Secondary battery

• US 6,884,546 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Adachi, Momoe, Akashi, Hiroyuki, Fujita, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/856,431
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 429/231.8, 429/231.95, 429/330, 429/331, 429/332, 429/341, 429/199, 429/60, 429/66, 429/231.9, 429/231.4
• US Class Current: 429/231.9
• 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 10/0567 characterised by the additives
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0568 characterised by the solutes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0569 characterised by the solvents
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0042 Four or more solvents
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/133 Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/587 for inserting or intercalating light metals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Provided is a secondary battery in which high energy density can be obtained and charging/discharging cycle characteristic can be improved. A positive electrode (13) and a negative electrode (15) are stacked with a separator (16) interposed therebetween, and are enclosed inside an exterior can (11) to which an electrolyte is injected. The negative electrode (15) contains a negative electrode material capable of occluding/releasing lithium in an ionic state. Thereby, lithium metal precipitates in the negative electrode (15) in a state where the open circuit voltage is lower than the overcharge voltage. In other words, lithium is occluded in an ionic state in a negative electrode material capable of occluding/releasing lithium in the beginning of charging, and then lithium metal precipitates on the surface of the negative electrode material thereafter during charging. The amount of precipitation of lithium metal is preferable to be from 0.05 to 3.0 times, both inclusive, the ability of charging capacity of the negative electrode material capable of occluding/releasing lithium. Thereby, a high energy density and an excellent cycle characteristic can be obtained.

Claims

1. A secondary battery comprising:

a negative electrodes;

a positive electrode; and

an electrolyte, wherein;

the negative electrode includes a negative electrode material capable of occluding and releasing light metal in an ionic state while the light metal precipitates on the negative electrode in a state where an open circuit voltage is lower than an overcharge voltage; and

wherein when the open circuit voltage of the battery is below overcharging voltages, the ratio (moles of light metal precipitated on the negative electrode)/(moles of light metal reversibly occluded in the material of the negative electrode) is at least 0.05/1 and at most 3/1.

2. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light metal comprises lithium.

3. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein lithium precipitates on the negative electrode when the open circuit voltage of the battery is at least 0 V and at most 4.2 V.

4. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein a peak attributed to lithium ion and a peak attributed to lithium metal are obtained when measuring the negative electrode material in a full-charged state by a ⁷Li polynuclear species nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

5. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 4, wherein the peak attributed to lithium ion measured in the full-charged state disappears when measuring the negative electrode material in a complete-discharged state by the ⁷Li polynuclear species nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

6. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light metal precipitates on the negative electrode material.

7. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ability of charging capacity of the negative electrode material is 150 mAh/g and more.

8. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the negative electrode has a negative electrode mixture layer containing the negative electrode material and the thickness of the negative electrode mixture layer is from at least 10 μ

m to at most 300 μ

m.

9. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative electrode material contains 50 percent by weight and more of a negative electrode active material.

10. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative electrode contains a carbonaceous material as the negative electrode material.

11. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positive electrode contains an oxide containing the light metal.

12. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positive electrode contains metallic carbonate.

13. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 12, wherein the metallic carbonate is lithium carbonate.

14. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte contains at least one of the group consisting of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate.

15. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electrolyte contains a non-aqueous solvent which contains propylene carbonate with a concentration of less than 30 percent by weight.

16. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electrolyte contains ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate and a mass fraction of mixing ethylene carbonate to propylene carbonate (ethylene carbonate/propylene carbonate) is 0.5 and more.

17. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte contains at least one of the group consisting of chain ester carbonate, 2,4-difluoroanisole, and vinylene carbonate.

18. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electrolyte contains a non-aqueous solvent which contains 2,4-difluoroanisole at a concentration of 15 percent by weight and below.

19. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electrolyte contains a non-aqueous solvent which contains vinylene carbonate with a concentration of 15 percent by weight and below.

20. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte contains ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, and ethyl-methyl carbonate.

21. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte contains LiPF₆.

22. A secondary battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is in a solid state.