Electrolyte material composition and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017253777-A1
Application number	US-201615368143-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2013
Publication date	Sep 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The electrolyte material includes a polymer, a salt, and a solvent. The electrolyte material has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 cP to about 20.0 cP such that the electrolyte material can be applied to a substrate using an ink jet print head.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An electrolyte material comprising a polyimide polymer, a lithium salt, and a solvent, wherein the electrolyte material has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 to 8.0 cP such that the electrolyte material can be applied to a surface in a layer using an ink jet print head.

2 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte material has a dynamic surface tension in the range from about 30 dynes/cm to about 50 dynes/cm.

3 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a terpolymer poly (pyromellitic dianhydride+3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-4,4′-methylene dianiline/2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3-phenylenediamineDimide (poly (PDMA+TMMDA/DAMs)imide).

4 . The electrolyte material of claim 3 , wherein the solvent is present in an amount ranging from about 80.0% to about 98.0% by weight.

5 . The electrolyte material of claim 4 , wherein the polymer is present in an amount from about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight.

6 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the salt comprises lithium bis trifluoromehtanesulfonimide.

7 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of gamma butyrolactone, n-methyl-pyrrolidone, n-gamma valerolactone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, 3-methyl-oxazolidinone, tetramethylurea, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, methylethylketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, ethylmethylcarbonate, diethylcarbonate, dimethoxyethane, dimethoxymethane, diethoxyethane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran, 1,3-dioxolane, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, acetonitrile, methylacetate, ethylacetate, methyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate or any polar aprotic solvent and mixtures thereof.

8 . The electrolyte material of claim 7 , wherein the solvent comprises gamma butyrolactone.

9 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , further comprising a surface tension modifier.

10 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , further comprising a co-solvent.

11 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the layer has a thickness in the range of from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.

12 . The electrolyte material of claim 11 , wherein the layer has a thickness in the range of from about 16 micrometers to about 22 micrometers.

13 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises one of a substrate and an intermediate layer disposed atop the substrate.

14 . The electrolyte material of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises one of an adhesive material, a cathode material, an anode material, or an insulating material.

15 . The electrolyte material of claim 1 , further comprising a device for use in an ink jet print operation comprising:
a housing; a series of ejection nozzles mounted within the housing, each ejection nozzle capable of ejecting a drop on demand; and a source of the electrolyte material communicating with the nozzles.

16 . An electrolyte adapted to be applied using an ink jet print head, comprising:
from about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight of a polyimide polymer; a lithium salt; and from about 80.0% to about 98.0% by weight of a solvent; wherein the electrolyte has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 to 8.0 cP such that the electrolyte can be jetted by the ink jet print head.

17 . The electrolyte of claim 16 , wherein the polymer is present in the amount ranging from about 1.0% to about 1.5% by weight; wherein the lithium salt is present in the amount ranging from about 2.0% to about 3.0% by weight; wherein the solvent is present in the amount ranging from about 95.0% to about 98.0% by weight.

18 . The electrolyte of claim 16 , wherein the electrolyte has a dynamic surface tension in the range from about 30 dynes/cm to about 50 dynes/cm.

19 . A method of manufacturing a battery using an ink jet print head comprising the steps of:
jetting an electrolyte material onto a surface, wherein the electrolyte material comprises a polyimide polymer, a lithium salt, and a solvent and has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 cP to about 8.0 cP; and vaporizing a portion of the solvent.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the electrolyte material has a dynamic surface tension in the range from about 30 dynes/cm to about 50 dynes/cm.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the electrolyte material forms a layer having a thickness in the range of from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the thickness is in the range of from about 18 micrometers to about 22 micrometers.

23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the substrate is heated to promote vaporization of the solvent.

24 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the electrolyte material is jetted from an ink jet print head, and the method further comprises relative movement of the ink jet print head over the substrate to form a layer thereon.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the relative movement includes up to 50 passes.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the relative movement includes between 20 and 30 passes.

Assignees

• Donnelley & Sons Co

Inventors

• Cyman Jr Theodore F
• Hook Kevin J
• Geddes Pamela
• Murzynowski Alan R
• Blease James W
• Kanfoush Daniel E

Classifications

• B32B37/1284

  Application of adhesive · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/625

  Carbon or graphite · CPC title

• H01M10/0436

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

• H01M4/622

  being polymers · CPC title