15187results about "Electrode carriers/collectors" patented technology

In fabrication of conventional spirally wound cells, a length of separator is provided at least twice as long as one of the electrodes, for example, the cathode, and then folded to cover both sides of the electrode. The separator is also somewhat wider than the covered electrode to extend beyond the upper and lower edges thereof. The cathode assembly is then placed along side a strip of anode material and rolled into a jellyroll configuration. The separator sheet is not sealed at the opposed upper and lower edges of the cathode, and during high shock and vibration conditions the edges tend to mushroom which can lead to short circuit conditions. The insulator of the present invention is a slotted member that covers the upper and lower edges of the other electrode not covered by the separator, for example the anode with the anode leads extending through the slots to shield them from short circuit conditions with the cell casing or other leads if the cell should be subjected to severe shock forces and the like.

A rechargeable, stackable, thin film, solid-state lithium electrochemical cell, thin film lithium battery and method for making the same is disclosed. The cell and battery provide for a variety configurations, voltage and current capacities. An innovative low temperature ion beam assisted deposition method for fabricating thin film, solid-state anodes, cathodes and electrolytes is disclosed wherein a source of energetic ions and evaporants combine to form thin film cell components having preferred crystallinity, structure and orientation. The disclosed batteries are particularly useful as power sources for portable electronic devices and electric vehicle applications where high energy density, high reversible charge capacity, high discharge current and long battery lifetimes are required.

The present invention relates to novel electroactive energy storing polyacetylene-co-polysulfur (PAS) materials of general formula (C2Sx)n wherein x is greater than 1 to about 100, and n is equal to or greater than 2. This invention also relates to novel rechargeable electrochemical cells containing positive electrode materials comprised of said polyacetylene-co-polysulfur materials with improved storage capacity and cycle life at ambient and sub-ambient temperatures.

The present invention relates to nanostructured materials (including nanowires) for use in batteries. Exemplary materials include carbon-comprising, Si-based nanostructures, nanostructured materials disposed on carbon-based substrates, and nanostructures comprising nanoscale scaffolds. The present invention also provides methods of preparing battery electrodes, and batteries, using the nanostructured materials.

A lithium ion battery electrode includes silicon nanowires used for insertion of lithium ions and including a conductivity enhancement, the nanowires growth-rooted to the conductive substrate.

A compound comprising a composition A_x(M′_1-aM″_a)_y(XD₄)_z, A_x(M′_1-aM″_a)_y(DXD₄)_z, or A_x(M′_1-aM″_a)_y(X₂D₇)_z, and have values such that x, plus y(1-a) times a formal valence or valences of M′, plus ya times a formal valence or valence of M″, is equal to z times a formal valence of the XD₄, X₂D₇, or DXD₄ group; or a compound comprising a composition (A_1-aM″_a)_xM′_y(XD₄)_z, (A_1-aM″_a)_xM′_y(DXD₄)_z(A_1-aM″_a)_xM′_y(X₂D₇)_z and have values such that (1-a)_x plus the quantity ax times the formal valence or valences of M″ plus y times the formal valence or valences of M′ is equal to z times the formal valence of the XD₄, X₂D₇ or DXD₄ group. In the compound, A is at least one of an alkali metal and hydrogen, M′ is a first-row transition metal, X is at least one of phosphorus, sulfur, arsenic, molybdenum, and tungsten, M″ any of a Group IIA, IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, and VIB metal, D is at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, or a halogen, 0.0001<a≦0.1, and x, y, and z are greater than zero. The compound can have a conductivity at 27° C. of at least about 10⁻⁸ S/cm. The compound can be a doped lithium phosphate that can intercalate lithium or hydrogen. The compound can be used in an electrochemical device including electrodes and storage batteries and can have a gravimetric capacity of at least about 80 mAh/g while being charged/discharged at greater than about C rate of the compound.

Electrochemical cells, and more specifically, rechargeable batteries comprising lithium anodes for use in water and/or air environments, as well as non-aqueous and non-air environments, are presented. In one embodiment, an electrochemical cell includes an anode comprising lithium and a multi-layered structure positioned between the anode and an electrolyte of the cell. A multi-layered structure can include at least a first single-ion conductive material layer (e.g., a lithiated metal layer), and at least a first polymeric layer positioned between the anode and the single-ion conductive material. The invention also can provide an electrode stabilization layer positioned within the electrode, i.e., between one portion and another portion of an electrode, to control depletion and re-plating of electrode material upon charge and discharge of a battery. Advantageously, electrochemical cells comprising combinations of structures described herein are not only compatible with environments that are typically unsuitable for lithium, but the cells may be also capable of displaying long cycle life, high lithium cycling efficiency, and high energy density.

Disclosed are a laminated lithium ion battery, a battery pack comprising the same and a pole piece of the laminated lithium ion battery. The pole piece comprises a current collector and an active material layer, wherein the current collector is coated with the active material layer. A section of continuous uncoated area is arranged at the tail end of a first width end portion of the pole piece, the top face and the bottom face of the uncoated area are not coated with the active material layer, the current collector is exposed in the uncoated area, and the exposed current collector serves as a pole lug of the pole piece. By the pole piece, internal resistance of the lithium ion battery is reduced and heat dissipation performance of the battery is improved.

An anode structure for lithium batteries includes nanofeatured silicon particulates dispersed in a conductive network. The particulates are preferably made from metallurgical grade silicon powder via HF/HNO₃ acid treatment, yielding crystallite sizes from about 1 to 20 nm and pore sizes from about 1 to 100 nm. Surfaces of the particles may be terminated with selected chemical species to further modify the anode performance characteristics. The conductive network is preferably a carbonaceous material or composite, but it may alternatively contain conductive ceramics such as TiN or B₄C. The anode structure may further contain a current collector of copper or nickel mesh or foil.

A battery module of the present invention is adaptable to be utilized in various configurations including and not limited to an overlapping battery cell packaging configuration and a vertical stack battery cell packaging configuration used in an automotive vehicle. The battery module has a plurality of battery heatsink assemblies with the cells disposed therebetween. A plurality of rods extend through the each heatsink assemblies to secure the heatsink assemblies and the cell with one another to form the battery module.

An Si/C composite includes carbon (C) dispersed in porous silicon (Si) particles. The Si/C composite may be used to form an anode active material to provide a lithium battery having a high capacity and excellent capacity retention.

A process for the production of coated silicon/carbon particles comprising: providing a carbon residue forming material; providing silicon particles; coating said silicon particles with said carbon residue forming material to form coated silicon particles; providing particles of a carbonaceous material; coating said particles of carbonaceous material with said carbon residue forming material to form coated carbonaceous particles; embedding said coated silicon particles onto said coated carbonaceous particles to form silicon/carbon composite particles; coating said silicon/carbon composite particles with said carbon residue forming material to form coated silicon/carbon composite particles; and stabilizing the coated composite particles by subjecting said coated composite particles to an oxidation reaction. The coated composite particles will have a substantially smooth coating. The particles may be coated with multiple layers of carbon residue forming material/

Disclosed are compositions and methods for alleviating the problem of reaction of lithium or other alkali or alkaline earth metals with incompatible processing and operating environments by creating a ionically conductive chemical protective layer on the lithium or other reactive metal surface. Such a chemically produced surface layer can protect lithium metal from reacting with oxygen, nitrogen or moisture in ambient atmosphere thereby allowing the lithium material to be handled outside of a controlled atmosphere, such as a dry room. Production processes involving lithium are thereby very considerably simplified. One example of such a process in the processing of lithium to form negative electrodes for lithium metal batteries.

Electrodes, such as anodes and cathodes, can include a host material that is prelithiated or undergoes lithiation upon electrolyte introduction into a battery. Lithiation of the host material can occur by the agitation of lithium metal and a host material, the agitation of a lithium metal powder and a host material at a temperature greater than room temperature, the application of pressure to a lithium metal and host material mixture, contact of the host material with molten lithium metal, the lamination of lithium foil or lithium mesh onto an electrode containing the host material, or by lamination of lithium metal or mesh onto an electrode at elevated temperatures.

In an electrode structure for a lithium secondary battery including: a main active material layer formed from a metal powder selected from silicon, tin and an alloy thereof that can store and discharge and capable of lithium by electrochemical reaction, and a binder of an organic polymer; and a current collector, wherein the main active material layer is formed at least by a powder of a support material for supporting the electron conduction of the main active material layer in addition to the metal powder and the powder of the support material are particles having a spherical, pseudo-spherical or pillar shape with an average particle size of 0.3 to 1.35 times the thickness of the main active material layer. The support material is one or more materials selected from a group consisting of graphite, oxides of transition metals and metals that do not electrochemically form alloy with lithium. Organic polymer compounded with a conductive polymer is used for the binder. There are provided an electrode structure for a lithium secondary battery having a high capacity and a long lifetime, and a lithium secondary battery using the electrode structure and having a high capacity, a high energy density and a long lifetime.

A bipolar separator plate for fuel cells consists of a molded mixture of a vinyl ester resin and graphite powder. The plate serves as a current collector and may contain fluid flow fields for the distribution of reactant gases. The material is inexpensive, electrically conductive, lightweight, strong, corrosion resistant, easily mass produced, and relatively impermeable to hydrogen gas. The addition of certain fiber reinforcements and other additives can improve the properties of the composite material without significantly increasing its overall cost.

Methods and articles relating to separation of electrolyte compositions within lithium batteries are provided. The lithium batteries described herein may include an anode having lithium as the active anode species and a cathode having sulfur as the active cathode species. Suitable electrolytes for the lithium batteries can comprise a heterogeneous electrolyte including a first electrolyte solvent (e.g., dioxolane (DOL)) that partitions towards the anode and is favorable towards the anode (referred to herein as an “anode-side electrolyte solvent”) and a second electrolyte solvent (e.g., 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME)) that partitions towards the cathode and is favorable towards the cathode (and referred to herein as an “cathode-side electrolyte solvent”). By separating the electrolyte solvents during operation of the battery such that the anode-side electrolyte solvent is present disproportionately at the anode and the cathode-side electrolyte solvent is present disproportionately at the cathode, the battery can benefit from desirable characteristics of both electrolyte solvents (e.g., relatively low lithium reactivity of the anode-side electrolyte solvent and relatively high polysulfide solubility of the cathode-side electrolyte solvent).

The present invention provides a cathode for use in a secondary electrochemical cell, such cathode being coated with a very thin, protective film, permeable to ions. The protective film of the cathode usually has a thickness of up to about 0.1 mum and it provides protection against high voltage charging and overdiscbarging. The present invention further provides a secondary electrochemical cell comprising such a cathode.

An electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery which includes a thin film composed of active material that expands and shrinks as it stores and releases lithium, e.g., a microcrystalline or amorphous silicon thin film, deposited on a current collector, characterized in that said current collector exhibits a tensile strength (=tensile strength (N/mm²) per sectional area of the current collector material×thickness (mm) of the current collector) of not less than 3.82 N/mm.

Provided are nanostructures containing electrochemically active materials, battery electrodes containing these nanostructures for use in electrochemical batteries, such as lithium ion batteries, and methods of forming the nanostructures and battery electrodes. The nanostructures include conductive cores, inner shells containing active materials, and outer shells partially coating the inner shells. The high capacity active materials having a stable capacity of at least about 1000 mAh/g can be used. Some examples include silicon, tin, and/or germanium. The outer shells may be configured to substantially prevent formation of Solid Electrolyte lnterphase (SEI) layers directly on the inner shells. The conductive cores and/or outer shells may include carbon containing materials. The nanostructures are used to form battery electrodes, in which the nanostructures that are in electronic communication with conductive substrates of the electrodes.

Electrochemical cells including anode compositions that may enhance charge-discharge cycling efficiency and uniformity are presented. In some embodiments, alloys are incorporated into one or more components of an electrochemical cell, which may enhance the performance of the cell. For example, an alloy may be incorporated into an electroactive component of the cell (e.g., electrodes) and may advantageously increase the efficiency of cell performance. Some electrochemical cells (e.g., rechargeable batteries) may undergo a charge/discharge cycle involving deposition of metal (e.g., lithium metal) on the 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. In some cases, the efficiency and uniformity of such processes may affect cell performance. The use of materials such as alloys in an electroactive component of the cell have been found to increase the efficiency of such processes and to increase the cycling lifetime of the cell. For example, the use of alloys may reduce the formation of dendrites on the anode surface and/or limit surface development.