BATTERY STRUCTURES, SELF-ORGANIZING STRUCTURES AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20110045346A1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: A123 Systems Incorporated, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Moorehead, William Douglas, Chiang, Yet-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 8,241,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/199
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1524 Transition metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1555 Counter electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/02 using combined reduction-oxidation reactions, e.g. redox arrangement or solion
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/06 with one of the electrodes allowing ions to be reversibly doped thereinto, e.g. lithium ion capacitors [LIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/24 characterised by structural features of the materials making up or comprised in the electrodes, e.g. form, surface area or porosity; characterised by the structural features of powders or particles used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/26 characterised by their structure, e.g. multi-layered, porosity or surface features
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/28 arranged or disposed on a current collector; Layers or phases between electrodes and current collectors, e.g. adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/56 Solid electrolytes, e.g. gels; Additives therein
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0472 Vertically superposed cells with vertically disposed plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0565 Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/025 with shapes other than plane or cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/808 Foamed, spongy materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/18 with solid electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/40 Printed batteries , e.g. thin film batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 : Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 : Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 : including coating or impregnating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49224 : with coating

Abstract

An energy storage device includes a first electrode comprising a first material and a second electrode comprising a second material, at least a portion of the first and second materials forming an interpenetrating network when dispersed in an electrolyte, the electrolyte, the first material and the second material are selected so that the first and second materials exert a repelling force on each other when combined. An electrochemical device, includes a first electrode in electrical communication with a first current collector; a second electrode in electrical communication with a second current collector; and an ionically conductive medium in ionic contact with said first and second electrodes, wherein at least a portion of the first and second electrodes form an interpenetrating network and wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises an electrode structure providing two or more pathways to its current collector.

Claims

1. An electrode for a rechargeable battery, comprising

an electrode in electrical communication with a current collector, the electrode comprising sintered particles of an electroactive material,

wherein the electrode is substantially free of binder, has an open porosity and a pore volume fraction in the range of from about 10% to about 80%.

2. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the electroactive material comprises lithium.

3. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the current collector is selected from Cu and Al, mixtures and alloys thereof.

4. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the sintered particles comprise a lithium intercalating material.

5. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the sintered particles comprise at least one of LiCoO₂ and, LiCoO₂ doped with Mg, LiNiO₂, or LiMn₂O₄, LiMnO₂, LiMnO₂ doped with Al, Li(Fe,Mn)PO₄, LiFePO₄, LiFePO₄ doped with one or more of Mg, Al, Ti, Nb, Ta, Zr, or W, Li₂Fe₂(SO₄)₃, V₂O₅, V₆O₁₁, C, amorphous carbon, graphite, mesocarbon microbeads, Li, LiAl, Li₉Al₄, Li₃Al, Zn, LiZn, Ag, LiAg, Li₁₀Ag₃, B, Li₅B₄, Li₇B₆, Ge, Si, Li₁₂Si₇, Li₂₁Si₈, Li₁₃Si₄, Li₂₁Si₅, Sn, Li₅Sn₂, Li₁₃Sn₅, Li₇Sn₂, Li₂₂Sn₅, Sb, Li₂Sb, Li₃Sb, Bi, LiBi, Li₃Bi, SnO₂, SnO, MnO, Mn₂O₃, MnO₂, Mn₃O₄, CoO, NiO, FeO, LiFe₂O₄, TiO₂, LiTi₂O₄, glass with a Sn—

B—

P—

O compound and mesocarbon microbeads coated with at least one of poly(o-methoxyanaline), poly(3-octylthiophene), and poly(vinylidene fluoride).

6. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the sintered particles comprise one or more of Li(Mg_0.05Co_0.95)O₂, LiCoO₂, LiMn₂O₄, Li(Ni,Mn)O₂, Li(Co,Ni)O₂, Li(Co, Ni, Mn)O₂, Li(Fe,Mn)PO₄, LiFePO₄, and LiFePO₄ that is doped with Nb, Zr, or Ti.

7. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the pore volume fraction is in the range of 20% to 50%.

8. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the pore volume fraction is in the range of 30% to 45%.

9. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the porosity is substantially uniform throughout the electrode.

10. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the sintered particles have a porosity gradient throughout the electrode.

11. The electrode of claim 9, wherein the porosity decreases in the direction of the electrical substrate.

12. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the sintered particles have a gradient in electrical conductivity.

13. The electrode of claim 12, wherein the electrical conductivity increases in the direction of the electrically conductive substrate.

14. The electrode of claim 1, further comprising a conductive additive.

15. The electrode of claim 14, wherein the conductive additive comprises carbon.

16. A cell having an positive electrode and a negative electrode and an electrolyte in ionic communication with the positive and negative electrodes, wherein at least one of the positive and negative electrodes comprises an electrode according to claim 1.

17. The cell of claim 16, wherein the sintered particles of the positive electrode comprise a lithium intercalating material.

18. The cell of claim 17, wherein the sintered particles of the negative electrode comprise a lithium intercalating material.

19. The cell of claim 16, wherein the electrolyte has an ionic conductivity of less than 10⁻

4 S/cm.

20. The cell of claim 16, wherein the electrolyte is at least one of poly(ethylene oxide), poly(propylene oxide), poly(styrene), poly(imide), poly(amine), poly(acrylonitrile), poly(vinylidene fluoride), methoxyethyoxyethoxy phosphazine, diiodomethane, 1,3-diiodopropane, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylpropylene urea, ethylene carbonate, diethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, propylene carbonate, a block copolymer lithium electrolyte doped with a lithium salt, glass with at least one of LiI, LiF, LiCl, Li₂O—

B₂O₃—

Bi₂O₃, Li₂O—

B₂O₃—

P₂O₅ and Li₂O—

B₂O₃—

PbO and a sol or gel of the oxides or hydroxides of Si, B, P, Ti, Zr, Pb, or Bi.

21. The cell of claim 16, wherein sintered particles are one or more particles selected from the group consisting of LiCoO₂ and, LiCoO₂ doped with Mg, LiNiO₂, or LiMn₂O₄, LiMnO₂, LiMnO₂ doped with Al, Li(Fe,Mn)PO₄, LiFePO₄, LiFePO₄ doped with one or more of Mg, Al, Ti, Nb, Ta, Zr, or W, Li₂Fe₂(SO₄)₃, V₂O₅, V₆O₁₁, C, amorphous carbon, graphite, mesocarbon microbeads, Li, LiAl, Li₉Al₄, Li₃Al, Zn, LiZn, Ag, LiAg, Li₁₀Ag₃, B, Li₅B₄, Li₇B₆, Ge, Si, Li₁₂Si₇, Li₂₁Si₈, Li₁₃Si₄, Li₂₁Si₅, Sn, Li₅Sn₂, Li₁₃Sn₅, Li₇Sn₂, Li₂₂Sn₅, Sb, Li₂Sb, Li₃Sb, Bi, LiBi, Li₃Bi, SnO₂, SnO, MnO, Mn₂O₃, MnO₂, Mn₃O₄, CoO, NiO, FeO, LiFe₂O₄, TiO₂, LiTi₂O₄, glass with a Sn—

B—

P—

O compound and mesocarbon microbeads coated with at least one of poly(o-methoxyanaline), poly(3-octylthiophene), and poly(vinylidene fluoride).

22. The cell of claim 16, further comprising a conductive additive.

23. The cell of claim 22, wherein the conductive additive comprises carbon.

24. A method of making an electrode comprising:

forming an electrode body comprising an electrode powder and a pore former, wherein the electrode body is substantially free of binder;

removing the pore former to introduce porosity; and

sintering the electrode powder to provide a sintered electrode substantially free of binder and having an open porosity and a pore volume fraction in the range of from about 10% to about 80%.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the pore former is selected from the group consisting of graphite, ice, water soluble compounds and compounds that generate gas upon decomposition.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the pore former is ice and the ice is melted to remove the ice.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the pore former is a water soluble compound and the pore former is removed by dissolving in water.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the pore former is graphite and the pore is formed upon heating to pyrolyze the graphite.

29. An electrode, comprising:

an electrode in electrical communication with a current collector, the electrode comprising sintered particles of an electroactive material,

wherein the electrode is substantially free of binder and has an open porosity.

30. A method of making an electrode, comprising:

forming an electrode body comprising particles of an electroactive material and a pore former, wherein the electrode body is substantially free of binder;

removing the pore former to introduce porosity; and

sintering the particles to provide a sintered electrode substantially free of binder and having an open porosity.