Smectite Silicate Negative Electrode Material for High-Capacity Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithium secondary batteries face challenges in achieving high capacity using negative electrode materials other than carbon, which are abundant on Earth, as conventional materials like carbon have reached performance limits and occupy significant volume due to low specific gravity.
Innovation Solution
A silicate negative electrode material comprising smectite, where the smectite is fired to produce a powder with a peak in the range of 2θ from 7.45° to 9.18°, allowing for a high-capacity negative electrode material using abundantly available Earth materials, and a method involving the addition of lithium salt to enhance lithium ion insertion between the layers of montmorillonite.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If carbon materials are used as negative electrode materials to achieve high capacity, then the battery capacity is improved, but the specific gravity is low causing large volume occupation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter from carbon-based materials to silicate-based materials (specifically montmorillonite and related minerals), fundamentally altering the density and capacity characteristics to achieve higher specific gravity and improved capacity simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite structures where silicate minerals are combined with lithium salts and other additives to create a negative electrode material that leverages the high density of silicates while incorporating lithium ion conductive pathways to maintain high capacity
2Quantity of substance
If conventional materials like carbon are used to achieve high capacity, then the battery performance is improved, but the performance improvement has reached a limit and further enhancement is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental material composition from carbon to silicate-based materials, opening up new performance parameters and improvement potentials that were not accessible with conventional carbon materials
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses abundantly available Earth materials like montmorillonite and other smectite minerals, replacing expensive or performance-limited carbon materials with cheaper, more versatile alternatives that offer greater improvement potential
3Reliability
If lithium ions are inserted between layers of layered clay mineral by firing at high temperature, then lithium ion conductivity is improved, but the charge capacity remains limited to about 350 mAh/g
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the firing temperature parameters and lithium salt composition to achieve a balance where lithium ion conductivity is maintained while charge capacity exceeds 350 mAh/g, overcoming the limitation of conventional high-temperature treated clay minerals
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite structures within the layered clay mineral system, incorporating lithium salts and other additives that enhance both lithium ion conductivity and charge capacity simultaneously, rather than treating the clay mineral in isolation
4Ease of manufacture
If materials other than carbon are used to achieve high capacity, then the desire for abundantly available Earth materials is met, but it has been difficult to obtain high capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses abundantly available Earth materials like montmorillonite and other smectite minerals that can be obtained through simple mining and processing, replacing carbon materials while achieving high capacity through optimized composition and structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the processing parameters including firing temperature, lithium salt composition, and particle size distribution to transform readily available silicate materials into high-capacity negative electrode materials, making high capacity achievable with Earth-abundant resources
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The approach results in a negative electrode material with significantly improved charge/discharge capacity, exceeding 550 mAh/g, by effectively removing water of crystallization and inserting lithium ions, thus enhancing battery performance beyond conventional carbon-based materials.
Implementation Method 1
firing montmorillonite as a material to obtain a powder. In the method, the obtained powder contains a silicate of a smectite and, when the smectite is measured with a powder x-ray diffractometer, a peak is found in a case where 2θ is in a range from 7.45° to 9.18°
Implementation Method 2
addition of lithium salt to enhance lithium ion insertion between the layers of montmorillonite
Implementation Method 3
insert lithium ions between the layers of the layered clay mineral substance
Implementation Method 4
effectively removing water of crystallization and inserting lithium ions, thus enhancing battery performance
Data Source
AI summary
A silicate negative electrode material comprising a smectite wherein, when the smectite is measured with a powder x-ray diffractometer, a peak is found in a case where 2θ is in a range from 7.45° to 9.18°.