Solid Catholyte Composition for Safer High-Conductivity Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
State-of-the-art solid-state batteries are limited by poor power density, mass loading, and manufacturability, which hinder their adoption in the market due to issues with ionic conductivity and safety concerns from flammable liquid electrolytes.
Innovation Solution
A solid catholyte material comprising lithium, silicon, phosphorous, and sulfur (LSPS) with a polycrystalline or amorphous structure, configured to improve ionic conductivity, allowing higher mass loading of active material and faster charge/discharge, and a wider operating temperature range, while minimizing reactions with active materials using a confinement material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid electrolyte is used in lithium-ion batteries, then ionic conductivity is achieved, but safety issues arise due to flammability and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the electrolyte from liquid to solid, specifically using a glassy solid electrolyte with amorphous structure. This parameter change eliminates flammability and leakage issues while maintaining ionic conductivity, directly resolving the safety contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material design by combining inorganic glass-forming oxides (such as SiO2, B2O3, P2O5) with lithium salts to create a glassy solid electrolyte. This composite approach achieves both safety (non-flammable solid) and functionality (high ionic conductivity) simultaneously.
2Reliability
If solid electrolyte is used to improve safety, then flammability is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the glass transition parameter change to create a solid electrolyte that can be processed from a molten state. By controlling the glass transition temperature and cooling rate, the manufacturing process becomes more straightforward, reducing complexity while maintaining safety benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical assembly processes with a simplified melting and casting process. The glassy solid electrolyte can be directly formed by melting the glass-forming composition and cooling it, eliminating the need for complex layer-by-layer assembly and reducing manufacturing steps.
3Reliability
If conventional solid electrolytes are used, then safety is improved, but contact resistance with electrodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality modification at the electrode-electrolyte interface by incorporating surface-active components or creating a slightly different composition layer at the surface of the glassy solid electrolyte. This local modification reduces contact resistance without compromising the bulk safety properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the electrolyte surface by controlling the glass transition temperature and thermal history to create a softer, more compliant surface layer. This parameter change improves wetting and contact with rigid electrodes, reducing contact resistance while maintaining the solid-state safety benefits.
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 LSPS catholyte enhances ionic conductivity, enabling higher energy density, faster charging/discharging, and safer operation across a broader temperature range, eliminating the need for flammable liquid electrolytes.
Implementation Method 1
the internal resistance of the battery is reduced by reducing the resistance at the interface between the electrode and the glassy solid electrolyte
Implementation Method 2
A battery uses electrochemical reactions to convert chemical energy to electrical energy and to store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides an energy storage device comprising a cathode region or other element. The device has a major active region comprising a plurality of first active regions spatially disposed within the cathode region. The major active region expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of a charge and discharge. The device has a catholyte material spatially confined within a spatial region of the cathode region and spatially disposed within spatial regions not occupied by the first active regions. In an example, the catholyte material comprises a lithium, germanium, phosphorous, and sulfur ("LGPS") containing material configured in a polycrystalline state. The device has an oxygen species configured within the LGPS containing material, the oxygen species having a ratio to the sulfur species of 1:2 and less to form a LGPSO material. The device has a protective material formed overlying exposed regions of the cathode material to substantially maintain the sulfur species within the catholyte material. Also included is a novel dopant configuration of the LiaMPbSc (LMPS) [M=Si,Ge, and/or Sn] containing material.