Electrochemical cells having semi-solid electrodes and methods of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016133916-A1
Application number	US-201514932153-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate generally to electrochemical cells having semi-solid electrodes that are coated on only one side of a current collector. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell includes a semi-solid positive electrode coated on only one side of a positive current collector and a semi-solid negative electrode coated on only one side of a negative current collector. A separator is disposed between the semi-solid positive electrode and the semi-solid negative electrode. At least one of the semi-solid positive electrode and the semi-solid negative electrode can have a thickness of at least about 250 μ m.

First claim

1 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a positive current collector having a first surface and a second surface; a semi-solid cathode disposed on only the first surface of the positive current collector; a negative current collector having a first surface and a second surface; a semi-solid anode disposed on only the first surface of the negative current collector; and a separator disposed between the first surface of the positive current collector and the first surface of the negative current collector.

2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the positive current collector, the negative current collector, and separator are disposed in a pouch.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the pouch is sealed to form an individual electrochemical cell.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the semi-solid cathode and the semi-solid anode has a thickness of at least about 250 μm.

5 . An electrochemical cell stack, comprising:
a first electrochemical cell including a current collector having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the current collector having a semi-solid electrode disposed thereon; and a second electrochemical cell including a current collector having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the current collector having a semi-solid electrode disposed thereon, the second surface of the current collector of the second electrochemical cell coupled to the second surface of the current collector of the first electrochemical cell.

6 . The electrochemical cell stack of claim 5 , wherein the semi-solid electrode disposed on the current collector of the first electrochemical cell is a first cathode, and the semi-solid electrode disposed on the current collector of the second electrochemical cell is a second cathode.

7 . The electrochemical cell stack of claim 6 , wherein the current collector included in the first electrochemical cell is a first current collector, the first electrochemical cell further including a second current collector having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the second current collector having a semi-solid anode disposed thereon.

8 . The electrochemical cell stack of claim 7 , further comprising a separator disposed between the semi-solid anode and the semi-solid cathode disposed on the first current collector.

9 . The electrochemical cell stack of claim 7 , wherein the current collector included in the second electrochemical cell is a third current collector, the second electrochemical cell further including a fourth current collector having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the fourth current collector having a semi-solid anode disposed thereon.

10 . The electrochemical cell stack of claim 9 , further comprising a separator disposed between the semi-solid anode and the semi-solid cathode disposed on the third current collector.

11 . A method of manufacturing an electrochemical cell, the method comprising:
coating a semi-solid cathode onto a first surface of a positive current collector; coating a semi-solid anode onto a first surface of a negative current collector; disposing a separator between the semi-solid cathode and the semi-solid anode; disposing the positive current collector, the negative current collector, and the separator in a pouch; and sealing the pouch to form the electrochemical cell.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein coating the semi-solid cathode onto the first surface of the positive current collector includes at least one of casting, drop coating, pressing, and roll-pressing.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein coating the semi-solid anode onto the first surface of the negative current collector includes at least one of casting, drop coating, pressing, and roll-pressing.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein coating the semi-solid cathode onto the first surface of the positive current collector further comprises:
disposing a frame on the first surface of the positive current collector, the frame defining an opening; disposing the semi-solid cathode into the opening of the frame; and removing excess semi-solid cathode material from the opening.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the frame has a thickness and the thickness of the frame determines the thickness of the semi-solid cathode.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein coating the semi-solid anode onto the first surface of the negative current collector further comprises:
disposing a frame on the first surface of the negative current collector, the frame defining an opening; disposing the semi-solid anode into the opening of the frame; and removing excess semi-solid anode material from the opening.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the frame has a thickness and the thickness of the frame determines the thickness of the semi-solid anode.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the excess semi-solid anode material is removed with a doctor blade.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the doctor blade is vibrated during the removing.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
analyzing at least one of the semi-solid cathode and the semi-solid anode with a non-contact instrument.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the non-contact instrument is an optical instrument.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the non-contact instrument is used to analyze at least one of a surface morphology and thickness uniformity.

23 . A method of manufacturing an electrochemical cell, the method comprising:
disposing a first semi-solid electrode material onto a first surface of first current collector; disposing a second semi-solid electrode material onto a first surface of a second current collector; and disposing the second surface of the first current collector on the second surface of the second current collector to form a bipolar electrode.

Assignees

• 24M Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Zagars Raymond
• Curhan Jeffrey
• Doherty Tristan
• Slocum Alexander H

Classifications

• H01M10/0413

  Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/0436 Primary

  Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M10/049

  Processes for forming or storing electrodes in the battery container · CPC title

• H01M4/0473

  Filling tube-or pockets type electrodes; Applying active mass in cup-shaped terminals · CPC title