Electrochemical cells with copper-free electrodes and methods for manufacturing the same

    公开(公告)号:US11462723B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-10-04

    申请号:US17082618

    申请日:2020-10-28

    Abstract: Presented are electrochemical devices with copper-free electrodes, methods for making/using such devices, and lithium alloy-based electrode tabs and current collectors for rechargeable lithium-class battery cells. A method of manufacturing copper-free electrodes includes feeding an aluminum workpiece, such as a strip of aluminum sheet metal, into a masking device. The masking device then applies a series of dielectric masks, such as strips of epoxy resin or dielectric tape, onto discrete areas of the workpiece to form a masked aluminum workpiece with masked areas interleaved with unmasked areas. The masked workpiece is then fed into an electrolytic anodizing solution, such as sulfuric acid, to form an anodized aluminum workpiece with anodized surface sections on the unmasked areas interleaved with un-anodized surface sections underneath the dielectric masks of the masked areas. The dielectric masks are removed to reveal the un-anodized surface sections, and the anodized aluminum workpiece is segmented into multiple copper-free electrodes.

    Electrodes and methods of fabricating electrodes for electrochemical cells by continuous localized pyrolysis

    公开(公告)号:US10985363B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-04-20

    申请号:US16239040

    申请日:2019-01-03

    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a silicon-carbon composite electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell includes forming an electrode by pyrolyzing at least a portion of a polymer in an assembly to form pyrolyzed carbon. The assembly includes an electrode precursor in electrical contact with a current collector. The electrode precursor includes a polymer and an electroactive material. The electroactive material includes silicon. The current collector includes an electrically-conductive material. The pyrolyzing includes directing an energy stream toward a surface of the electrode precursor. The surface is disposed opposite the current collector. The silicon-carbon composite electrode assembly includes the electrode and the current collector. In certain variations, the energy stream includes a laser beam or a plasma jet. In certain aspects, the electrode defines a concentration gradient between a first surface and a second surface.

    Methods for preparing catalyst systems

    公开(公告)号:US10919026B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-02-16

    申请号:US16056894

    申请日:2018-08-07

    Abstract: Methods for preparing a catalyst system, include providing a catalytic substrate comprising a catalyst support having a surface with a plurality of metal catalytic nanoparticles bound thereto and physically mixing and/or electrostatically combining the catalytic substrate with a plurality of oxide coating nanoparticles to provide a coating of oxide coating nanoparticles on the surface of the catalytic nanoparticles. The metal catalytic nanoparticles can be one or more of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, rhenium, copper, silver, and gold. Physically combining can include combining via ball milling, blending, acoustic mixing, or theta composition, and the oxide coating nanoparticles can include one or more oxides of aluminum, cerium, zirconium, titanium, silicon, magnesium, zinc, barium, lanthanum, iron, strontium, and calcium. The catalyst support can include one or more oxides of aluminum, cerium, zirconium, titanium, silicon, magnesium, zinc, barium, iron, strontium, and calcium.

    ELECTRODES INCLUDING FLUOROPOLYMER-BASED SOLID ELECTROLYTE INTERFACE LAYERS AND BATTERIES AND VEHICLES UTILIZING THE SAME

    公开(公告)号:US20200321617A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-10-08

    申请号:US16377881

    申请日:2019-04-08

    Inventor: Xingcheng Xiao

    Abstract: Electrodes include a lithium-based host material with a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer including a polymer matrix including fluoropolymers, and LiF imbedded within the matrix. The SEI layer comprises about 5 wt. % to about 75 wt. % LiF. The LiF can be present within the polymer matrix as nanocrystals with an average diameter of about 5-500 nm. The one or more fluoropolymers can include and/or are the defluorination products of one or more of fluorinated ethylene propylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkanes, vinylidenefluoride, and copolymers of perfluoromethylvinylether and tetrafluoroethylene. The —CF3 functional groups of the one or more defluorinated fluoropolymers can be at least about 3 wt. % of the SEI layer. The lithium-based host material can include at least 50 wt. % lithium. The lithium-based host material can include a lithium-aluminum alloy, a lithium-silicon alloy, a lithium-tin alloy, a lithium-zinc alloy, or a lithium-germanium alloy. Battery cells and electric vehicles can utilize such electrodes.

    METHODS FOR PRE-LITHIATING SILICON AND SILICON OXIDE ELECTRODES

    公开(公告)号:US20200176755A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-06-04

    申请号:US16209027

    申请日:2018-12-04

    Abstract: Methods for pre-lithiating an anode include providing the anode having a host material comprising silicon particles or SiOx particles, disposing a first side of an electrically conductive pre-lithiating separator contiguous with the anode, and disposing a lithium source contiguous with a second side of the pre-lithiating separator such that lithium ions migrate to the host material via the pre-lithiating separator. The pre-lithiating separator comprises a porous body, one or more solvents, and one or more lithium ions. Method for manufacturing a battery cell, further include separating the pre-lithiating separator from the lithiated anode, and combining the lithiated anode with a battery separator and a lithium cathode to form a battery cell. The methods can further include applying a voltage to the anode and the lithium source, or maintaining a constant current between the lithium source and the anode while lithium ions migrate to the host material.

    Ion adsorption of oxide layers to hinder catalyst sintering

    公开(公告)号:US10562017B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-02-18

    申请号:US15399151

    申请日:2017-01-05

    Abstract: Catalysts that are resistant to high-temperature sintering and methods for preparing such catalysts that are resistant to sintering at high temperatures are provided. The catalyst may be prepared by contacting a solution comprising an ionic species with one or more charged surface regions of a catalyst support. A surface of the catalyst support further includes one or more catalyst particles disposed adjacent to the one or more charged surface regions. The ionic species has a first charge opposite to a second charge of the one or more charged surface regions. Next, the ionic species is associated with the one or more charged surface regions to form a layer on the one or more select surface regions. The layer is calcined to generate a coating comprising metal oxide on the one or more select surface regions, where the coating is formed adjacent to the one or more catalyst particles.

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