HIGH ENERGY DENSITY ALUMINUM BATTERY

• US 20120082904A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Brown, Gilbert M., Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans, Dai, Sheng, Dudney, Nancy J., Manthiram, Arumugan, Mclntyre, Timothy J., Sun, Xiago-Guang
• Application Number:
  US12/895,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20120082904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/338
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/054 Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/056 characterised by the materials used as electrolytes, e.g. mixed inorganic/organic electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0568 characterised by the solutes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0569 characterised by the solvents
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0045 Room temperature molten salts comprising at least one organic ion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/38 of elements or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/463 Aluminium based
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/483 for non-aqueous cells H01M4/485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/502 for non-aqueous cells H01M4/505 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/582 Halogenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/14 Cells with non-aqueous electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/164 by the solvent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

Compositions and methods of making are provided for a high energy density aluminum battery. The battery comprises an anode comprising aluminum metal. The battery further comprises a cathode comprising a material capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle. The battery further comprises an electrolyte capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.

Claims

1. A battery comprising:

an anode comprising aluminum metal;

a cathode comprising a material capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle; and

an electrolyte capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery is a primary battery.

3. The battery of claim 2, wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of Ti(AlCl₄)₂, MnCl(AlCl₄), Co(AlCl₄)₂.

4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery is a secondary battery.

5. The battery of claim 4, wherein the secondary battery maintains a discharge capacity of at least 50% of an initial discharge capacity after 50 discharge cycles.

6. The battery of claim 1, wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of Mn₂O₄, Ti(AlCl₄)₂, MnCl(AlCl₄), Co(AlCl₄)₂, and V₂O₅.

7. The battery of claim 1, wherein the cathoide material comprises spinel-Mn₂O₄.

8. The battery of claim 1, wherein the cathode material comprises V₂O₅.

9. The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid.

10. The battery of claim 9, wherein the ionic liquid is an aluminate selected from the group consisting of alkylimidazolium aluminates, alkylpyridinium aluminates, alkylfluoropyrazolium aluminates, alkyltriazolium aluminates, aralkylammonium aluminates, alkylalkoxyammonium aluminates, aralkylphosphonium aluminates, aralkylsulfonium aluminates, and mixtures thereof.

11. The battery of claim 10, wherein the electrolyte further comprises aluminum chloride, and the ratio of aluminum chloride to the aluminate is greater than 1:

1.

12. The battery of claim 11, wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.

13. The battery of claim 12, wherein the alkali metal halide additive is selected from the group consisting of:

NaCl, KCl, NH₄Cl, and mixtures thereof.

14. The battery of claim 9, wherein the electrolyte comprises ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate and aluminum chloride.

15. The battery of claim 14, wherein the molar ratio of aluminum chloride to ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate is greater than 1:

1.

16. The battery of claim 15, wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.

17. The battery of claim 16, wherein the alkali metal halide additive is selected from the group consisting of:

NaCl, KCl, NH₄Cl, and mixtures thereof.

18. The battery of claim 9, wherein the ionic liquid is a neutral ionic liquid comprising:

a cation having one of the following structures;

19. The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises an organic solving having a high dielectric constant.

20. The battery of claim 19, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of propylene carbonate, ethylmethylsulfone, ethylmethoxyethylsulfone, and methoxyethylmethylsulfone.

21. The battery of claim 20, wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of spinel-Mn₂O₄, Ti(AlCl₄)₂, MnCl(AlCl₄), Co(AlCl₄)₂, and V₂O₅.

22. The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery is used in a grid storage application, vehicle battery application, portable electronic device application, or standard cell size battery application.

23. A battery comprising:

an aluminum metal anode;

a λ

-MnO₂ cathode capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle; and

an ionic liquid electrolyte comprising aluminum chloride and ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate, having a molar ratio of aluminum chloride to ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate greater than 1;

1;

wherein the electrolyte is capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.

24. The battery of claim 23, wherein the battery maintains a discharge capacity of at least 50% of an initial discharge capacity after 50 discharge cycles.

25. A method of making a battery comprising:

providing an anode comprising aluminum metal;

providing a cathode comprising a material capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle; and

providing an electrolyte capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of Mn₂O₄, Ti(AlCl₄)₂, MnCl(AlCl₄), Co(AlCl₄)₂, and V₂O₅.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the electrolyte comprises aluminum chloride and an ionic liquid aluminate selected from the group consisting of alkylimidazolium aluminates, alkylpyridinium aluminates, alkylfluoropyrazolium aluminates, alkyltriazolium aluminates, aralkylammonium aluminates, alkylalkoxyammonium aluminates, aralkylphosphonium aluminates, aralkylsulfonium aluminates, and mixtures thereof;

wherein the ratio of aluminum chloride to the aluminate is greater than 1;

1.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the electrolyte comprises ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate and aluminum chloride;

wherein the molar ratio of aluminum chloride to ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate is greater than 1;

1.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the electrolyte is a neutral ionic liquid electrolyte comprising:

a cation having one of the following structures;

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the electrolyte comprises an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of propylene carbonate, ethylmethylsulfone, ethylmethoxyethylsulfone, and methoxyethylmethylsulfone.