Application of force in electrochemical cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9105938-B2
Application number	US-53532809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2009
Priority date	Aug 5, 2008
Publication date	Aug 11, 2015
Grant date	Aug 11, 2015

Abstract

The present invention relates to the application of a force to enhance the performance of an electrochemical cell. The force may comprise, in some instances, an anisotropic force with a component normal to an active surface of the anode of the electrochemical cell. In the embodiments described herein, electrochemical cells (e.g., rechargeable batteries) may undergo a charge/discharge cycle involving deposition of metal (e.g., lithium metal) on a surface of the anode upon charging and reaction of the metal on the anode surface, wherein the metal diffuses from the anode surface, upon discharging. The uniformity with which the metal is deposited on the anode may affect cell performance. For example, when lithium metal is redeposited on an anode, it may, in some cases, deposit unevenly forming a rough surface. The roughened surface may increase the amount of lithium metal available for undesired chemical reactions which may result in decreased cycling lifetime and/or poor cell performance. The application of force to the electrochemical cell has been found, in accordance with the invention, to reduce such behavior and to improve the cycling lifetime and/or performance of the cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a cathode comprising sulfur as a cathode active material;
an anode comprising lithium metal and/or a lithium alloy as an anode active material, the anode having an active surface; and
an electrolyte in electrochemical communication with the cathode and the anode;
wherein the cell is constructed and arranged to apply, during at least one period of time during charge and/or discharge of the cell, an anisotropic force w…

Assignees

• Scordilis-Kelley Chariclea
• Affinito John D
• Jones Lowell D
• Mikhaylik Yuriy V
• Kovalev Igor
• Wilkening William F
• Campbell Christopher T S
• Martens John A
• Sion Power Corp

Inventors

• Scordilis-Kelley Chariclea
• Affinito John D
• Jones Lowell D
• Mikhaylik Yuriy V
• Kovalev Igor
• Wilkening William F
• Campbell Christopher T S
• Martens John A

Classifications

• H01M4/40

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M10/0481

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M4/13

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M10/0468

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M10/052 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic