Separator with a ceramic-comprising separator layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022359950-A1
Application number	US-202217813803-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 20, 2022
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Nov 10, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An embodiment is directed to a separator with a ceramic-comprising separator layer. The ceramic-comprising separator layer comprises porous metal oxide fibers with diameters in the range from around 3 nm to around 2 microns, aspect ratios in the range from around 20 to around 100,000, and a total open pore volume among the porous metal oxide fibers in the range from around 0.01 cm 3 /g to around 1 cm 3 /g.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . (canceled)

3 . A method of making a battery cell assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator, the method comprising:
(A1) providing a dispersion comprising metal oxide, metal hydroxide or metal oxyhydroxide fibers and a solvent composition; (A2) coating the dispersion directly on a roll of the first electrode to form a first layer of the separator on the first electrode; (A3) providing the second electrode; and (A4) assembling the first electrode and the second electrode with the separator between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein: a thickness of the separator ranges between about 0.5 μm to about 10 μm; and the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers are characterized by diameters in a range from around 3 nm to around 2 μm and aspect ratios in a range from around 20 to around 100,000.

4 . The method of claim 3 , additionally comprising:
heat-treating at least the first layer in a temperature range of about 40° C. to about 200° C.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
(A3) comprises coating the dispersion directly on a roll of the second electrode to form a second layer of the separator.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the separator does not comprise any standalone separator layer.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers comprise from around 2 at. % to around 40 at. % of aluminum (Al).

8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the separator additionally comprises a polymer in a range of about 0.1 to about 50 wt. %.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the polymer comprises a thermoplastic that melts in a range of about 70 to about 120° C.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the polymer comprises a polymer binder.

11 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
at least some of the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers are bonded to each other by sintering or by chemical bonds.

12 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
a porosity of the separator is in a range of about 25 vol. % to about 80 vol. %.

13 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
a total pore volume among the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers is in a range of about 0.01 cm 3 /g to about 1 cm 3 /g.

14 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the first electrode is an anode electrode; and the anode electrode comprises from around 3 wt. % to around 70 wt. % of silicon (Si).

15 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the solvent composition comprises one or more of the following: water, alcohol, glycol, glycol ether, ether, N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylformamide (DMF), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), hexamethylphosphoramide, cyclopentanone, acetonitrile, tetramethylene sulfoxide, and ε-caprolactone.

16 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the coating of the dispersion is carried out by spray coating, slot die coating, gravure coating, dip coating, roller coating, and/or knife-edge coating.

17 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the separator exhibits a minimum bending radius in a range from around 0.1 mm to around 3 cm.

18 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the separator exhibits a tensile strength in a range from around 1 MPa to around 1000 MPa.

19 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the separator exhibits a pore exclusion size in a range from about 10 nm to about 1 μm.

20 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
depositing a functional surface coating on the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers, exhibiting a surface layer thickness in a range from about 0.3 nm to about 30 nm, the functional surface coating comprising a polymer, carbon, dielectric, and/or different ceramic material.

21 . The method of claim 3 , additionally comprising:
making the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers by conversion of alkoxide precursor fibers.

22 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers comprise a (1) first set of the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers with a first average diameter in a first diameter sub-range and a first average aspect ratio and (2) a second set of the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers with a second average diameter in a second diameter sub-range and a second average aspect ratio.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein:
the first diameter sub-range is between about 5 to 8 nm; and the second diameter sub-range is between about 40 to 60 nm.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein:
the first average aspect ratio is about 1000; and the second average aspect ratio is between about 150 and about 250.

25 . A battery cell assembly, comprising:
a first electrode; a second electrode; and a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein: the separator comprises a first layer comprising metal oxide, metal hydroxide, or metal oxyhydroxide fibers, the first layer being directly deposited on the first electrode; a thickness of the separator ranges between about 0.5 μm to about 10 μm; and the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers are characterized by diameters in a range from around 3 nm to around 2 microns and aspect ratios in a range from around 20 to around 100,000.

26 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
the separator comprises a second layer comprising the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers, the second layer being deposited on the first layer.

27 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
the separator does not comprise any standalone separator layer.

28 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers comprise from around 2 at. % to around 40 at. % of aluminum (Al).

29 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
the separator additionally comprises a polymer in a range of about 0.1 to about 50 wt. %.

30 . The battery cell assembly of claim 29 , wherein:
the polymer comprises a thermoplastic with a melting point in a range of about 70 to about 120° C.

31 . The battery cell assembly of claim 29 , wherein:
the polymer comprises a polymer binder.

32 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
at least some of the metal oxide, the metal hydroxide, or the metal oxyhydroxide fibers are bonded to each other by sintering or by chemical bonds.

33 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
a porosity of the separator is in a range of about 25 vol. % to about 80 vol. %.

34 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
a total pore volume among the metal oxide fibers is in a range of about 0.01 cm 3 /g to about 1 cm 3 /g.

35 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
the first electrode is an anode electrode; and the anode electrode comprises from around 3 wt. % to around 70 wt. % of silicon (Si).

36 . The battery cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein:
the separator exhibits a minimum bending radius in a range from around 0.

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc

Inventors

• Yushin Gleb
• Roudebush John
• Kulinski Kyle

Classifications

• H01M50/489

  Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties · CPC title

• H01M50/494

  Tensile strength · CPC title

• H01M50/434 Primary

  Ceramics · CPC title

• H01M50/491

  Porosity · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title