Graphene-protected lead acid batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018151872-A1
Application number	US-201615365049-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2016
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	May 31, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lead acid battery comprising a negative electrode, a positive electrode comprising lead oxide, an electrolyte in physical contact with the negative electrode and the positive electrode, an optional separator positioned between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, wherein the negative electrode comprises a plurality of particulates of graphene-protected lead or lead alloy, wherein at least one of the particulates is formed of a single or a plurality of graphene sheets and a single or a plurality of fine lead or lead alloy particles having a size smaller than 10 μm, and the graphene sheets and the particles are mutually bonded or agglomerated into the particulate with at least a graphene sheet embracing or wrapping around the particulate, and wherein graphene is in an amount of at least 0.01% but less than 99% by weight based on the total weight of the particulate.

First claim

1 . A lead acid battery comprising a negative electrode, a positive electrode comprising lead oxide, an electrolyte in physical contact with said negative electrode and said positive electrode, an optional separator positioned between said negative electrode and said positive electrode, wherein said negative electrode comprises a plurality of negative particulates of graphene-protected lead or lead alloy and wherein at least one of said negative particulates is formed of a single or a plurality of graphene sheets and a single or a plurality of fine lead or lead alloy particles having a size smaller than 10 μm, and the graphene sheets and the lead or lead alloy particles are mutually bonded or agglomerated into said particulate with at least a graphene sheet embracing or wrapping around said particulate, and wherein said graphene is in an amount of at least 0.01% but less than 99% by weight based on the total weight of said particulate.

2 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , wherein the lead or lead alloy amount is at least 5% by weight.

3 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , further comprising a negative current collector or positive current collector consisting essentially of a lead grid, a lead alloy grid, a sheet of mat, paper, or porous film made of metal fibers, metal nano wires, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, electro-spun conductive polymer fibers, carbonized electro-spun polymer fibers, metal-coated fibers, carbon-coated fibers, conductive polymer-coated fibers, conductive polymer fibers, or a combination thereof.

4 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , wherein said negative particulate is substantially spherical or ellipsoidal in shape.

5 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , wherein said graphene comprises single-layer graphene or few-layer graphene, wherein said few-layer graphene is defined as a graphene platelet formed of less than 10 graphene planes and said graphene is selected from the group consisting of pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, and combination thereof.

6 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , wherein said negative particulates include a core-shell structure wherein said core contains one or multiple particles of lead or lead acid and said shell contain one or multiple sheets of graphene.

7 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , wherein said lead or lead alloy particles in said negative particulate have a dimension smaller than 1 μm.

8 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , wherein said lead or lead alloy particles in said negative particulate have a dimension smaller than 100 nm.

9 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , further comprising a carbon or graphite material in electronic contact with said lead or lead alloy and a graphene sheet.

10 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , further comprising a carbon or graphite material coated on or in contact with at least one of said lead or lead alloy particles, wherein said carbon or graphite material is selected from the group consisting of polymeric carbon, amorphous carbon, chemical vapor deposition carbon, coal tar pitch, petroleum pitch, meso-phase pitch, carbon black, coke, acetylene black, activated carbon, fine expanded graphite particle with a dimension smaller than 100 nm, artificial graphite particle, natural graphite particle, and combinations thereof.

11 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator is selected from a porous film, paper, or mat of a polymer, glass, ceramic material, or a combination thereof.

12 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 wherein said lead oxide in said positive electrode is mixed with graphene to form a lead oxide-graphene mixture or composite structure.

13 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 wherein said electrolyte contains sulfuric acid in water at an acid concentration of 0.01 M to 10 M.

14 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 wherein said negative electrode further comprises a negative current collector and said plurality of negative particulates of graphene-protected lead or lead alloy form one or two negative electrode material layers coated on or bonded to said negative current collector.

15 . The lead acid battery of claim 14 , wherein said negative current collector comprises a metal grid or a sheet of mat, paper, or porous film made of conductive filaments selected from the group consisting of metal fibers, metal nano wires, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, electro-spun conductive polymer fibers, carbonized electro-spun polymer fibers, metal-coated fibers, carbon-coated fibers, conductive polymer-coated fibers, conductive polymer fibers, and combinations thereof.

16 . The lead acid battery of claim 1 wherein said positive electrode comprises a plurality of positive particulates of graphene-protected lead oxide, wherein at least one of said positive particulates is formed of a single or a plurality of graphene sheets and a single or a plurality of fine lead oxide particles or coating having a size smaller than 10 μm, and the graphene sheets and the lead oxide particles or coating are mutually bonded or agglomerated into said positive particulate with at least a graphene sheet embracing or wrapping around said positive particulate, and wherein said graphene is in an amount of at least 0.01% but less than 95% by weight based on the total weight of said positive particulate.

17 . The lead acid battery of claim 16 , wherein said lead oxide particles or coating have a size smaller than 1 μm.

18 . The lead acid battery of claim 16 , wherein said lead oxide particles or coating have a size smaller than 100 nm.

19 . The lead acid battery of claim 16 , wherein said positive electrode further comprises a positive current collector and said plurality of positive particulates of graphene-protected lead oxide form one or two positive electrode material layers coated on or bonded to said positive current collector.

20 . The lead acid battery of claim 19 , wherein said positive current collector comprises a metal grid or a sheet of mat, paper, or porous film made of conductive filaments selected from the group consisting of metal fibers, metal nano wires, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, electro-spun conductive polymer fibers, carbonized electro-spun polymer fibers, metal-coated fibers, carbon-coated fibers, conductive polymer-coated fibers, conductive polymer fibers, and combinations thereof.

21 . A lead acid battery comprising a negative electrode comprising lead or an lead alloy, a positive electrode, an electrolyte in physical contact with said negative electrode and said positive electrode, an optional separator positioned between said negative electrode and said positive electrode, wherein said positive electrode comprises a plurality of positive particulates of graphene-protected lead oxide and at least one of said positive particulates is formed of a single or a plurality of graphene sheets and a single or a plurality of fine lead oxide particles or coating having a size smaller than 10 μm, and the graphene sheets and the lead oxide particles or coating are mutually bonded or agglomerated into said positive particulate with at least a graphene sheet embracing or wrapping around said positive particulate, and wherein said graphene is in an amount of at least 0.01% but less than 95% by weight based on the total weight of said positive particulate.

22 . The lead acid

Assignees

• Nanotek Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Zhamu Aruna
• Jang Bor Z

Classifications

• H01M4/38

  of elements or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/366

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/362 Primary

  Composites · CPC title

• H01M4/628

  Inhibitors, e.g. gassing inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors · CPC title