material characteristic is thermomechanical properties.

15 . The material screening method of claim 5 further comprising the step of curing said multiple group deposits.

16 . A material screening apparatus, comprising:
an in-situ characterization substrate, a test formulation deposited on said substrate, a mixing and deposit head, a probe head, a first inlet in communication with said mixing and deposit head, a second inlet in communication with said mixing and deposit head, a third inlet in communication with said mixing and deposit head, an automated compositional control, a computer with a database and experimental planner software, the computer controlling a composition of constituents independently through each of the first, second and third inlets into the mixing and deposition head; the test formulation generating first data acquired from said substrate, and second data acquired from said probe head; and the computer with the database and the experimental planner software using the first and second data to provide information for formulating an additional test formulation, applied through the first, second and third inlets, which is different from the test formulation.

17 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a photocuring light source and photocuring light from said photocuring light source.

18 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a controlled environment for the material screening apparatus.

19 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising environmental sensors.

20 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a thermal sensor.

21 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a stress sensor.

22 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a pH sensor.

23 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an impedance sensor.

24 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an oxygen sensor.

25 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a glucose sensor.

26 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a lactate sensor.

27 . The material screening apparatus of claim 16 f

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Schwartz Johanna Jesse
• Wood Marissa
• Ye Jianchao
• Jaycox Adam W
• Zhong Xiaoting

Classifications

• H01M6/40

  Printed batteries {, e.g. thin film batteries} · CPC title

• B05D1/26

  performed by applying the liquid or other fluent material from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface · CPC title

• H01M10/0562 Primary

  Solid materials · CPC title

• H01M2300/0082

  Organic polymers · CPC title

• H01M10/0565

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