Batteries prepared by spinning

• US 9,281,514 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rhodes, Kevin James, Adams, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schoenholtz, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/445,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20160036037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0405 characterised by their position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0419 involving spraying
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0471 involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0483 by methods including the handling of a melt H01M4/0438, take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1395 of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1397 of electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/38 of elements or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/386 Silicon or alloys based on silicon
• 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: H01M 4/5815 Sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/624 Electric conductive fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/625 Carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/70 characterised by shape or form
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/534 characterised by the material of the leads or tabs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method of forming a lithium-ion battery by spinning and a battery formed thereby are disclosed. The spinning may include electrospinning A first anode layer may be spun, followed by a first separator layer, a first cathode layer, and a second separator layer. Each layer may be spun directly onto the previously spun layer to provide a battery that does not include metal current collectors. The anode and/or cathode layers may include polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. To render the anode and cathode layers conductive, they may be carbonized using a heat source (e.g., a laser). The disclosed method may allow for the incorporation of high capacity materials, such as sulfur and/or silicon, in the electrode active materials.

Claims

1. A lithium-ion battery comprising:

a first anode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and an anode active material;

a first non-conductive, porous layer contacting the first anode layer;

a first cathode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and a cathode active material contacting the first non-conductive, porous layer; and

a second non-conductive, porous layer contacting the first cathode layer;

wherein each of the first anode and cathode layers includes a body and a collector tab extending from the body, the collector tab including a conductive bulk fiber.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the anode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of the anode layer and at least a portion of the cathode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of the cathode layer.

3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the first anode layer and the first cathode layer have a porosity of 40% to 80% and the first and second non-conductive, porous layers each have a thickness of 1 to 12 μ

m.

4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the conductive bulk fiber of the first anode and cathode layers is a carbonized polymer.

5. The battery of claim 1, wherein the first and second non-conductive, porous layers are first and second separator layers.

6. The battery of claim 2, wherein the anode active material includes silicon nanoparticles.

7. The battery of claim 2, wherein the cathode active material includes sulfur.

8. The battery of claim 7, wherein the cathode active material includes nanoparticles of elemental sulfur or Li₂S.

9. The battery of claim 1 further comprising:

a second anode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and an anode active material contacting the second non-conductive, porous layer;

a third non-conductive, porous layer contacting the second anode layer; and

a second cathode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and a cathode active material contacting the third non-conductive, porous layer.

10. A lithium-ion battery comprising:

a plurality of anode layers, each including a conductive bulk fiber and an anode active material;

a plurality of cathode layers, each including a conductive bulk fiber and a cathode active material; and

a plurality of non-conductive separator layers, each separating one of the plurality of anode layers from one of the plurality of cathode layers;

wherein no metal current collectors are in contact with the plurality of anode layers or the plurality of cathode layers.

11. The battery of claim 10, wherein the anode active material includes silicon and at least a portion of the anode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of each anode layer.

12. The battery of claim 10, wherein the cathode active material includes sulfur and at least a portion of the cathode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of each cathode layer.

13. The battery of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of anode and cathode layers includes a body and a collector tab extending from the body, the collector tab including a conductive bulk fiber.

14. The battery of claim 10, wherein the plurality of anode layers and the plurality of cathode layers have a porosity of 40% to 80%.

15. The battery of claim 10, wherein the plurality of non-conductive separator layers each have a thickness of 1 to 12 μ

m.

16. A method for forming a battery comprising:

(a) spinning a first anode layer and carbonizing the first anode layer using a laser;

(b) spinning a first separator layer onto the carbonized first anode layer;

(c) spinning a first cathode layer onto the first separator layer and carbonizing the first cathode layer using a laser; and

(d) spinning a second separator layer onto the carbonized first cathode layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the spinning in steps (a)-(d) is performed using electrospinning.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein step (a) includes spinning a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber and an anode active material and step (c) includes spinning a PAN fiber and a cathode active material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the anode active material includes silicon nanoparticles and the cathode active material includes nanoparticles of elemental sulfur or Li₂S.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein step (a) includes spinning a first anode layer having a porosity of 40% to 80%, step (b) includes spinning a first separator layer having a thickness of 1 to 12 μ

m, step (c) includes spinning a first cathode layer having a porosity of 40% to 80%, and step (d) includes spinning a second separator layer having a thickness of 1 to 12 μ

m.