ELECTRODE STRUCTURE HAVING ALTERNATING COMPOSITE LAYERS

• US 20160211513A1
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: HAO, XIAOGUANG, OSHIHARA, KENZO
• Granted Patent: US 9,806,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/133 Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/386 Silicon or alloys based on silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/387 Tin or alloys based on tin
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/587 for inserting or intercalating light metals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrode comprises a current collector and a multi-layer active material formed on the current collector. The multi-layer active material includes at least one active composite unit having a first layer consisting essentially of a first carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder and a second layer formed on the first layer comprising a high energy density material. A top layer is formed on the active composite unit consisting essentially of a second carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder. The electrode provides even current distribution and compensates for particle volume expansion.

Claims

1. An electrode comprising:

a current collector; and

a multi-layer active material formed on the current collector comprising;

at least one active composite unit comprising;

a first layer of catalyst consisting essentially of a first carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder;

a second layer of catalyst formed on the first layer comprising a high energy density material; and

a top layer formed on the at least one active catalyst composite consisting essentially of a second carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder.

2. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the first carbon material and the second carbon material are one or more of graphite, a surface modified graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon, graphene, carbon black, carbon nanotubes and combinations thereof.

3. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the first carbon material and the second carbon material are the same.

4. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the first carbon material and the second carbon material are different.

5. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the high energy density material of the second layer is one or more of a silicon material and a tin material.

6. The electrode of claim 5, wherein the silicon material is one or more of silicon, a silicon alloy, a silicon/germanium composite, silicon oxide and the tin material is one or more of tin, tin oxide, and a tin alloy.

7. The electrode of claim 5, wherein the high energy density material is the silicon material, and the at least one multi-layer active material has a silicon concentration of between six percent and eight percent by weight.

8. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a first porosity and the top layer has a second porosity, the first porosity being greater than the second porosity.

9. The electrode of claim 1, wherein a porosity of the first layer is selected based on a thickness of the second layer, with the porosity of the first layer increased as the thickness of the second layer is increased.

10. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the at least one active composite unit is two or more active composite units layered between the current collector and the top layer.

11. An electrode comprising:

a current collector;

a first layer formed on the current collector consisting essentially of a first carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder;

a second layer formed on the first layer comprising one of a silicon material and a tin material; and

a top layer consisting essentially of a second carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder.

12. The electrode of claim 11, wherein the first carbon material and the second carbon material are the same.

13. The electrode of claim 11, wherein the first carbon material and the second carbon material are different.

14. The electrode of claim 11, wherein the silicon material is one or more of silicon, a silicon alloy, a silicon/germanium composite, silicon oxide and the tin material is one or more of tin, tin oxide, and a tin alloy.

15. The electrode of claim 11, wherein the first layer has a first porosity and the top layer has a second porosity, the first porosity being greater than the second porosity.

16. The electrode of claim 11, further comprising a third layer formed on the second layer consisting essentially of third carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder;

and

a fourth layer formed on the third layer comprising the one of the silicon material and the tin material.

17. The electrode of claim 16, wherein a porosity of the first layer is greater than the porosity of the third layer.

18. The electrode of claim 17, wherein a porosity of the third layer is greater than a porosity of the top layer.

19. The electrode of claim 18, wherein the porosity of each of the first layer, the third layer and the top layer is between 20 percent and 40 percent porosity.

20. The electrode of claim 16, wherein the second layer and the fourth layer comprise the silicon material, and a concentration of silicon in the electrode is between six percent and eight percent by weight.