Li-ion battery having improved safety against combustion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024021952-A1
Application number	US-202318475527-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 27, 2023
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 18, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a process comprising for modifying a Li-ion battery having a region of electrochemical activity and an enclosure therefor, said process comprising forming at least one chamber within said enclosure separate from said region of electrochemical activity, positioning combustion abatement agent within said chamber, whereby said combustion abatement agent is not in contact with said region of electrochemical activity, said chamber being pressure or heat sensitive, whereby when said region of electrochemical activity overheats, said chamber is breached, allowing said combustion abatement agent to contact said region of electrochemical activity to abate combustion of said region of electrochemical activity, wherein exemplary of combustion abatement agent is the composition comprising liquid fluoropolyether and exemplary of the of the chamber exhibiting pressure or heat sensitivity is to include a low melting, non-flammable polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol in the material of construction of the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A Li-ion battery comprising:
an enclosure; a region of Li-ion electrochemical activity positioned within said enclosure, said region including oppositely charged electrodes for attracting Li-ions from one said electrode to another said electrode; a first chamber positioned within said enclosure separate from said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity, said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity being subject to overheating by short-circuiting occurring within said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity; said first chamber containing a composition comprising at least one combustion abatement agent maintained separate from said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity, wherein said combustion abatement agent comprises liquid fluoropolyether; a structure defining said first chamber including a first membrane that is breachable by said overheating to thereby release said combustion abatement agent into said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity to abate combustion therewithin; with the proviso that when said first membrane comprises combustion abatement agent, the presence of said combustion abatement agent in said first chamber is optional.

2 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said first membrane is breachable by said overheating causing rupture of said first membrane.

3 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said first membrane is breachable by said overheating causing melting of said first membrane.

4 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said first membrane is inert to Li-ion electrochemical activity occurring within said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity.

5 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said first chamber containing said combustion abatement agent is positioned between said enclosure and said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity.

6 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said first membrane comprises a thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer.

7 . The Li-ion battery of claim 6 , wherein said thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer is selected from the group consisting of a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer and a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer.

8 . The Li-ion battery of claim 6 , wherein said thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer has at least 300 unstable end groups per 10 6 carbon atoms, said end groups being selected from the group consisting of —COOH, —COF, and —CONH 2 .

9 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises decomposition catalyst.

10 . The Li-ion battery of claim 9 , wherein said composition further comprises solid material.

11 . The Li-ion battery of claim 9 , wherein said decomposition catalyst comprises a Lewis acid.

12 . The Li-ion battery of claim 9 , wherein said composition is in a semi-solid state.

13 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said liquid fluoropolyether is a perfluoropolyether.

14 . The Li-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure further comprises a second chamber remote from said first chamber, said second chamber comprising a second membrane.

15 . The Li-ion battery of claim 14 , wherein said second membrane is breachable by rupture by said overheating.

16 . The Li-ion battery of claim 14 , wherein said second membrane is breachable by melting by said overheating.

17 . The Li-ion battery of claim 14 , wherein said second membrane comprises a thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer.

18 . A process for forming a Li-ion battery having a region of electrochemical activity and an enclosure therefor, said process comprising:
forming a first chamber within said enclosure separate from said region of electrochemical activity; and positioning a composition comprising at least one combustion abatement agent within said first chamber, wherein said at least one combustion abatement agent comprises liquid fluoropolyether, whereby said composition is not in contact with said region of electrochemical activity; said first chamber being pressure and/or heat sensitive, whereby when said region of electrochemical activity overheats, said first chamber is breached, allowing said at least one combustion abatement agent to contact said region of electrochemical activity to abate combustion of said region of electrochemical activity.

19 . The process of claim 18 further comprising positioning a first membrane between said first chamber and said region of electrochemical activity.

20 . The process of claim 19 , wherein said first membrane is breachable by said overheating to thereby release said combustion abatement agent into said region of electrochemical activity to abate combustion therewithin.

21 . The process of claim 18 further comprising forming a second chamber in said enclosure remote from said first chamber.

22 . The process of claim 21 , wherein said second chamber comprises a second membrane breachable by said overheating.

Assignees

• Chemours Co Fc Llc

Inventors

• Kountz Dennis J
• English Alan D
• Brothers Paul Douglas
• Hoover James R
• Visioli Donna Lynn

Classifications

• H01M50/383 Primary

  Flame arresting or ignition-preventing means · CPC title

• H01M10/4235 Primary

  Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/30

  Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases · CPC title

• H01M50/3425

  in the form of rupturable membranes or weakened parts, e.g. pierced with the aid of a sharp member · CPC title

• H01M50/35

  Gas exhaust passages comprising elongated, tortuous or labyrinth-shaped exhaust passages · CPC title