Tin in an active support matrix

• US 8,039,152 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T&N Technology Limited (Apollo Global Management, Inc.), Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: T&N Technology Limited (Apollo Global Management, Inc.), Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ma, Junqing, Yin, Shih-Chieh, Glomski, Brian, Wang, Liya, Zhang, Pu, Mani, Suresh, Stamm, Kimber L., Richard, Monique
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan; Patrick Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiquee; Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US11/695,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20080248393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 429/101, 429/217, 429/218.1, 429/231.1, 429/231.95, 429/231, 429/232
• US Class Current: 429/232
• 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 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/027 Negative electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/136 Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/485 of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence
• 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 4/58 of inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy; of polyanionic structures, e.g. phosphates, silicates or borates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An anode material made from nanoparticles, said anode material including a homogeneous mixture of lithium-alloying nanoparticles with active support matrix nanoparticles, is provided. The active support matrix nanoparticle is a compound that participates in the conversion reaction of the lithium battery. The compound is preferably a transition metal compound, with said compound including a nitride, carbide, oxide or combination thereof. An electrode manufactured from the anode material preferably has a porosity of between 5 and 80% and more preferably has a porosity between 10 and 50%. The anode material nanoparticles preferably have a mean linear dimension of between 2 and 500 nanometers, and more preferably have a mean linear dimension of between 2 and 50 nanometers.

Claims

1. An anode material in a lithium battery comprising:

a plurality of electrochemically active non-lithiated support nanoparticles, said active non-lithiated support nanoparticles undergoing a conversion reaction upon lithiation; and

a plurality of lithium-alloying nanoparticles, said lithium-alloying nanoparticles being homogenously admixed with said active non-lithiated support nanoparticles to form an anode active material for a lithium battery.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said lithium-alloying nanoparticles are unlithiated nanoparticles.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein said lithium-alloying nanoparticles are lithiated nanoparticles.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said active nanoparticles include a transition metal.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of cobalt, copper, iron, nickel, manganese and combinations thereof.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of active nanoparticles has a mean linear dimension of less than 200 nanometers.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein said active nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of a metal-oxide, metal-nitride, metal-sulfide, metal-fluoride, metal-phosphide and combinations thereof.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein said active nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of Co₃O₄, CuO, FeF₃, Cu₃N, Ge₃N₄ and combinations thereof.

9. The invention of claim 1, wherein said lithium-alloying nanoparticles have a composition selected from the group consisting of:

tin, silicon, germanium, lead, antimony, aluminum, tin alloys and silicon alloys.

10. The invention of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of active nanoparticles and plurality of lithium-alloying nanoparticles has a mean linear dimension of between 1 and 999 nanometers.

11. The invention of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of active nanoparticles and plurality of lithium-alloying nanoparticles has a mean linear dimension of between 2 and 500 nanometers.

12. The invention of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of active nanoparticles and plurality of lithium-alloying nanoparticles has a mean linear dimension of between 2 and 50 nanometers.

13. The invention of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of active nanoparticles and plurality of lithium-alloying nanoparticles has a mean linear dimension of between 2 and 20 nanometers.

14. The invention of claim 1, wherein said anode active material further comprises an additive, said additive selected from the group consisting of a binding element, a conductivity enhancer, an ionic conductivity enhancer, an adhesion promoter and combinations thereof, for the purpose of forming an anode.

15. The invention of claim 14, wherein said anode active material and said additive are used to form an anode, said anode combined with a cathode, a separator and an electrolyte to form a battery.

16. An anode material in a lithium battery comprising:

a plurality of electrochemically non-lithiated active support nanoparticles;

a plurality of lithium-alloying nanoparticles, said lithium-alloying nanoparticles being homogenously admixed with said non-lithiated active support nanoparticles to form an anode active material; and

said anode active material defining a void volume.

17. The invention of claim 16, wherein said void volume is comprised of a plurality of porosity channels.

18. The invention of claim 16, wherein said void volume is comprised of a plurality of expansion accommodation pores.

19. The invention of claim 16, wherein said void volume is comprised of a plurality of porosity channels and a plurality of expansion accommodation pores.

20. The invention of claim 19, wherein at least one of said plurality of expansion accommodation pores contains at least one lithium-alloying nanoparticle therein.

21. The invention of claim 19 wherein the mean linear dimension of said expansion accommodation pores are 2 to 5 times the mean linear dimension of an unlithiated lithium-alloying nanoparticle.

22. The invention of claim 19 wherein the mean linear dimension of said expansion accommodation pores are 2 to 4 times the mean linear dimension of an unlithiated nanoparticle.

23. The invention of claim 19 wherein the mean linear dimension of said expansion accommodation pores are 2 to 3 times the mean linear dimension of an unlithiated lithium-alloying nanoparticle.

24. The invention of claim 16, wherein said anode active material further comprises an additive, said additive selected from the group consisting of a binding element, a conductivity enhancer, an ionic conductivity enhancer, an adhesion promoter and combinations thereof, for the purpose of forming an anode.

25. The invention of claim 19, wherein said anode material and said additive are used to form an anode, said anode combined with a cathode, a separator and an electrolyte to form a battery.