Electrochemical batteries with restricted liquid electrolyte volume

• US 6,207,318 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bluestar Advanced Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: Eagle-Picher Energy Products Corporation
• Inventors: Wessel, Silvia A., Almond, Katherine P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaney, Carol
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, Angela J
• Application Number:
  US09/102,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 429/127, 429/102, 429/181, 429/131, 429/163, 296/232
• US Class Current: 429/163
• 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 2006/106 Elliptic wound cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4292 Aspects relating to capacity ratio of electrodes/electrolyte or anode/cathode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/609 Arrangements or processes for filling with liquid, e.g. electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/16 with organic electrolyte H01M6/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 including sealing

Abstract

In a flexible non-aqueous electrochemical cell, the electrolyte resides substantially entirely within the porous anode, cathode, and separator. In manufacturing the flexible non-aqueous electrochemical cell, the volume within the cell available to receive the electrolyte is substantially limited to the pores of the anode, cathode, and separator.

Claims

1. A non-aqueous electrochemical cell comprising:

a negative electrode;

a positive electrode;

a porous separator positioned between said negative electrode and said positive electrode;

an electrolyte solution comprising a liquid solvent and a conductive salt; and

a flexible, fluid impermeable container containing said negative electrode, said positive electrode, said separator, and said electrolyte solution, wherein substantially all of said electrolyte solution fills the pores of both of said electrodes and said separator, and introduction of said electrolyte solution into the space between said electrodes and said flexible container is substantially prevented.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said cell is non-rechargeable.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 2 wherein said negative electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, alkali metal alloys, and alkaline earth metal alloys.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 3 wherein said negative electrode comprises lithium.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 2 wherein said liquid solvent is selected from the group consisting of linear carbonate esters, cyclic carbonate esters, linear ethers, cyclic ethers, and mixtures thereof.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 2 wherein said conductive salt is selected from the group consisting of LiClO₄, LiBF₄, LiAsF₆, LiCF₃SO₃, LiN(CF₃SO₂)₂, and LiC(CF₃SO₂)₃.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 2 wherein said electrolyte solution comprises LiClO₄, propylene carbonate, tetrahydrofuran, and dimethoxyethane.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 2 wherein said positive electrode comprises a binder, a conductant, and a transition metal compound coated on a conductive substrate.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 8 wherein said transition metal compound is selected from the group consisting of oxides of manganese, vanadium, tungsten, copper, and chromium, and sulfides of iron, molybdenum, vanadium, and copper.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 wherein said positive electrode comprises a fluorocarbon binder, carbon, and manganese dioxide which are coated on an expanded metal conductive substrate.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said cell is rechargeable.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein said negative electrode comprises an electroactive material selected from the group consisting of lithiated carbon, lithiated nitrogen-doped carbon, boron-doped carbon, phosphorus-doped carbon, lithiated metal oxides, and lithiated metal sulfides.

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 12 wherein the said electroactive material is lithiated graphite.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein said liquid solvent is selected from the group consisting of linear carbonate esters, cyclic carbonate esters, linear carboxylic acid esters, cyclic carboxylic acid esters, linear ethers, cyclic ethers, and mixtures thereof.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein said conductive salt is selected from the group consisting of LiClO₄, LiBF₄, LiAsF₆, LiCF₃SO₃, LiN(CF₃SO₂)₂, LiC(CF₃SO₂)₃, and LiPF₆.

16. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein said electrolyte solution comprises LiPF₆, ethylene carbonate, and ethyl methyl carbonate.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein said electrolyte solution comprises LiPF₆, ethylene carbonate, and diethyl carbonate.

18. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein said electrolyte solution comprises LiPF₆, ethylene carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and dimethyl carbonate.

19. The electrochemical cell of claim 11 wherein said positive electrode comprises a binder, a conductant, and an electroactive transition metal oxide coated on a conductive substrate.

20. The electrochemical cell of claim 19 wherein said electroactive transition metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of lithiated cobalt oxides, lithiated nickel oxides, lithiated manganese oxides, and compounds of lithiated mixed transition metal oxides.

21. The electrochemical cell of claim 20 wherein said positive electrode comprises polyvinylidene fluoride, carbon, and a lithiated cobalt oxide which are coated on a conducting substrate.