Iron powder, iron electrode, iron battery, and method of manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025226401-A1
Application number	US-202419002307-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 26, 2024
Priority date	Jan 4, 2024
Publication date	Jul 10, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrode, including a first iron material and a second iron material. The first iron material is a first reduced iron and the second iron material is different from the first iron material. Also provided is an electrochemical cell comprising an electrode including a first iron material and a second iron material. Further provided is a method of making an electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrode, comprising:
a first iron material, wherein the first iron material is a first reduced iron; and a second iron material that is different from the first iron material.

2 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the first reduced iron is a first atomized iron, a first sponge iron, or a first direct reduced iron;
wherein the second iron material comprises an electrolytic iron, a carbonyl iron, an iron oxide, a second reduced iron, or a combination thereof, wherein the second reduced iron comprises a second atomized iron, a second direct reduced iron, a second sponge iron, or a combination thereof; or a combination thereof.

3 . The electrode of claim 1 , comprising:
5 to 95 weight percent of the first iron material, and 5 to 95 weight percent of the second iron material, each based on a total weight of the electrode.

4 . The electrode of claim 1 ,
wherein the first iron material has a D50 particle size of less than 45 micrometers; wherein the first iron material comprises a first sponge iron or a first direct reduced iron and has an apparent density of 0.5 to 3.5 grams per cubic centimeter; wherein the first iron material comprises a first atomized iron and has an apparent density of 0.5 to 4 grams per cubic centimeter; wherein the second iron material has a D50 particle size of 5 to 500 micrometers; wherein the first iron material has a D50 particle size of less than 45 micrometers and the second iron material has a D50 particle size of 5 to 500 micrometers; wherein the second iron material has an apparent density of 0.5 to 4 grams per cubic centimeter; wherein the second iron material is a second atomized iron; wherein the first atomized iron is water atomized iron, gas atomized iron, or granulated iron and wherein the second atomized iron is water atomized iron, gas atomized iron, or granulated iron; or wherein the second iron material comprises an iron oxide.

5 . The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the iron oxide comprises hematite, magnetite, maghemite, wustite, martite, goethite, limonite, siderite, pyrite, ilmenite, spinel manganese ferrite, or a combination thereof.

6 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the second iron material comprises a second atomized iron, wherein the second iron material has
a D50 particle size of 10 to 250 micrometers; an apparent density of 0.5 to 3.8 grams per cubic centimeter; or a combination thereof.

7 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the second iron material comprises a second reduced iron, wherein the second iron material has
a D50 particle size of 5 to 500 micrometers; an apparent density of 0.5 to 3.2 grams per cubic centimeter; or a combination thereof.

8 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the second iron material comprises an iron oxide, wherein the iron oxide has a D50 particle size of 10 to 500 micrometers.

9 . The electrode of claim 1 , further comprising an additive.

10 . The electrode of claim 9 , wherein the additive comprises copper, lead, bismuth, indium, tin, aluminum, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof;
wherein the additive is present in an amount of 0.001 to 10 weight percent based on a total weight of the electrode; or a combination thereof.

11 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein:
the first reduced iron is a first atomized iron and the second iron material is an iron oxide; the first reduced iron is a first atomized iron and the second iron material is a second atomized iron; the first reduced iron is a first sponge iron and the second iron material is a second atomized iron; or the first reduced iron is a first sponge iron and the second iron material is an iron oxide.

12 . The electrode of claim 1 , further comprising a third iron material, wherein the third iron material is different from the first iron material and the second iron material.

13 . The electrode of claim 12 , wherein the third iron material comprises an electrolytic iron, a carbonyl iron, a second iron oxide, a third reduced iron, or a combination thereof, wherein the third reduced iron comprises a third atomized iron, a third direct reduced iron, or a combination thereof.

14 . The electrode of claim 12 , comprising:
5 to 90 weight percent of the first iron material, 5 to 90 weight percent of the second iron material, and 5 to 90 weight percent of the third iron material, each based on a total weight of the electrode.

15 . The electrode of claim 12 ,
wherein the third iron material has a D50 particle size of 5 to 850 micrometers; wherein the third iron material has an apparent density of 0.5 to 4 grams per cubic centimeter; wherein the third iron material is a third atomized iron; wherein the third atomized iron is water atomized iron, gas atomized iron, or granulated iron; or wherein the third iron material comprises a second iron oxide.

16 . The electrode of claim 15 , wherein the second iron oxide comprises hematite, magnetite, maghemite, wustite, martite, goethite, limonite, siderite, pyrite, ilmenite, spinel manganese ferrite, or a combination thereof.

17 . The electrode of claim 12 , wherein the electrode comprises:
a sponge iron, an atomized iron, and an iron oxide; a sponge iron, an iron oxide, and an additive; a first sponge iron, a second sponge iron, and a third atomized iron, wherein the first sponge iron is different from the second sponge iron; a first sponge iron, a second sponge iron, and a second iron oxide, wherein the first sponge iron is different from the second sponge iron; a first sponge iron, a second atomized iron, and a third atomized iron, wherein the second atomized iron is different from the third atomized iron; or a first sponge iron, a first iron oxide, and a second iron oxide, wherein the first iron oxide is different from the second iron oxide.

18 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a first electrode; a second electrode; and an electrolyte disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode comprises: a first iron material, wherein the first iron material is a first reduced iron; and a second iron material that is different from the first iron material, optionally wherein the first electrode is prepared from a composition comprising the first iron material, the second electrode is prepared from a composition comprising the second iron material, or both.

19 . The electrochemical cell of claim 18 , wherein the at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode comprises:
5 to 95 weight percent of the first iron material, and 5 to 95 weight percent of the second iron material, each based on a total weight of the electrode.

20 . The electrochemical cell of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode further comprises an additive.

21 . The electrochemical cell of claim 18 , wherein
the first electrode comprises the first iron material and the second iron material, a discharge capacity during a fifth to twentieth cycle of the electrochemical cell is substantially the same as a discharge capacity of a comparative electrochemical cell that comprises a first electrode comprising the first iron material and without the second iron material.

22 . The electrochemical cell of claim 18 , wherein
the first electrode comprises the first iron material and the second iron material, a discharge capacity after a twenty-fifth cycle of the electrochemic

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Nation Leah
• Eisenach Rebecca Marie
• Conry Thomas
• Devlin Kasey
• Ickes Michael
• Sacha Valerie Christine
• Gibson Michael
• Perkins Nicholas

Classifications

• H01M4/364

  as mixtures · CPC title

• H01M4/248

  Iron electrodes · CPC title

• H01M12/08

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• H01M2300/0025

  Organic electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M2220/10

  Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant · CPC title