Functionalized pre-lithiation particles for lithium-ion batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024413330-A1
Application number	US-202418738353-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 10, 2024
Priority date	Jun 9, 2023
Publication date	Dec 12, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An anode dispersion, which may be used in forming an anode of a lithium-ion battery, is disclosed. The anode dispersion includes: (1) primary anode active particles (PAAPs) that each include silicon (Si) and carbon (C), (2) functionalized pre-lithiation particles (FPLiPs) including lithium (Li), and (3) a solvent composition in which the PAAPs and FPLiPs are dispersed. In some embodiments, a mass ratio of the PAAPs to the FPLiPs is in a range of about 10:1 to about 200:1. In some embodiments, each of the FPLiPs includes a core and an outer protective coating around the core, with the outer protective coating including an oligomeric and/or a polymeric dispersant. Additionally, methods of making an anode, methods of making a lithium-ion battery, methods of making an anode-separator laminate, anodes, lithium-ion batteries, and anode-separator laminates are disclosed.

First claim

1 . An anode dispersion, comprising:
primary anode active particles (PAAPs) that each comprise silicon (Si) and carbon (C); functionalized pre-lithiation particles (FPLiPs) comprising lithium (Li); and a solvent composition in which the PAAPs and FPLiPs are dispersed; wherein: a mass ratio of the PAAPs to the FPLiPs is in a range of about 10:1 to about 200:1; each of the FPLiPs comprises a core and an outer protective coating around the core, the outer protective coating comprising an oligomeric dispersant and/or a polymeric dispersant; and a viscosity of the anode dispersion is in a range of about 1 cP to about 10,000 cP.

2 . The anode dispersion of claim 1 , wherein:
an average density of the FPLiPs is within about ±20% of an average density of the solvent composition.

3 . The anode dispersion of claim 1 , wherein:
the respective core of each of the FPLiPs comprises a non-Li element that is more dense than the Li.

4 . The anode dispersion of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the anode dispersion is in a range of about 1 cP to about 1,000 cP.

5 . A method of making an anode, the method comprising:
coating the anode dispersion of claim 1 on an anode current collector to form the anode on the anode current collector; and activating the FPLiPs.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the activating comprises a heat treatment and/or a pressure treatment.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the activating comprises the heat treatment and the heat treatment comprises subjecting at least the anode to a temperature in a range of about 180.5° C. to about 200° C.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the activating comprises the pressure treatment and the pressure treatment comprises subjecting at least the anode to a pressure in a range of about 1 MPa to about 200 MPa.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the activating comprises reacting at least some the Li of the FPLiPs with at least some of the Si of the PAAPs.

10 . The anode made according to the method of claim 5 .

11 . The anode of claim 10 , wherein a mass fraction of the Si in the anode is in a range of about 10 wt. % to about 60 wt. %.

12 . A method of making a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising:
making the anode according to the method of claim 5 ; providing or making a cathode on a cathode current collector; and assembling a battery cell from the anode on the anode current collector and the cathode on the cathode current collector; and filling a space between the anode and the cathode with an electrolyte ionically coupling the anode and the cathode to form the lithium-ion battery.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
carrying out formation cycling on the lithium-ion battery, wherein the formation cycling comprises transferring ions of at least some of the Li of the FPLiPs to the PAAPs.

14 . The lithium-ion battery made according to the method of claim 12 .

15 . The lithium-ion battery of claim 14 , wherein:
a first-cycle coulombic efficiency of the PAAPs is about 80% or greater.

16 . A pre-lithiation particle dispersion, comprising:
functionalized pre-lithiation particles (FPLiPs) comprising lithium (Li); and a solvent composition in which the FPLiPs are dispersed, wherein: each of the FPLiPs comprises a core and an outer protective coating around the core, the outer protective coating comprising an oligomeric dispersant and/or a polymeric dispersant; and a viscosity of the pre-lithiation particle dispersion is in a range of about 1 cP to about 1000 cP.

17 . The pre-lithiation particle dispersion of claim 16 , wherein:
an average density of the FPLiPs is within about ±20% of a density of the solvent composition.

18 . The pre-lithiation particle dispersion of claim 16 , wherein:
the respective core of each of the FPLiPs comprises a non-Li element that is more dense than the Li.

19 . A method of making an anode, the method comprising:
forming an anode on an anode current collector, the anode comprising primary anode active particles (PAAPs) that each comprise silicon (Si) and carbon (C); coating the pre-lithiation particle dispersion of claim 16 on the anode to form a pre-lithiation particle layer comprising the FPLiPs on the anode; and activating the FPLiPs, wherein: a mass ratio of the PAAPs in the anode to the FPLiPs in the pre-lithiation particle layer is in a range of about 10:1 to about 200:1.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the activating comprises a heat treatment and/or a pressure treatment.

21 . The method of claim 20 wherein:
the activating comprises the heat treatment and the heat treatment comprises subjecting at least the pre-lithiation particle layer to a temperature in a range of about 180.5° C. to about 200° C.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the activating comprises the pressure treatment and the pressure treatment comprises subjecting at least the pre-lithiation particle layer to a pressure in a range of about 1 MPa to about 200 MPa.

23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the activating comprises reacting at least some of the Li of the FPLiPs with at least some of the Si of the PAAPs.

24 . The anode made according to the method of claim 19 .

25 . The anode of claim 24 , wherein a mass fraction of the Si in the anode is in a range of about 10 wt. % to about 60 wt. %.

26 . A method of making a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising:
making the anode according to the method of claim 19 ; providing or making a cathode on a cathode current collector; assembling a battery cell from the anode on the anode current collector and the cathode on the cathode current collector; and filling a space between the anode and the cathode with an electrolyte ionically coupling the anode and the cathode to form the lithium-ion battery.

27 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
transferring ions of at least some of the Li of the FPLiPs to the PAAPs via formation cycling of the lithium-ion battery.

28 . The lithium-ion battery made according to the method of claim 26 .

29 . The lithium-ion battery of claim 28 , wherein:
a first-cycle coulombic efficiency of the PAAPs is about 80% or greater.

30 . A method of making an anode, the method comprising:
coating the pre-lithiation particle dispersion of claim 16 on an anode current collector to form a pre-lithiation particle layer comprising the FPLiPs on the anode current collector; coating an anode composition on the pre-lithiation particle layer to form an anode on the pre-lithiation particle layer, the anode comprising primary anode active particles (PAAPs) that each comprise silicon (Si) and carbon (C); and activating the FPLiPs, wherein: a mass ratio of the PAAPs in the anode to the FPLiPs in the pre-lithiation particle layer is in a range of about 10:1 to about 200:1.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein:
the activating comprises a heat treatment and/or a pressure treatment.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein:
the activating comprises the heat treatment and the heat treatment comprises subjecting at least the pre-lithiation particle layer to a temperature in a range of about 180.5° C. to about 200° C.

33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein:
the activatin

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc

Inventors

• Lim Sung Hyun
• Porter Thomas Robert
• Yushin Gleb Nikolayevich

Classifications

• H01M4/364

  as mixtures · CPC title

• H01M4/625

  Carbon or graphite · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title

• H01M4/366

  as layered products · CPC title