POROUS CERAMIC SEPARATOR MATERIALS AND FORMATION PROCESSES

• US 20190312300A1
• Filed: 07/10/2018
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ma, Lin, Yoo, Mikyong, Mank, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 11,870,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/322 Transition aluminas, e.g. delta or gamma aluminas
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5409 expressed by specific surface values
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/10 based on aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/111 Fine ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6264 Mixing media, e.g. organic solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6365 Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• 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 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/027 Negative electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/028 Positive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/583 Carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/661 Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings H01M4/669 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/403 Manufacturing processes of separators, membranes or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/4295 Natural cotton, cellulose or wood
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/434 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/44 Fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/446 Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/489 Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/491 Porosity
• 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

Abstract

Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries may include a battery cell component that may be or include a ceramic layer produced by methods including admixing a ceramic with a water-soluble dispersant to form a first mixture. The methods may include admixing an organic polymeric dispersant with the first mixture to form a second mixture. The methods may include admixing a binder with the second mixture to form a slurry. The methods may also include depositing the slurry on a substrate.

Claims

1. A method of forming a ceramic material, the method comprising:

admixing a ceramic with a water-soluble dispersant to form a first mixture;

admixing an organic polymeric dispersant with the first mixture to form a second mixture;

admixing a binder with the second mixture to form a slurry; and

depositing the slurry on a substrate.

2. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, wherein the water-soluble dispersant is an ionic dispersant.

3. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 2, wherein the ionic dispersant is characterized by a polymeric chain having a cationic component within a repeated moiety of the polymeric chain.

4. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, wherein the organic polymeric dispersant comprises carboxymethyl cellulose.

5. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, wherein admixing the binder further comprises incorporating isopropyl alcohol within the second mixture.

6. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, wherein the slurry is characterized by a viscosity below about 200 cp.

7. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a carrier film, an electrode, or a polymer layer.

8. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, wherein the slurry is deposited on the substrate to a thickness of less than or about 10 μ

m.

9. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, wherein the ceramic material comprises gamma alumina.

10. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 1, further comprising depositing an adhesive material on a surface of the ceramic material, wherein the adhesive material comprises an acrylate or polyvinylidene fluoride (“

PVDF”

).

11. The method of forming a ceramic material of claim 10, wherein the adhesive layer is disposed on the surface of the ceramic material at a loading of less than or about 5 g/m².

12. A method for producing a battery cell component, the method comprising:

forming a slurry comprising a ceramic material, a binder, and an ionic dispersant, wherein the ceramic material comprises greater than 50% of the slurry by weight; and

applying the slurry to a polymeric material to form a two layer separator, wherein the slurry is applied to a thickness of less than or about 10 μ

m.

13. The method for producing a battery cell component of claim 12, further comprising depositing an adhesive material over the applied slurry of ceramic material.

14. The method for producing a battery cell component of claim 12, wherein the slurry is characterized by a viscosity below about 200 cp.

15. The method for producing a battery cell component of claim 12, wherein the ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, copper oxide, tin oxide, and chromium oxide.

16. The method for producing a battery cell component of claim 12, wherein the ceramic material is characterized by an HF gas absorption rate of at least about 2 mg HF/g of the ceramic material.

17. A battery cell comprising:

a first current collector;

a cathode active material disposed along the first current collector;

a second current collector;

an anode active material disposed along the second current collector; and

a separator disposed between the cathode active material and the anode active material, wherein the separator comprises a ceramic material layer characterized by a thickness less than about 10 μ

m.

18. The battery cell of claim 17, wherein the ceramic material layer comprises ceramic particles characterized by a specific surface area of at least about 100 m²/g.

19. The battery cell of claim 17, wherein ceramic materials of the ceramic material layer are selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, copper oxide, tin oxide, and chromium oxide.

20. The battery cell of claim 19, wherein the ceramic materials are characterized by an HF gas absorption rate of at least about 2 mg HF/g of the ceramic material.

21. The battery cell of claim 17, further comprising an adhesive material disposed across a surface of the separator.