Lithium-ion battery

• US 8,785,046 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Howard, William G., Schmidt, Craig L., Scott, Erik R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEINER, LAURA S
• Application Number:
  US12/869,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20100316898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 429/231.1, 429/231.3, 429/231.95, 429/231.5, 429/233, 429/245
• US Class Current: 429/231.1
• 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 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A lithium-ion battery includes a positive electrode having a first active material and a second active material and a negative electrode including a third active material. The second active material includes a lithiated form of a material that does not include electrochemically cyclable lithium in the as-provided state.

Claims

1. A lithium-ion battery comprising:

a positive electrode comprising a primary active material and an auxiliary active material; and

a negative electrode comprising a negative active material;

wherein the auxiliary active material comprises a lithiated form of a material that does not include electrochemically cyclable lithium in the as-provided state; and

wherein the auxiliary active material is configured to provide a zero voltage crossing potential for the battery that is below a corrosion potential of a current collector of the negative electrode and above a decomposition potential of the primary active material, the auxiliary active material provided in an amount greater than or equal to a difference between an irreversible capacity of the primary active material and an irreversible capacity of the negative active material;

wherein the lithiated material that does not include electrochemically cyclable lithium in the as-provided state comprises an oxide of vanadium; and

wherein the negative active material comprises at least one material from the group consisting of carbon and lithium titanate.

2. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary active material exhibits charging and discharging capacity below the corrosion potential of the current collector.

3. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary active material comprises powdered lithium as source of electrochemically cyclable lithium.

4. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary active material comprises a lithium intermetallic compound as source of electrochemically cyclable lithium.

5. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the negative active material comprises a lithium titanate material.

6. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the primary active material and the auxiliary active material are provided as separate layers.

7. The lithium-ion battery of claim 6, wherein the layer of primary active material has a thickness between approximately 25 μ

m and 300 μ

m, and the layer of auxiliary active material has a thickness between approximately 5 μ

m and 60 μ

m.

8. The lithium ion battery of claim 7, wherein the thickness of the layer of primary active material is approximately 75 μ

m, and the thickness of the layer of auxiliary active material is approximately 10 μ

m.

9. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the primary active material includes lithium in the as-provided state.

10. The lithium-ion battery of claim 9, wherein the primary active material comprises LiCoO₂.

11. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, further comprising a liquid electrolyte.

12. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, further comprising a porous polymeric separator.

13. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are provided as wound electrodes.

14. The lithium-ion battery of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary active material is provided in an amount such that the capacity of the auxiliary active material is greater than or equal to an irreversible capacity of the negative electrode.

15. The lithium ion battery of claim 1, wherein the negative active material comprises carbon.