Lithium fluoride-based and related cathode compositions and batteries comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020235420-A1
Application number	US-202016748056-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Jan 18, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An embodiment is directed to a Li metal or Li-ion battery, including a conversion-type metal fluoride comprising cathode capable of storing and releasing Li ions during battery operation, a conversion-type type or Li metal-type anode capable of storing and releasing Li ions during battery operation, a separator membrane ionically coupling and electronically insulating the cathode and the anode, and a solid electrolyte with a Li transference number in the range from around 0.7 to around 1.0 impregnating at least the cathode, wherein the cathode comprises composite a core-shell particle and has an areal capacity loading that ranges from around 2 mAh/cm 2 to around 12 mAh/cm 2 .

First claim

1 . A Li metal or Li-ion battery cell, comprising:
a conversion-type metal fluoride comprising cathode capable of storing and releasing Li ions during battery cell operation; a conversion-type type or Li metal-type anode capable of storing and releasing Li ions during battery cell operation; a separator membrane ionically coupling and electronically insulating the cathode and the anode; and a solid electrolyte with a Li transference number in the range from around 0.7 to around 1.0 impregnating at least the cathode, wherein the cathode comprises composite a core-shell particle and has an areal capacity loading that ranges from around 2 mAh/cm 2 to around 12 mAh/cm 2 .

2 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte impregnates into both the anode and the cathode.

3 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 , wherein a volume fraction of the solid electrolyte in the cathode ranges from around 8 vol. % to around 35 vol. %.

4 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte exhibits a melting point or a glass transition temperature below around 400° C.

5 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 4 , wherein the solid electrolyte exhibits Li ion conductivity in excess of 10 −4 S/cm either at room temperature or at battery cell operating temperatures.

6 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 5 , wherein a ratio of a mobility of Cu 2+ and Fe 2+ to that of Li + in the solid electrolyte ranges from around 10 −20 to around 0.05 at the battery cell operation temperatures.

7 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 5 , wherein the solid electrolyte comprises a solid polymer electrolyte.

8 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 7 , wherein the solid polymer electrolyte exhibits ultimate tensile strength in the range from around 0.05 MPa to around 500.0 MPa.

9 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 7 , wherein the solid polymer electrolyte exhibits a glass transition temperature from around minus (−) 90° C. to around 0° C.

10 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 7 , wherein the solid polymer electrolyte comprises one, two or more copolymers.

11 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 7 ,
wherein the solid polymer electrolyte exhibits a degree of crystallinity in the range from around 0.0 vol. % to around 30.0 vol. % at room temperature

12 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 7 ,
wherein the solid polymer electrolyte comprises nitrogen (N) as a part of the polymer backbone

13 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 7 ,
wherein the solid polymer electrolyte comprises sulfur (S) as a part of the polymer backbone

14 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 7 ,
wherein the solid polymer electrolyte comprises one or more Li salts, wherein at least one Li salt comprises the anion immobilized by covalent attachment to the polymer backbone

15 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the volumetric capacity of both the cathode and the anode exceeds around 700 mAh/cc.

16 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 ,
wherein a core of the core-shell particle comprises (i) LiF, (ii) metal nanoparticles comprising one, two or more metals selected from Cu, Fe, Ni, Co and Bi or their alloys and (iii) a matrix material composition, wherein the matrix material composition is configured to confine the LiF and the metal nanoparticles during battery cell operation and to reduce volume changes in the core-shell particle during battery cell operation.

17 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 16 ,
wherein at least one core component of the core conducts both Li+ cations and F− anions, wherein the at least one core component exhibits F− conductivity in the range from around 0.1% to around 500% of Li+ conductivity in the ionically conducting material.

18 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 ,
wherein the separator membrane comprises ceramic material, wherein the weight fraction of the ceramic material exceeds 1 wt. % relative to a total weight of the separator membrane.

19 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the separator membrane comprises fibers or nanofibers

20 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises silicon (Si) or carbon (C) or both.

21 . The Li metal or Li-ion battery cell composition of claim 1 , wherein, in a discharged state, the anode comprises pores of sufficient pore volume to accommodate volume expansion in response to Li insertion.

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc

Inventors

• Yushin Gleb
• Gerber Laura
• Clark Matthew

Classifications

• H01M50/46

  Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes · CPC title

• H01M50/44

  Fibrous material · CPC title

• H01M10/0525 Primary

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

• H01M4/386

  Silicon or alloys based on silicon · CPC title

• H01M2300/0094

  in the form of layered products, e.g. coatings · CPC title