Electrochemical methods, devices and compositions

• US 10,480,094 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iontra, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Iontra LLC
• Inventors: Konopka, Daniel A., Seedig, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Brian W
• Application Number:
  US15/649,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20180016697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 233/58 with only hydrogen atoms or radicals containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms, attached to ring nitrogen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 69/32 from aromatic diamines and aromatic dicarboxylic acids with both amino and carboxylic groups aromatically bound
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 13/02 with inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 13/12 characterised by the article coated
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 13/18 using modulated, pulsed, or reversing current
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 13/22 Servicing or operating apparatus or multistep processes
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 15/00 Electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings containing embedded materials, e.g. particles, whiskers, wires
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/00 Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/02 Tanks; Installations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 21/12 Process control or regulation controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/38 of copper
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/665 from ionic liquids
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/18 Electroplating using modulated, pulsed or reversing current
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/611 Smooth layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/617 Crystalline layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/623 Porosity of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/67 Electroplating to repair workpiece
• 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 10/0564 the electrolyte being constituted of organic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 : Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/00 : Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/139 : Processes of manufacture
• 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

The disclosure provides a method comprising inducing a first current between a source of a countercharge and a first electrode, the first current being through an electrolyte. In some instances, the first current is not present. A second current, in the form of waveform, is induced across the first electrode, the second current being transverse to the first current, and the second current inducing a relativistic charge across the first electrode. Metal from the electrolyte is deposited on the substrate or corroded from the substrate, among other things. The methods, as well as associated apparatus, improve deposition, bonding, corrosion, and other effects.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

inducing a first current between a source of a countercharge and a first electrode, the first current being through an electrolyte;

inducing a second current conforming to a waveform, the second current across the first electrode, the second current being transverse to the first current, and the second current inducing a relativistic charge across the first electrode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a working electrode.

3. The method of claim 1, the electrolyte comprising a metal, the first electrode having a void with a metal edge, the relativistic charge causing a metal-metal bond to form between metal from the electrolyte and the metal edge to thereby fill the void.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the void is a crack, crevice, or fracture in the first electrode.

5. The method of claim 3, the void forming a gap between a first portion of the first electrode, the first portion having a first edge of the metal edge, and a second portion of the first electrode, the second portion with a second edge of the metal edge proximate the first edge, the relativistic charge causing the metal-metal bond to form between metal from the first edge and metal from the electrolyte and between metal from the second edge and metal from the electrolyte, the bonded metals thereby bridging the gap to form a unified electrode of the first portion and the second portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the source of a countercharge is an electrode counter to the first electrode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises a metal and one or more species selected from the group consisting of water, ammonium salts, metal chlorides, metal sulfates, ionic liquids, ionogels, and any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid, and the ionic liquid is a room temperature ionic liquid.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the room-temperature ionic liquid is 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises metal particles.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second current is chosen from an alternating current (AC) second current, or a combination of an AC second current and a direct current (DC) second current.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second current combines the AC second current and the DC second current, the DC second current offsetting the AC second current by an amount less than an electrochemical breakdown of the electrolyte.

13. The method of claim 1, the second current conforming to a waveform comprising a plurality of waveforms based on harmonics of one or more frequencies at which the electrolyte or the first electrode exhibits absorption of the one or more frequencies.

14. The method of claim 13, the second current having a phase offset of about 90°

between an onset frequency voltage and an output amperage.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a signal cancellation to reduce a far-field radiation from the first electrode.

16. The method of claim 1, the second current having a period similar to a diffusion rate of a component in the electrolyte.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the relativistic charge induced by the second current causes metal from the electrolyte to bond to the surface of the first electrode, and/or causes metal to corrode at the surface of the first electrode.

18. A method comprising:

inducing an electric field between a source of a countercharge and a first electrode, the electric field having field lines through an electrolyte;

inducing a potential waveform across a surface of the first electrode, the induced waveform potential bending the field lines proximate the surface so metal from the electrolyte follows a path of the bent field lines to deposit the metal onto the surface.

19. The method of claim 18, the first electrode having a void with a metal edge, the induced potential causing a metal-metal bond to form between metal from the electrolyte and the metal edge to thereby fill the void.

20. The method of claim 18, the void forming a gap between a first portion of the first electrode, the first portion having a first edge of the metal edge, and a second portion of the first electrode, the second portion with a second edge of the metal edge proximate to the first edge, the relativistic charge causing the metal-metal bond between metal from the first edge and metal from the electrolyte and between metal from the second edge and metal from the electrolyte, the bonded metals to thereby bridging the gap to form a unified electrode of the first portion and the second portion.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the source of a countercharge is an electrode counter to the first electrode.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid, and the ionic liquid is a room temperature ionic liquid.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the room-temperature ionic liquid is 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrolyte comprises metal particles.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the second current is chosen from an alternating current (AC) second current, or a combination of an AC second current and a direct current (DC) second current.

26. The method of claim 18 the induced potential having a waveform comprising a plurality of waveforms based on harmonics of one or more frequencies at which the electrolyte or the first electrode exhibits absorption at the one or more frequencies.

27. The method of claim 26, the induced potential having a phase offset of about 90°

between an onset frequency and an output amperage.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising applying a signal cancellation to reduce a far-field radiation from the first electrode.

29. The method of claim 18, the induced potential having a period similar to a diffusion rate of a component in the electrolyte.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the induced potential waveform generates a relativistic charge on the first electrode, the induced potential waveform causes metal from the electrolyte to bond to the surface of the first electrode, and/or causes metal to corrode at the surface of the first electrode.