High energy density alkali metal batteries incorporating solid electrolytes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018309165-A1
Application number	US-201715493496-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Oct 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell comprising an alkali metal anode and a solid electrolyte is disclosed. The surface of the electrolyte is roughened, mechanically, chemically or by ablation and the cell is operated at a pressure of between 3 MPa and 10 MPa. Such a cell exhibits higher power density than a like-dimensioned cell employing a smooth-surfaced electrolyte surface and operated at pressures of less than 1 MPa.

First claim

1 . An electrochemical cell comprising an alkali metal anode and a solid electrolyte, the cell comprising:
a glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic, solid electrolyte with a roughened surface maintained in electrical and mechanical face-to-face contact with the alkali metal anode by an applied pressure.

2 . The electrochemical cell recited in claim 1 in which the solid electrolyte surface is roughened by one or more of, mechanical abrasion, chemical etching and laser ablation.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 in which the alkali metal anode is one of lithium and sodium.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 in which the cell is operated at a pressure greater than the flow stress of the alkali metal anode.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 in which the cell is operated at a pressure of between 3 MPa and 10 MPa.

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 in which the roughened surface of the solid electrolyte is selected to enable an increase in critical current density of at least 25% over a like dimensioned cell with a smooth-surfaced electrolyte.

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 in which the RMS roughness of the solid electrolyte ranges from 2 micrometers to 10 micrometers for a powder processed film electrolyte or from 0.5 micrometers to 10 micrometers for a melt processed film electrolyte and is selected to not prejudice the ability of the cell to accommodate in-service loads without fracturing the solid electrolyte.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 in which the solid electrolyte is one of sulfide, oxide, and oxysulfide glasses and glass-ceramics, garnets, anti-perovskites, perovskites and, materials with a structure analogous to the NASICON structure.

9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 in which the solid electrolyte is a sulfide or an oxysulfide glass or a sulfide or oxysulfide glass-ceramic.

10 . An electrochemical cell comprising a lithium metal anode and a solid electrolyte, the cell comprising:
a glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic, solid electrolyte with a roughened surface maintained in face-to-face electrical and mechanical contact with the metal anode by an applied pressure of between 3 MPa and 10 MPa.

11 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 in which the solid electrolyte is a sulfide or an oxysulfide glass or a sulfide or oxysulfide glass-ceramic.

12 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 in which the solid electrolyte is roughened by a mechanical abrasive.

13 . The electrochemical cell of claim 12 in which the RMS roughness of the solid electrolyte ranges from 2 micrometers to 10 micrometers for a powder processed film electrolyte or from 0.5 micrometers to 10 micrometers for a melt processed film electrolyte.

14 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 which has a capacity of about 8000 μAhcm −2 when discharged at a current density of 1000 μA cm −2 .

15 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 in which the roughened surface of the solid electrolyte is selected to enable an increase in critical current density of at least 25% over a like cell with a smooth-surfaced electrolyte.

16 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 in which the pressure is maintained by a rigid container.

17 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 in which pressure is maintained by an external pressure source.

18 . A method of fabricating a high capacity, alkali metal anode, electrochemical cell, the method comprising;
assembling, under a pressure greater than the flow stress of the alkali metal anode, the alkali metal anode, a glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic, solid electrolyte with a roughened surface and a smooth surface, and a cathode, the roughened surface of the solid electrolyte being in face-to-face contact with the alkali metal anode and the smooth surface of the solid electrolyte being in face-to-face contact with the cathode.

19 . The method of fabricating a high capacity, alkali metal anode, electrochemical cell recited in claim 18 in which the roughened solid electrolyte surface is roughened by one or more of mechanical abrasion, chemical etching and laser ablation.

20 . The method of fabricating a high capacity, alkali metal anode, electrochemical cell recited in claim 19 in which the roughening is conducted to achieve an RMS surface roughness on the solid electrolyte ranges from 2 micrometers to 10 micrometers for a powder processed film electrolyte or from 0.5 micrometers to 10 micrometers for a melt processed film electrolyte.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Yersak Thomas A
• Salvador James R

Classifications

• H01M10/0565

  Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type · CPC title

• H01M10/0562 Primary

  Solid materials · CPC title

• H01M2300/0068

  inorganic · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title