Enevate Corporation

Other

David J Lee

Benjamin Yong Park

Giulia Canton

Rahul R Kamath

Monika Chhorng

Fred Bonhomme

Ian Russell Browne

Xiaohua Liu

Kirk Shockley

Shiang Jen Teng

Jeff Swoyer

Younes Ansari

Heidi Leighette Anderson

Frederic C Bonhomme

Sanjaya D Perera

Uday S Kasavajjula

Qian Huang

Jill Renee Pestana

Ambica J Nair

Tracy Ho

SungWon Choi

Mai Vietnam

Systems and methods are provided for high volume roll-to-roll transfer lamination of electrodes for silicon-dominant anode cells.

Transfer lamination of electrodes in silicon-dominant anode cells

Systems and methods are provided for high volume roll-to-roll direct coating of electrodes for silicon-dominant anode cells. A slurry that includes silicon particles and a binder material may be applied to a current collector film, and the slurry may be processed to form a precursor composite film coated on the current collector film. The current collector film with the coated precursor composite film may be rolled into a precursor composite roll. A heat treatment may be applied to the current collector film with the coated precursor composite film in an environment including nitrogen gas, to convert the coated precursor composite film to a pyrolyzed composite film coated on the current collector film. The heat treatment may include applying the heat treatment to the precursor composite roll in whole and/or applying the heat treatment to the current collector film with the coated precursor composite film as it is continuously fed.

Direct coating of electrodes in silicon-dominant anode cells

Systems and methods for batteries comprising a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, wherein sacrificial salts and prelithiation reagents are added to the cathode as functional additives for electrochemical prelithiation.

Sacrificial salts in Li-rich, defect anti-fluorite compounds in cathodes for prelithiation in lithium ion batteries

Systems and methods for anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by a roughness and/or thickness of the current collector, a metal used for the current collector, and/or a lamination process that adheres the active material to the current collector. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for thicker current collectors. A thicker current collector may be 10 μm thick or greater. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for more rigid materials used for the current collector. A more rigid current collector may include nickel and a less rigid current collector may include copper. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for a rougher surface current collector.

Anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes

In some embodiments, an electrode can include a current collector, a composite material in electrical communication with the current collector, and at least one phase configured to adhere the composite material to the current collector. The current collector can include one or more layers of metal, and the composite material can include electrochemically active material. The at least one phase can include a compound of the metal and the electrochemically active material. In some embodiments, a composite material can include electrochemically active material. The composite material can also include at least one phase configured to bind electrochemically active particles of the electrochemically active material together. The at least one phase can include a compound of metal and the electrochemically active material.

Binding agents for electrochemically active materials and methods of forming the same

Systems and methods are provided for carbon additives for direct coating of silicon-dominant anodes. An example composition for use in directly coated anodes may include a silicon-dominated anode active material, a carbon-based binder, and a carbon-based additive, with the composition being configured for low-temperature pyrolysis. The low-temperature pyrolysis may be conducted at <600° C. An anode may be formed using a direct coating process of the composition on a current collector. The anode active material yields silicon constituting between 86% and 97% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis. The carbon-based additive yields carbon constituting between 2% and 6% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis.

Lower pyrolysis temperature binder for silicon-dominant anodes

In some embodiments, an electrode can include a first and second conductive layer. At least one of the first and second conductive layers can include porosity configured to allow electrolyte to flow therethrough. The electrode can also include an electrochemically active layer having electrochemically active material sandwiched between the first and second conductive layers. The electrochemically active layer can be in electrical communication with the first and second conductive layers.

Sandwich electrodes

Systems and methods for anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by a thickness of the current collector. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for thicker current collectors. A thicker current collector may be 10 &#x3bc;m thick or greater. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for more rigid materials used for the current collector. A more rigid current collector may include nickel and a less rigid current collector may include copper. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for a rougher surface current collector.

Systems and methods for anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by a metal used for the current collector, and/or a lamination process that adheres the active material to the current collector. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for thicker current collectors. A thicker current collector may be 10 &#x3bc;m thick or greater. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for more rigid materials used for the current collector. A more rigid current collector may include nickel and a less rigid current collector may include copper. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for a rougher surface current collector.

Systems and methods are provided for carbon additives for direct coating of silicon-dominant anodes. An example composition for use in directly coated anodes may include a silicon-dominated anode active material, a carbon-based binder, and a carbon-based additive, with the composition being configured for low-temperature pyrolysis. The low-temperature pyrolysis may be conducted at &#x3c;600&#xb0; C. An anode may be formed using a direct coating process of the composition on a current collector. The anode active material yields silicon constituting between 86% and 97% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis. The carbon-based additive yields carbon constituting between 2% and 6% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis.

Systems and methods for improved performance of silicon anode containing cells through formation may include a cathode, electrolyte, and silicon containing anode. The battery may be subjected to a formation process comprising one or more cycles of: charging the battery at a 1 C rate to 3.8 volts or greater until a current in the battery reaches C/20, and discharging the battery to 2.5 volts or less. The battery may comprise a lithium ion battery. The electrolyte may comprise a liquid, solid, or gel. The anode may comprise greater than 70% silicon. The battery may be discharged until the current reaches 0.2 C. The battery may be discharged at a 1 C rate or at a 0.2 C rate. The battery may be in a rest period between the charge and discharge.

Method and system for improved performance of silicon anode containing cells through formation

Systems and methods are provided for high volume roll-to-roll direct coating of electrodes for silicon-dominant anode cells and may include applying a slurry to a current collector film, the slurry comprising silicon particles and a binder material; drying the slurry to form a precursor composite film; rolling the current collector film into a precursor composite roll; and applying a heat treatment to the precursor composite film and the current collector film in a nitrogen gas environment, wherein the heat treatment is configured for converting the precursor composite film to a pyrolyzed composite film. The heat treatment may include one or both of: applying the heat treatment to a roll comprising the precursor composite roll in whole; and applying the heat treatment to the current collector film as it is continuously fed from the precursor composite roll.

Systems and methods for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by utilizing a predetermined particle size distribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansion of the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions, which may range from 1 to 10 &#x3bc;m. The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface active material, which may be configured by utilizing larger particle size distributions that may range from 5 to 25 &#x3bc;m. The expansion may be configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for the current collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprise nickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper.

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Irvine, CA, United States of America

David J Lee