DRY PARTICLE BASED ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE PRODUCT

• US 20080117565A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maxwell Technologies Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Porter, Xi, Xiaomei, Zhong, Linda, Zou, Bin
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/502
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/22 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/38 Carbon pastes or blends; Binders or additives therein
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/42 Powders or particles, e.g. composition thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/86 specially adapted for electrodes carbonisation or activation of carbon for the manufacture of electrodes H01G11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/00 Electrolytic capacitors, rectifiers, detectors, switching devices, light-sensitive or temperature-sensitive devices; Processes of their manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors

Abstract

An inexpensive and reliable dry process based capacitor and method for making a self-supporting dry electrode film for use therein is disclosed. Also disclosed is an exemplary process for manufacturing an electrode for use in an energy storage device product, the process comprising: supplying dry carbon particles; supplying dry binder; dry mixing the dry carbon particles and dry binder; and dry fibrillizing the dry binder to create a matrix within which to support the dry carbon particles as dry material.

Claims

1. An energy storage device product, comprising:

one or more self-supporting dry film comprising a dry fibrillized mix of dry binder and dry carbon particles.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the self supporting dry film is compacted.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the dry film comprises a thickness of 100 to 250 microns.

4. The product of claim 2, wherein the self supporting dry film comprises a length of at least 1 meter.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein the self supporting dry film is positioned against a substrate.

6. The product of claim 1, wherein the mix comprises between about 50% to 99% activated carbon.

7. The product of claim 1, wherein the mix comprises between about 0% to 25% conductive carbon.

8. The product of claim 1, wherein the mix comprises between about 0.5% to 20% fluoropolymer particles.

9. The product of claim 1, wherein the mix comprises between about 80% to 95% activated carbon and between about 0% to 15% conductive carbon, and wherein the dry binder comprises between about 3% to 15% fluoropolymer.

10. The product of claim 1, wherein the self supporting film comprises substantially no processing additives.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein the processing additives are selected from a group consisting of hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and isoparaffinic fluids.

12. The product of claim 5, wherein the substrate comprises a collector.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein the collector comprises aluminum.

14. The product of claim 1, wherein the product comprises a collector, and wherein the dry film is positioned directly against a surface of the collector.

15. The product of claim 1, wherein the dry mix is dry fibrillized by a high-pressure gas.

16. The product of claim 14, wherein the collector comprises two sides, wherein one self supporting dry film is calendered directly against one side of the collector, and wherein a second self supporting dry film is calendered directly against a second side of the collector.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein the collector is treated.

18. The product of claim 16, wherein the collector comprises a rolled geometry.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein the roll is disposed within a sealed aluminum housing.

20. The product of claim 19, wherein within the housing is disposed an electrolyte, and wherein the product comprises a double-layer capacitor.

21. An energy storage product, comprising:

a dry fibrillized mix of dry binder and dry conductive particles formed into a continuous self supporting electrode film without the use of any processing additives.

22. The product of claim 21, wherein the processing additives are selected from a group consisting of hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and isoparaffinic fluids.

23. The product of claim 21, wherein the dry conductive particles comprise conductive carbon.

24. The product of claim 21, wherein the dry conductive particles comprise a metal.

25. The product of claim 23, wherein the dry conductive carbon comprises graphite, and further comprising dry activated carbon.