Electrolyte formulations and additives for iron anode electrochemical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023290936-A1
Application number	US-202218050322-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2022
Priority date	Apr 29, 2021
Publication date	Sep 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices of various aspects include using tin, antimony, and/or indium as an additive to an electrolyte and/or electrode in an electrochemical system, such as a battery, having an iron-based anode. In some aspects, the addition of tin, antimony, and/or indium may improve cycling of the iron-based anode. Systems, methods, and devices of various aspects include using high hydroxide concentration electrolyte in an electrochemical system, such as a battery. In some aspects, a high hydroxide concentration electrolyte may increase the stored amount of charge stored in the cell (i.e., the capacity of the battery material) and/or decrease the overpotential (i.e., increase the voltage) of the battery.

First claim

1 . A battery, comprising:
a first electrode, comprising direct reduced iron (DRI) or another sponge iron powder; an electrolyte; and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode or the electrolyte includes an additive containing an element that has a low hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity and/or improves a characteristic of the battery.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein improving a characteristic of the battery comprises one or more of:
improving charging of the first electrode; improving a conditioning process of the first electrode; improving reversibility of a half-cell reaction of the first electrode; and improving discharge capacity of the first electrode.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the element comprises tin, antimony, and/or indium.

4 . The battery of claim 3 , wherein the additive comprises sodium stannate trihydrate (Na 2 SnO 3 ·3H 2 O), metallic tin, potassium stannate trihydrate (K 2 SnO 3 ·3H 2 O), tin oxide (SnO 2 ), cylindrite (Pb 3 Sn 4 FeSb 2 S 14 ), copper iron tin sulfide (Cu 2 FeSnS 4 ), lead-tin alloys, zinc-tin alloys, or mixtures thereof.

5 . The battery of claim 3 , wherein the additive comprises antimony dialkylphosphorodithioate (SbC 18 H 42 O 6 P 3 S 6 ), antimony selenide (Sb 2 Se 3 ), antimony(III) oxide (Sb 2 O 3 ), antimony(V) oxide (Sb 2 O 5 ), metallic antimony, antimony acetate (SbC 6 H 9 O 6 ), antimony potassium tartrate (Sb 2 K 2 C 8 H 4 O 12 ), antimony sodium tartrate (Sb 2 Na 2 C 8 H 4 O 12 ), antimony sulfate (Sb 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ), antimony(III) sulfide (Sb 2 S 3 ), potassium antimonate trihydrate (KSb 2 O 3 ·3H 2 O), or mixtures thereof.

6 . The battery of claim 3 , wherein the additive comprises metallic indium (In), indium (III) chloride (InCl 3 ), indium (III) hydroxide (In(OH) 3 ), indium (III) oxide (In 2 O 3 ), indium (III) sulfate (In 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ), indium (III) sulfide (In 2 S 3 ), indium phosphide (InP), indium (III) acetate (In(C 3 H 3 O 2 ) 3 ), indium(III) nitrate (In(NO 3 ) 3 ), indium (III) sulfide (In 2 S 3 ), indium (III) selenide (In 2 Se 3 ), indium nitride (InN), indium (III) iodide (InI 3 ), indium (III) acetylacetonate (In(C 5 H 8 O 2 ) 3 or In(acac) 3 ), indium (III) fluoride (InF 3 ), indium arsenide (InAs), indium (III) telluride (In 2 Te 3 ), indium (III) bromide (InBr 3 ), indium (I) oxide (In 2 O), indium (II) oxide (InO), indium(II) selenide (InSe), indium (I) bromide (InBr), indium antimonide (InSb), or mixtures thereof.

7 - 9 . (canceled)

10 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the additive is in the first electrode in an amount from about 0.1 wt % of the first electrode to about 40 wt % of the first electrode.

11 - 12 . (canceled)

13 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises potassium hydroxide (KOH) and/or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and optionally sodium sulfide (Na 2 S) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH).

14 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the additive is plated on the second electrode, electrodeposited on the second electrode, or disposed in a reservoir suspended in the electrolyte.

15 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes a sulfide.

16 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the additive is at least partially a solid.

19 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein a surface area of the solid is selected to provide a level of reactivity such that there is a constant flux of the additive into a liquid electrolyte phase and/or to maintain concentration of the additive in the liquid electrolyte phase at or above a selected concentration.

20 . A battery, comprising:
a first electrode, comprising direct reduced iron (DRI) or another sponge iron powder; an electrolyte comprising a hydroxide; and a second electrode,
wherein the first electrode or the electrolyte further comprises an additive, said additive comprising at least one of tin, lead, indium, or antimony.

21 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . The battery of claim 20 , wherein total concentration of the hydroxide in the electrolyte is greater than about 7 M or greater.

24 . (canceled)

25 . The battery of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte includes KOH.

26 . The battery of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte includes at least 0.05 M of LiOH.

27 . The battery of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte includes any one or more of KOH, NaOH, LiOH, RbOH, CsOH, FrOH, Be(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Mg(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , Ra(OH) 2 , Ba(OH) 2 , and mixtures thereof.

28 . The battery of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte includes a sulfide.

29 - 30 . (canceled)

31 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode has a discharge capacity greater than 300 mAh/g.

32 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode has a discharge potential of greater than 0.75V.

33 - 34 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Thompson Annelise Christine
• Gibson Michael Andrew
• Woodford William Henry
• Eisenach Rebecca Marie
• Newhouse Jocelyn Marie
• Perkins Nicholas Reed
• Taylor Olivia Claire
• Schroder Kjell William
• Thomas-Alyea Karen
• Norman Zachariah
• Goodman Johanna
• Vardner Jonathan Thomas
• Hultman Benjamin Thomas
• Gary Sydney
• Mako Natalie
• Mitchell Renee
• Wojeski Brooke
• Milshtein Jarrod David

Classifications

• H01M4/38 Primary

  of elements or alloys · CPC title

• H01M2300/0014

  Alkaline electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M10/26

  Selection of materials as electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title