One-step method for preparing a lithiated silicon electrode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9806326-B2
Application number	US-201414560278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

In a one-step method for preparing a lithiated silicon electrode, a suspension of a lithium precursor and a silicon precursor in a carrier liquid is plasma sprayed without a carrier gas. The carrier liquid is water, alcohol, ethylene glycol, or mixtures thereof. The lithium precursor is selected from the group consisting of a lithium phosphate, a lithium nitrate, a lithium sulfate, a lithium carbonate, and combinations thereof. The suspension excludes an active carbon material and a binder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A one-step method for preparing a lithiated silicon electrode, the one step method comprising:
plasma spraying, without a carrier gas, a suspension of a lithium precursor particle and a silicon precursor particle in a carrier liquid of water, alcohol, ethylene glycol, or mixtures thereof, the lithium precursor particle being selected from the group consisting of a lithium phosphate, a lithium nitrate, a lithium sulfate, a lithium carbonate, and combinations thereof, the silicon precursor particle and the suspension excluding an active carbon material and a binder.

2. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the suspension further includes a metal organic precursor in isopropanol.

3. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the suspension further includes a polymeric complex.

4. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the suspension is introduced as a liquid stream into plasma jet used in the plasma spraying.

5. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the suspension is nebulized into droplets and then introduced into plasma jet used in the plasma spraying.

6. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the suspension further includes a dispersant.

7. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the suspension is plasma sprayed on a target substrate, and wherein a spray distance between a plasma torch and the target substrate ranges from about 1 cm to about 50 cm.

8. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the plasma spraying is performed at a temperature less than or equal to 150° C.

9. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a parameter of the plasma spraying to control a porosity of the lithiated silicon electrode.

10. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising controlling a temperature of the plasma spraying to control a melting state of the lithium precursor and the silicon precursor.

11. The one-step method as defined in claim 10 wherein the lithium precursor and the silicon precursor form splats on a substrate upon which they are deposited, the splats being at least partially melted.

12. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier liquid in the suspension causes a cooling effect during plasma spraying, thereby increasing a bond strength between a substrate and splats formed from the lithium precursor and the silicon precursor deposited on the substrate.

13. The one-step method as defined in claim 12 wherein the carrier liquid is water and no external cooling mechanism is used in the one-step method.

14. The one-step method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a parameter of the plasma spraying to control a thickness of the lithiated silicon electrode such that the thickness ranges from about 0.1 μm to about 250 μm.

15. A one-step method for preparing a lithiated silicon electrode, the one step method comprising:
plasma spraying, without a carrier gas, a suspension of a lithium precursor nanopowder particle having an average diameter of less than or equal to about 100 nm and a silicon precursor nanopowder particle having an average diameter of less than or equal to about 100 nm in a carrier liquid of water, alcohol, ethylene glycol, or mixtures thereof, the lithium precursor being selected from the group consisting of a lithium phosphate, a lithium nitrate, a lithium sulfate, a lithium carbonate, and combinations thereof, the silicon precursor particle and the suspension excluding an active carbon material and a binder.

16. The one-step method as defined in claim 15 wherein the plasma spraying is performed at a temperature less than or equal to 150° C.

17. The one-step method as defined in claim 15 wherein the carrier liquid in the suspension causes a cooling effect during plasma spraying, thereby increasing a bond strength between a substrate and splats formed from the lithium precursor and the silicon precursor deposited on the substrate.

18. The one-step method as defined in claim 17 , wherein the bond strength has a pull strength ranging from 8,000 pound per square inch (psi) to 10,000 psi.

19. The one-step method as defined in claim 15 wherein the carrier liquid is water and no external cooling mechanism is used in the one-step method.

20. The one-step method as defined in claim 15 , further comprising adjusting a parameter of the plasma spraying to control a thickness of the lithiated silicon electrode such that the thickness ranges from about 0.1 μm to about 250 μm.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Dadheech Gayatri Vyas
• Cai Mei

Classifications

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M2300/0088

  Composites · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M4/1395

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