Method and apparatus for fabricating an electrode for a battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022352523-A1
Application number	US-202117242576-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2021
Publication date	Nov 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery electrode, and a method for fabricating the battery electrode are described. The battery electrode includes a current collector having a woven mesh planar sheet that is composed of metallic strands. The metallic strands define a multiplicity of interstitial spaces, and the woven mesh planar sheet includes a first surface and a second surface. An active material including lithium is embedded in the interstitial spaces of a first portion of the woven mesh planar sheet, and an electrical connection tab arranged on a second portion of the woven mesh planar sheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for fabricating a battery electrode, the method comprising:
arranging a woven mesh planar sheet as a current collector, wherein the woven mesh planar sheet is a sheet composed of metallic strands defining a multiplicity of interstitial spaces; cleaning the woven mesh planar sheet; applying lithium onto a first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet; merging the lithium onto the woven mesh planar sheet such that the lithium is embedded in the interstitial spaces of the woven mesh planar sheet; joining the lithium onto the woven mesh planar sheet; and passivating the woven mesh planar sheet.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising bending longitudinal edges of the woven mesh planar sheet prior to the applying the lithium onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet, and unbending the longitudinal edges of the woven mesh planar sheet subsequent to the joining of the lithium onto the woven mesh planar sheet.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the woven mesh planar sheet comprises a sheet composed of metallic strands fabricated from stainless steel or a copper alloy.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the lithium onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet comprises applying a second sheet containing lithium onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet and applying a compressive load thereto.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the lithium onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet comprises immersing the woven mesh planar sheet into a bath containing lithium, and removing, via a scraper, excess lithium from the first surface and a second surface of the woven mesh planar sheet.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the lithium onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet comprises:
preparing a lithium gel; applying, via an applicator, the lithium gel onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet such that the lithium gel is embedded in the interstitial spaces of the woven mesh planar sheet; and removing excess amounts of the lithium gel from the first surface and a second surface of the woven mesh planar sheet.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein preparing the lithium gel comprises preparing the lithium gel as a thixotropic paste of a stabilized particulate including lithium.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein removing the excess amounts of the lithium gel from the first surface and the second surface of the woven mesh planar sheet comprises scraping the first surface and the second surface of the woven mesh planar sheet.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising coating the woven mesh planar sheet with one of tin, nickel, or silver prior to applying lithium onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein coating the woven mesh planar sheet with one of tin, nickel, or silver comprises immersing the woven mesh planar sheet in a bath including one of tin, nickel, or silver.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising warming the woven mesh planar sheet prior to the applying the lithium onto the first surface of the woven mesh planar sheet, wherein warming the woven mesh planar sheet comprises heating the woven mesh planar sheet to a temperature of 180° C.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein joining the lithium onto the woven mesh planar sheet comprises heating the woven mesh planar sheet joined with the lithium to a temperature range between 180 C to 200 C for less than 30 minutes in a nitrogen atmosphere.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein cleaning the woven mesh planar sheet comprises applying a coating to the woven mesh planar sheet.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passivating the woven mesh planar sheet comprises coating the woven mesh planar sheet with an anti-oxidant material.

15 . A battery electrode, comprising:
a current collector including a woven mesh planar sheet that is composed of metallic strands, wherein the metallic strands define a multiplicity of interstitial spaces, and wherein the woven mesh planar sheet includes a first surface and a second surface; lithium, wherein the lithium is embedded in the interstitial spaces of a first portion of the woven mesh planar sheet; and an electrical connection tab arranged on a second portion of the woven mesh planar sheet.

16 . The battery electrode of claim 15 , further comprising an anti-oxidant material arranged as a coating on the woven mesh planar sheet.

17 . The battery electrode of claim 15 , wherein the woven mesh planar sheet is composed of metallic strands fabricated from one of stainless steel or a copper alloy.

18 . The battery electrode of claim 15 , wherein diameter of the metallic strands is within a range between 10 microns and 500 microns, and wherein the multiplicity of interstitial spaces defined by the metallic strands of the woven mesh planar sheet have a maximum opening size that is between one times and ten times the diameter of the metallic strands.

19 . The battery electrode of claim 15 , wherein the woven mesh planar sheet composed of metallic strands has an underlying coating that disposed beneath the lithium that is embedded in the interstitial spaces.

20 . The battery electrode of claim 15 , wherein the metallic strands of the woven mesh planar sheet have flattened cross-sectional shapes.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Sachdev Anil K
• Mao Leng
• Hector Jr Louis G
• Bobel Andrew C

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/662

  Alloys (collectors of lead alloys H01M4/685) · CPC title

• H01M50/531

  Electrode connections inside a battery casing · CPC title