Basf Corporation

Ovonic Battery Company, Inc.

Fdk Corporation

Diana F Wong

Kwo Young

Jean Nei

Benjamin Reichman

William C Mays

Martin L Panchula

Lixin Wang

Shigekazu Yasuoka

Benjamin S Chao

Xue Wu Liu

Taihei Ouchi

Tiejun Meng

Gary A Yacobian

Hu Chao-Ian

Michael A Fetcenko

Jack Thomas Bender

Kwo-hsiung Young

Dieter G Von Deak

Wentao Li

Tinoush Dinn

Provided are processes for extracting nickel and lithium from a Ni/Lisolution. The process for extracting nickel and lithium includes providing a Ni/Lisolution comprising an amount of lithium and an amount of nickel, treating the Ni/Lisolution with an alkaline agent to adjust the pH of the Ni/Lisolution to between about 1.0 to about 10.0, and treating the Ni/Lisolution with a nickel selective extractant, the nickel selective extractant suitable to extract nickel from the Ni/Lisolution at said pH to thereby produce a Lisolution with less than 1000 parts per million Ni. Once complete, the process provides for recoverable nickel and/or lithium that may be recycled into batteries or sold for other uses.

Methods for extracting elements from a solution

Provided are processes for the formation of electrochemically active materials such as lithiated transition metal oxides that solve prior issues with throughput and calcination. The processes include forming precursor materials into agglomerates prior to calcination. The use of the agglomerates improves gas flow into and out of the materials thereby improving calcination results, electrochemical properties of the resulting materials, and allows for use of high temperature kilns not previously suitable for such materials thereby lowering production costs.

Process for producing lithiated transition metal oxides

Electrolyte compositions comprising a) an ionic liquid and b) a protic acid and/or an organic solvent are suitable for use in electrochemical cells, e.g. metal hydride batteries. The electrolyte compositions may replace the currently employed 30% by weight aqueous KOH. Suitable protic acids include carboxylic acids, mineral acids, sulfonic acids and the like. Suitable organic solvents include organic carbonates, ethers, glymes, ortho esters, polyalkylene glycols, esters, lactones, glycols, formates, sulfones, sulfoxides, amides, alcohols, ketones, nitro solvents, nitrile solvents and combinations thereof. Present batteries may achieve a nominal open-circuit voltage of &#x3e;1.2 V (volts) and up to about 6 V. The electrolyte compositions allow enlargement of the electrochemical window, thus allowing the use of further cathode active materials. Further cathode active materials include transition metals and their oxides, hydroxides and fluorides; for example, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt and Au and their oxides, hydroxides, oxide/hydroxides and fluorides.

Electrolyte compositions comprising ionic liquids and metal hydride batteries comprising same

A multi-phase hydrogen storage alloy comprising a hexagonal CeNiphase and a hexagonal PrCophase, where the CeNiphase abundance is &#x2265;30 wt % and the PrCophase abundance is &#x2265;8 wt % and where the alloy comprises a mischmetal where Nd in the mischmetal is &#x3c;50 at % or a multi-phase hydrogen storage alloy comprising one or more rare earth elements, a hexagonal CeNiphase and a hexagonal PrCophase, where the CeNiphase abundance is from about 30 to about 72 wt % and the PrCophase abundance is &#x2265;8 wt % have improved electrochemical performance. The alloys are useful in an electrode in a metal hydride battery, a fuel cell or a metal hydride air battery.

Hydrogen storage multi-phase alloys

The present application discloses s an electrochemical cell (battery) comprising a hydrogen storage negative electrode (anode), a positive electrode (cathode) and a solid proton-conducting electrolyte in contact with the electrodes. The solid proton-conducting electrolyte comprises a silicon material which comprises at least 35 at % silicon.

Silicon-based solid electrolyte for rechargeable battery

A metal hydride battery comprising at least one negative electrode, at least one positive electrode, a casing having said electrodes positioned therein and an electrolyte composition, where the electrolyte composition comprises an ionic compound selected from the group consisting of protic acids, protic ammonium compounds, protic oxonium compounds, aprotic ammonium compounds, aprotic oxonium compounds, aprotic phosphonium compounds and alkali or alkali earth metal salts; or where the electrolyte composition comprises an ionic compound selected from the group consisting of alkali or alkali earth metal hydroxides and alkali or alkali earth metal alkoxides and an organic solvent; or where the electrolyte composition comprises an alkali metal hydroxide, water and one or more further components selected from the group consisting of organic solvents, further ionic compounds and additives; or where the electrolyte composition comprises an ionic compound selected from the group consisting of carboxylate compounds and carboxylic acids. Ionic compounds include ionic liquids and salts. Metal hydride batteries comprising certain electrolyte compositions have a nominal open-circuit voltage of from about 1.5 V to about 5.0 V.

Electrolytes and metal hydride batteries

Hydrogen storage alloys comprising a metal oxide containing &#x2265;60 at % oxygen; and/or comprising a metal region adjacent to a boundary region, which boundary region comprises at least one channel; and/or comprising a metal region adjacent to a boundary region, where the boundary region has a length and an average width, where the average width is from about 12 nm to about 1100 nm; and/or comprising a metal oxide zone comprising a metal oxide, which oxide zone is aligned with at least one channel; and/or comprising a Ni/Cr metal oxide have improved electrochemical properties, for instance improved low temperature electrochemical performance.

Hydrogen storage alloys

Certain nickel hydroxide active cathode materials for use in alkaline rechargeable batteries are capable of transferring &#x3e;1.3 electrons per Ni atom under reversible electrochemical conditions. The specific capacity of the nickel hydroxide active materials is for example &#x2265;325 mAh/g. The cathode active materials exhibit an additional discharge plateau near 0.8 V vs. a metal hydride (MH) anode. Ni in an oxidation state of less than 2, such as Ni, is able to participate in electrochemical reactions when using the present cathode active materials. It is possible that up to 2.3 electrons, up to 2.5 electrons or more may be transferred per Ni atom under electrochemical conditions.

Nickel hydroxide positive electrode for alkaline rechargeable battery

Certain nickel hydroxide active cathode materials for use in alkaline rechargeable batteries are capable of transferring &#x3e;1.3 electrons per Ni atom under reversible electrochemical conditions. The specific capacity of the nickel hydroxide active materials is for example &#x2267;325 mAh/g. The cathode active materials exhibit an additional discharge plateau near 0.8 V vs. a metal hydride (MH) anode. Ni in an oxidation state of less than 2, such as Ni, is able to participate in electrochemical reactions when using the present cathode active materials. It is possible that up to 2.3 electrons, up to 2.5 electrons or more may be transferred per Ni atom under electrochemical conditions.

Hydrogen storage alloys comprising a) at least one main phase, b) a storage secondary phase and c) a catalytic secondary phase, where the weight ratio of the catalytic secondary phase abundance to the storage secondary phase abundance is &#x2267;3; or comprising a) at least one main phase, b) from 0 to about 13.3 wt % of a storage secondary phase and c) a catalytic secondary phase, where the alloy comprises from 0.05 at % to 0.98 at % of one or more rare earth elements; or comprising a) at least one main phase, b) from 0 to about 13.3 wt % of a storage secondary phase and c) a catalytic secondary phase, where the alloy comprises for example i) one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Nb and Hf and ii) one or more elements selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Sn, Al, Co, Cu, Mo, W, Fe, Si, Sn and rare earth elements, where the atomic ratio of ii) to i) is from about 1.80 to about 1.98, exhibit improved electrochemical properties, for instance improved low temperature electrochemical performance.

Lithiated composite materials and methods of manufacture are provided that are capable of imparting excellent capacity and greatly improved cycle life in lithium-ion secondary cells. By supplementing a high nickel content lithium storage material with a transition metal oxide lithium storage material or a dopant at relatively low levels, the capacity of the high nickel content lithium storage materials is maintained while cycle life is dramatically improved. These characteristics are promoted by methods of producing the materials that intermix unlithiated precursor materials with a lithium source and sintering the materials together in a single sintering reaction. The resulting lithiated composite materials provide for the first time both high capacity and excellent cycle life to predominantly high nickel content electrodes.

Composite cathode materials having improved cycle life

A hybrid power cell is provided that combines a nickel-metal hydride battery, solid state hydrogen storage, and alkaline fuel cell technologies in a single cell operating within a targeted intermediate temperature range. A cell includes a cathode that is capable of using raw atmospheric air as an oxygen source and an anode that is capable of reversible electrochemical and gas phase hydrogen storage, where the anode and the cathode are highly functional at intermediate temperatures. The resulting hybrid power cell overcomes prior challenges of reliable high-capacity grid-tied energy storage necessary for greater renewable energy adoption.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Diana F Wong