Process for the production of lithium metal or an alloy thereof or for the pre-lithiation of an electrode material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024318341-A1
Application number	US-202418431093-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2024
Priority date	Feb 3, 2023
Publication date	Sep 26, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A relithiated Li intercalation material for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof or for pre-lithiating an electrode material as well as an anode and an electrolysis cell comprising same are provided. A method of producing Li metal or an alloy thereof or for pre-lithiating an electrode material is also provided. This method comprises carrying out a Li production electrolysis reaction in the electrolysis cell, wherein the electrolysis cell comprises the relithiated Li intercalation material as an anode, a current collector as a cathode, and an electrolyte comprising a lithium salt.

First claim

1 - 117 . (canceled)

118 . A production electrolysis cell for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof or for pre-lithiating an electrode material, the production electrolysis cell comprising:
a relithiated Li intercalation material used as a production anode, a current collector or said electrode material used as a production cathode, and a production electrolyte between the production cathode and the production anode, wherein the production electrolyte comprises a production lithium salt dissolved in a production solvent.

119 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , wherein the relithiated Li intercalation material is a lithium phosphate or a lithium oxide.

120 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , wherein the relithiated Li intercalation material has been sourced from spent electrodes and then relithiated; or wherein the relithiated Li intercalation material has been used for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof or for pre-lithiating an electrode material and then relithiated.

121 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , being for a Li production electrolysis reaction, wherein the production anode further comprises a current collector and the relithiated Li intercalation material is deposited on the current collector, and wherein the current collector is a metal sheet, or is made of a conductive carbon material, or is a polymer-based current collector.

122 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , being for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof, wherein the current collector is used as the production cathode, and wherein the current collector used as the production cathode is made of Cu, Al, protected Al, C, stainless steel, Ti, Zn, or Ni, or any alloy thereof, or is a polymer-based metalized current collector, or a combination thereof.

123 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , being for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof, wherein the current collector is used as the production cathode, and wherein current collector is protected by a protection layer.

124 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , being for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof, wherein the current collector is used as the production cathode, and wherein the surface of the current collector used as the production cathode is treated or modified to improve its lithiophilicity.

125 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , being for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof, wherein the current collector is used as the production cathode, and wherein the surface of the current collector used as the production cathode is treated or modified to have a 3D structure to improve the electrochemical performance of the Li layer in batteries or to increase its reaction rate.

126 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , being for pre-lithiating an electrode material, and wherein the electrode material is used as the production cathode.

127 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 118 , wherein the production electrolysis cell is free of a membrane separating the production anode from the production cathode.

128 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 127 , wherein the production electrolysis cell is in a roll-to-roll configuration.

129 . The production electrolysis cell of claim 128 , wherein the production electrolysis cell further comprises one or more calendering devices.

130 . A method for producing Li metal or an alloy thereof or for pre-lithiating an electrode material, the method comprising:
a) providing a relithiated Li intercalation material, and b) carrying out a Li production electrolysis reaction in a production electrolysis cell, wherein the production electrolysis cell is a production electrolysis cell according to claim 118 , thereby electrodepositing Li metal or the alloy thereof on the current collector used as the production cathode or introducing lithium in said electrode material used as the production cathode thus producing a pre-lithiated electrode, and thereby producing a partially or completely de-lithiated Li intercalation material.

131 . The method of claim 130 , wherein step a) and/or step b) is carried out in a roll-to-roll configuration.

132 . The method of claim 130 , wherein step a) comprises:
a′) providing a partially or completely de-lithiated Li intercalation material and a″) relithiating the partially or completely de-lithiated Li intercalation material, thereby producing a relithiated Li intercalation material.

133 . The method of claim 132 , further comprising step c) of repeating step a) and step b) one or more times, using in steps a′) and a″) the partially or completely de-lithiated Li intercalation material produced in step b.

134 . The method of claim 132 , wherein step a″) comprises carrying out a relithiation electrolysis reaction in a relithiation electrolysis cell, wherein the relithiation electrolysis cell comprises:
the partially or completely de-lithiated intercalation material as a relithiation cathode,
a relithiation anode, and
a relithiation electrolyte between the relithiation cathode and the relithiation anode, wherein the relithiation electrolyte comprises a relithiation lithium salt dissolved in a relithiation solvent,
thereby relithiating the partially or completely de-lithiated intercalation material and producing the relithiated Li intercalation material.

135 . The method of claim 134 , wherein the relithiation electrolyte further comprises one or more additives.

136 . The method of claim 134 , further comprising the step of producing the relithiation salt in the relithiation electrolysis cell by adding a lithium precursor and a reactant to the relithiation electrolysis cell and allowing the lithium precursor and the reactant to react to form the relithiation salt.

137 . The method of claim 136 , wherein the lithium precursor and the reactant are added to a salt formation compartment of the relithiation electrolysis cell that is in fluid communication with a main compartment of the relithiation electrolysis cell; the main compartment comprising the relithiation cathode and the relithiation anode.

138 . The method of claim 132 , wherein step a″) comprises (i) adding the partially or completely de-lithiated intercalation material to a solution containing a reducing agent and a relithiation salt in a solvent; thereby relithiating the partially or completely de-lithiated intercalation material and producing the relithiated Li intercalation material.

139 . The method of claim 138 , further comprising (ii) separating the relithiated Li intercalation material from the solution; and (iii) electrochemically treating the solution separated in step (ii) to regenerate the reducing agent.

140 . The method of claim 130 , further comprising using the current collector with the Li metal or the alloy thereof or the pre-lithiated electrode as a negative electrode in a primary or secondary Li battery, as a source of Li metal or an alloy for the prelithiation of electrode material, or as a source of lithium for the manufacture of an energy storage system.

141 . The method of claim 130 , further comprising using the current collector with the Li metal or the alloy thereof as a source of Li metal or an alloy thereof for the preparation of an organolithium compound.

142 . The method of claim 130 , being for pre-lithiating an electrode material, and wherein the electrode material

Assignees

• Hydro Quebec

Inventors

• Larouche François
• Amouzegar Kamyab
• Girard Gabriel
• Dontigny Martin
• Guerfi Abdelbast
• Fleutot Benoit
• Kim Chisu

Classifications

• H01M6/52

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste cells or batteries {, e.g. recycling} · CPC title

• H01M4/0459

  Electrochemical doping, intercalation, occlusion or alloying · CPC title

• H01M4/5825

  Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines · CPC title

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/525

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy · CPC title