Facile surface coatings for performance improvement of battery material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12567586-B2
Application number	US-202418432242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2024
Priority date	Feb 6, 2023
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A method of activating an electrode material is provided. The method includes adding an ion-conducting salt to an organic solvent to obtain a salt solution. An electrode material is introduced to the salt solution to obtain a reaction mixture by heat treating. The reaction mixture is heat treated at a temperature in a range of 50 to 70° C. for a period of time to surface coat the electrode material with an inorganic compound to obtain an activated electrode material. The ion-conducting salt may be a metal bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, the metal being selected from a group consisting of Li, Na, K, Zn, Mg, Al, and Fe. The time period may be at least 4 hours and may be in a range of 8 to 24 hours. The inorganic compound coated on the electrode material may be LiF.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of stabilizing an electrode material, the method comprising:
adding an ion-conducting salt to an organic solvent to obtain a salt solution, wherein the ion-conducting salt is a metal bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide or metal (fluorosulfonyl)((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)imide, the metal being selected from a group consisting of Li, Na, K, Mg, Zn, Al, and Fe; introducing an electrode material to the salt solution to obtain a reaction mixture, wherein the electrode material is one of: i) a metal oxide wherein a metal of the metal oxide corresponds to the metal of the ion-conducting salt; ii) graphite; iii) carbon black; or iv) lithium titanate; and heat treating the reaction mixture at a temperature in a range of 50 to 70° C. for a period of time, wherein the electrode material is surface coated with an inorganic compound to obtain an activated electrode material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is one of dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, propylene carbonate, acetonitrile, acetone, and N-methyl pyrrolidinone.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of time is at least 4 hours.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the period of time is at least 8 hours.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the period of time is in a range of 8 to 24 hours.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic compound coated on the electrode material is LiF.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode material is further defined as a cathode active material.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode material is further defined as an anode active material.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode material initially introduced to the salt solution is a passivated electrode material.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of heat treating further includes stirring the reaction mixture.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein after the step of heat treating, the method further includes separating the reaction mixture to isolate the activated electrode material.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further including the step of washing the isolated activated electrode material with a solvent.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further including the step of drying the isolated activated electrode material.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Jafta Charl J
• Sun Xiao-Guang
• Paranthaman M Parans

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/62

  Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for active masses, e.g. binders, fillers · CPC title

• C01P2004/80

  Particles consisting of a mixture of two or more inorganic phases · CPC title

• C01P2006/40

  Electric properties · CPC title

• C01P2002/72

  by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram · CPC title