Electrolyte material composition and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528033-B2
Application number	US-201414541112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2014
Priority date	Nov 13, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

The electrolyte material includes a polymer, a salt, and a solvent. The electrolyte material has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 cP to about 20.0 cP such that the electrolyte material can be applied to a substrate using an ink jet print head.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrolyte material comprising a polymer, a salt, and a solvent, wherein the electrolyte material has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 to 8.0 cP such that the electrolyte material can be applied to a surface in a layer using an ink jet print head, wherein the polymer is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight, and wherein the solvent is present in the amount ranging from about 95.0% to about 98.0% by weight.

2. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a polyimide.

3. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the salt comprises lithium.

4. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , further comprising a surface tension modifier.

5. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , further comprising a co-solvent.

6. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , further comprising a device for use in an ink jet print operation comprising:
a housing;
a series of ejection nozzles mounted within the housing, each ejection nozzle capable of ejecting a drop on demand; and
a source of the electrolyte material communicating with the nozzles.

7. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is present in an amount ranging from about 1% to about 1.5% by weight.

8. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of gamma butyrolactone, n-methyl-pyrrolidone, n-gamma valerolactone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, 3-methyl-oxazolidinone, tetramethylurea, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, methylethylketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethylcarbonate, ethylmethylcarbonate, diethylcarbonate, dimethoxyethane, dimethoxymethane, diethoxyethane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran, 1,3-dioxolane, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, acetonitrile, methylacetate, ethylacetate, methyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate or any polar aprotic solvent and mixtures thereof.

9. The electrolyte material of claim 8 , wherein the solvent comprises gamma butyrolactone.

10. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the layer has a thickness in the range of from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.

11. The electrolyte material of claim 10 , wherein the layer has a thickness in the range of from about 16 micrometers to about 22 micrometers.

12. The electrolyte material of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises one of a substrate and an intermediate layer disposed atop the substrate.

13. The electrolyte material of claim 12 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises one of an adhesive material, a cathode material, an anode material, or an insulating material.

14. An electrolyte adapted to be applied using an ink jet print head, comprising:
from about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight of a polymer;
a lithium salt; and
from about 95.0% to about 98.0% by weight of a solvent;
wherein the electrolyte has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 to 8.0 cP such that the electrolyte can be jetted by the ink jet print head.

15. The electrolyte of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte has a dynamic surface tension in the range from about 30 dynes/cm to about 50 dynes/cm.

16. The electrolyte of claim 14 , wherein the polymer is present in an amount ranging from about 1% to about 1.5% by weight.

17. A method of manufacturing a battery using an ink jet print head comprising the steps of:
jetting an electrolyte material onto a substrate, wherein the electrolyte material comprises a polymer, a salt, and a solvent, wherein the electrolyte material has a viscosity in the range from about 3.0 to 8.0 cP such that the electrolyte material can be applied to a surface in a layer using an ink jet print head, wherein the polymer is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight, and wherein the solvent is present in the amount ranging from about 95.0% to about 98.0% by weight; and
vaporizing a portion of the solvent.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the substrate is heated to promote vaporization of the solvent.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte material forms a layer having a thickness in the range of from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the thickness is in the range of from about 18 micrometers to about 22 micrometers.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte material is jetted from an ink jet print head, and the method further comprises relative movement of the ink jet print head over the substrate more than once to form a layer thereon.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the relative movement includes up to 50 passes.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the relative movement includes between 20 and 30 passes.

Assignees

• Donnelley & Sons Co

Inventors

• Cyman Jr Theodore F
• Hook Kevin J
• Geddes Pamela
• Murzynowski Alan R
• Blease James W
• Kanfoush Daniel E

Classifications

• H01B3/421

  Polyesters · CPC title

• H01M10/0436

  Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment · CPC title

• H01M4/1395

  of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/131

  Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title