Universally compatible, multifunctional safety layer for battery cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025062513-A1
Application number	US-202218715483-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2022
Priority date	Dec 3, 2021
Publication date	Feb 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery cell may include an electrolyte, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. One or both of the first electrode and the second electrode may include a multifunctional safety layer interposed between an electrode layer and a current collector. The multifunctional safety layer may include a protective layer and a safety layer. The safety layer may respond to a first trigger by interrupting current flow within the battery cell. The protective layer may prevent a reaction between the safety layer and the electrolyte and/or the electrode layer of the battery cell. The protective layer may respond to a second trigger by exposing the safety layer to the electrolyte and/or the electrode layer of the battery cell. The resulting physical and/or chemical reactions may interrupt the current flow in the battery cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery cell, comprising:
an electrolyte; a first electrode including a first electrode layer and a first current collector, the first electrode further include a first protective layer and a first safety layer, the first protective layer interposed between the first electrode layer and the first safety layer, the first safety layer interposed between the first protective layer and the first current collector, the first safety layer configured to respond to a first trigger by at least interrupting a current flow within the battery cell, and the first protective layer configured to prevent a reaction between the first safety layer and the electrolyte and/or the first electrode layer of the battery cell until the first protective layer is activated by a second trigger; a second electrode including a second electrode layer and a second current collector; and a separator interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

2 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode further includes a second safety layer configured to respond to the first trigger by at least interrupting the current flow within the battery cell, and wherein the second electrode further includes a second protective layer configured to prevent a reaction between the second safety layer and the electrolyte and/or the second electrode layer of the battery cell until the second protective layer is activated by the second trigger.

3 . The battery cell of claim 2 , wherein the second protective layer is interposed between the second electrode layer and the second safety layer, and wherein the second safety layer interposed between the second protective layer and the second current collector.

4 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first protective layer is configured to respond to the second trigger by at least exposing the first safety layer to the electrolyte and/or the first electrode layer of the battery cell, and wherein the first safety layer is further configured to interrupt the current flow within the battery cell upon being exposed to the electrolyte and/or the first electrode layer of the battery cell.

5 . The battery cell of claim 4 , wherein the first safety layer undergoes a reaction with the electrolyte and/or the first electrode layer of the battery cell upon being exposed to the electrolyte and/or the first electrode layer of the battery cell.

6 . The battery cell of claim 5 , wherein the reaction includes a physical reaction in which the first safety layer expands to create a nonconductive gap between the first electrode layer and the first current collector that interrupts the current flow within the battery cell.

7 . The battery cell of claim 5 , wherein the reaction includes a chemical reaction in which the first safety layer decomposes to create a nonconductive gap between the first electrode layer and the first current collector that interrupts the current flow within the battery cell.

8 . The battery cell of claim 5 , wherein the reaction includes a chemical reaction in which an ionic conductivity of the electrolyte is lowered to interrupt the current flow within the battery cell.

9 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first protective layer is configured to decompose in response to the second trigger, and wherein the first safety layer is exposed to the electrolyte and/or the first electrode layer of the battery cell when at least the portion of the first protective layer decomposes in response to the second trigger.

10 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first protective layer is configured to shrink in response to the second trigger, and wherein the first safety layer is exposed to the electrolyte and/or the first electrode layer of the battery cell when at least the portion of the first protective layer shrinks in response to the second trigger.

11 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first trigger comprises a different trigger or a trigger having a different threshold than the second trigger.

12 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first trigger and the second trigger each comprise a temperature trigger, a voltage trigger, a current trigger, or a physical damage to the battery cell.

13 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the second trigger is a physical damage to the first protective layer, and wherein the first trigger is a temperature trigger, a voltage trigger, and/or a current trigger.

14 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first protective layer is formed from one or more of poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (PECVA), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)), wax, silicon (Si) rubber, polyacrylic polymer, poly propylene, polyethylene, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber and its analog, tire rubber, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polypropylene (PP atactic), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polypropylene (PP isotactic), poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyamide (PA), metal foil, metal alloy foil, conductive polymer film, materials exhibiting a negative thermal expansion (NTE) coefficient, and materials that are reactive with the decomposition byproducts of electrolyte.

15 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is a positive electrode of the battery cell, and wherein the second electrode is a negative electrode of the battery cell.

16 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first current collector is an aluminum (Al) current collector, and wherein the second current collector is a copper (Cu) current collector.

17 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first safety layer includes one or more of a hydrate, a carbonate, a fire extinguishing agent, and an organic salt exhibiting a below-threshold decomposition voltage and/or melting point.

18 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the first safety layer includes one or more of lithium acetate dihydrate (CH 3 COOLi2H 2 O), sodium metasilicate hydrate (Na 2 SiO 3 ·9H 2 O), and calcium chloride hydrate (CaCl 9 H 2 O).

19 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the battery cell is a lithium (Li) ion battery cell, a sodium (Na) ion battery cell, an aluminum (Al) ion battery cell, or a magnesium (Mg) ion battery cell.

20 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell, a button battery cell, a prismatic battery cell, or a pouch battery cell.

Assignees

• American Lithium Energy Corp

Inventors

• Fan Jiang
• Kompella Christopher

Classifications

• H01M4/661

  Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2200/10

  Temperature sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01M4/0404

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title

• H01M4/668

  Composites of electroconductive material and synthetic resins · CPC title

• H01M4/667

  in the form of layers, e.g. coatings · CPC title