Method for coating a metal layer such as lithium metal on a web such as a current collector foil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12494470-B2
Application number	US-202217970659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2022
Priority date	Oct 21, 2022
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A method for coating a web with a metal layer includes heating a metal in a container to create molten metal. The metal is selected from a group consisting of lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), indium (In), tin (Sn), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb). The method includes coating at least one surface of a web with a metal layer using the molten metal. The web is made of a material selected from a group consisting of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), stainless steel, polymer, and carbon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for coating a web with a metal layer, comprising:
heating a metal in a container to create molten metal, wherein the metal is selected from a group consisting of lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), indium (In), tin (Sn), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb); and coating at least one surface of a web with a metal layer using the molten metal, wherein the web is made of a material selected from a group consisting of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), stainless steel, polymer, and carbon, and further coating the at least one surface of the web with the molten metal by tilting the container.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is heated to a temperature in a range from a melting temperature of the metal to the melting temperature of the metal plus 200° C.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises lithium (Li) and the material of the web comprises copper (Cu) foil.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating is performed without performing prior surface treatment of the web.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a thickness of the metal layer using a thickness adjuster configured to direct gas at the web after coating.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising increasing a thickness of the metal layer by coating the web using molten metal in additional containers.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a thickness of the metal layer is in a range from 1 μm to 80 μm; and a thickness of the web is in a range from 1 μm to 100 μm.

8 . A method for coating a web with a Li metal layer, comprising:
heating lithium (Li) metal in N containers to create molten Li metal in the N containers, wherein N is an integer greater than zero, wherein a temperature of the N containers is in a range 180° C. to 300° C.; and using a roll-to-roll process to coat at least one surface of a web with a Li metal layer using the molten Li metal in the N containers, wherein the web comprises foil made of a material selected from a group consisting of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), and stainless steel, wherein a thickness of the web is in a range from 1 μm to 100 μm, and wherein a thickness of the Li metal layer after coating the web with molten Li metal in the N containers is in a range from 1 μm to 50 μm, and further coating both sides of the web with the molten Li metal by tilting at least two of the N containers.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein material of the web comprises copper (Cu) foil.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the coating with the molten Li metal is performed without performing prior surface treatment of the web.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting a thickness of the Li metal layer using a thickness adjuster configured to direct gas at the web after coating in at least one of the N containers.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein N is greater than one.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Ren Yaoyu
• Wang Ming
• Xu Shaomao
• Sekol Ryan Curtis

Classifications

• H01M4/661

  Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/0404 Primary

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title

• H01M4/0454

  from melts · CPC title