Barrier layer coatings for battery pouch cell seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016336552-A1
Application number	US-201514711966-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 14, 2015
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A prismatic battery cell and a method of making such a cell. The cell includes one or more anode regions, one or more cathode regions, an electrolyte region to facilitate ion flow between the anode and cathode regions, electrically-conductive tabs attached to the corresponding anode and cathode regions, and a pouch-like containment formed around the regions. The containment is made up of a pair of facing substantially planar surfaces sealingly joined to one another. A barrier layer coating is made up of at least one low-permeability material and is placed over at least a portion of the cell edge that is defined by the joined surfaces such that the barrier layer coating blocks ambient gases or vapors from passing through the relatively gas-permeable heat seal region that is used to join the pouch surfaces. The barrier layer coating may also include one or more hydrophobic surface treatments or enhancements, including in one form an additional layer of surface treatments to funtionalize the surface and in another form by surface roughening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A prismatic battery cell comprising:
at least one anode region, at least one cathode region and an electrolyte region to facilitate ion flow between said anode and cathode regions; a containment formed around said regions, said containment comprising a pair of facing substantially planar surfaces joined to one another with a heat seal along a substantially common peripheral area; a plurality of electrically-conductive tabs extending outward from said containment, each of said tabs cooperative with a respective one of said anode and cathode regions; and a barrier layer coating formed over said heat seal along at least a portion of an edge defined by said joined surfaces.

2 . The cell of claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer coating is formed along a substantial entirety of said edge.

3 . The cell of claim 2 , further comprising a layer of hydrophobic surface enhancement material formed on said barrier layer coating.

4 . The cell of claim 3 , wherein said surface enhancement material defines a contact angle of at least 150 degrees.

5 . The cell of claim 3 , wherein said surface enhancement material is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated carbon, zeolite, metal oxide, bismuth, parylene and siloxane.

6 . The cell of claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer coating provides additional electrical isolation between said pair of facing substantially planar surfaces.

7 . The cell of claim 1 , wherein said anode region, cathode region and electrolyte medium cooperate to define one of a lithium-ion or lithium-sulfur architecture.

8 . The cell of claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer coating comprises a single layer.

9 . The cell of claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer coating comprises at least one barrier sheet and at least one decoupling sheet placed in facingly-adjacent contact with one another.

10 . The cell of claim 9 , wherein an outermost layer of said barrier layer coating defines at least one of (a) an enhanced surface texture and (b) treatment such that its hydrophobic properties are enhanced.

11 . The cell of claim 10 , wherein said treatment comprises using at least one of (a) stearic acid and (b) palmitic acid on said outermost layer.

12 . The cell of claim 1 , wherein said containment is selected from the group consisting of a substantially rectangular metal pouch and a substantially rectangular plastic can.

13 . A prismatic battery cell comprising:
at least one anode region, at least one cathode region and an electrolyte region to facilitate ion flow between said anode and cathode regions; a containment formed around said regions, said containment comprising a pair of facing substantially planar surfaces joined to one another with a heat seal along a substantially common peripheral area; a plurality of electrically-conductive tabs extending outward from said containment, each of said tabs electrically cooperative with a respective one of said anode and cathode regions; a barrier layer coating formed over said heat seal along at least a portion of an edge defined by said joined surfaces; and at least one of (a) a hydrophobic surface enhancement material and (b) an enhanced surface texture formed on at least one surface of said barrier layer coating.

14 . A method of making a prismatic battery cell with reduced edgewise diffusion, said method comprising:
arranging a battery cell to comprise:
at least one anode region, at least one cathode region and an electrolyte region to facilitate ion flow between said anode and cathode regions;
a containment formed around said regions, said containment comprising a pair of facing substantially planar surfaces cooperatively joined to one another with a heat seal along a substantially common peripheral area; and
a plurality of electrically-conductive tabs extending outward from said containment, each of said tabs electrically cooperative with a respective one of said anode and cathode regions; and
depositing at least one barrier layer coating over said heat seal along at least a portion of an edge defined by said joined surfaces.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein placement of said barrier layer coating on said heat seal provides a greater degree of electrical isolation between said joined surfaces than said heat seal alone.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said depositing is selected from the group consisting of dipping, spraying and atmospheric plasma polymerization.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming a layer of hydrophobic surface enhancement material onto said barrier layer coating.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said barrier layer coating comprises a single layer.

19 . The cell of claim 14 , wherein said barrier layer coating comprises at least one barrier sheet and at least one decoupling sheet placed in facingly-adjacent contact with one another.

20 . The cell of claim 19 , wherein said barrier layer coating comprises a plurality of alternating barrier sheets and decoupling sheets.

21 . The cell of claim 20 , wherein said barrier sheet comprises an inorganic material and said decoupling sheet comprises a carbon-based material.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Maclean Gregory K
• Dadheech Gayatri Vyas

Classifications

• H01M50/124 Primary

  having a layered structure · CPC title

• H01M50/548

  on opposite sides of the cell · CPC title

• H01M50/197

  having a layered structure · CPC title

• H01M50/178

  for pouch or flexible bag cells · CPC title

• H01M50/105

  Pouches or flexible bags · CPC title