Navitas Systems, LLC

T/j Technologies, Inc.

A123 Systems LLC

Other

Michael R Wixom

Pu Zhang

Peter Aurora

Levi T Thompson

Chuanjing Xu

Qingliu Wu

Yet-Ming Chiang

Young-Il Jang

Suresh Mani

Daryl Clerc

Matthew Fay

Robert Sosik

Viet H Vu

Hong Wang

Andrew C Chu

Hanwei Lei

Junqing Ma

Shih-Chieh Yin

Brian Glomski

Jennifer Groff

Cong Pu

David Tarnowski

Jeffery M Parker

Lynne Owens

Bob Sosik

Christopher Silkowski

Provided are electrodes that may be used in electrochemical cells that incorporate relatively high loading of active material while also demonstrating excellent adhesion, resistance to mechanical breakdown, and also offer improved capacity retention, particularly at discharge rates of C/2 or greater.

High loading electrodes

Provided are compositions and methods of malting and using free-standing electrode films for electrodes by a dry process. The process for forming an electrode includes combining a processing additive and an active electrode material or fibrillizable binder to form an electrode precursor material, where the processing additive has a surface roughness and a porosity and intermixing the electrode precursor material. The electrode precursor material may then be combined with the fibrillizable binder or the active electrode material and the fibrillizable binder or the active electrode material is intermixed with the electrode precursor material to form an electrode film material. The electrode film material includes the processing additive, the fibrillizable binder and the active electrode material. The electrode film material is then compressed into an electrode film.

Compositions and methods for electrode fabrication

Provided are electrode active materials with a porous structure and including a metal, that when loaded with sulfur serve as electrochemically superior cathode active materials. The metal structures are optionally used on their own, are coated with another material, or coats another porous structure such as a porous carbon structure that allows for excellent retention of both sulfur and polysulfides, are conductive themselves, and show long term stability and excellent cycle life.

Cathode and cathode materials for lithium sulfur batteries

Provided are electrodes that include an electrode dry mixture and a dry electrolyte material intermixed with the electrode dry mixture; and a binder intermixed with the electrode dry mixture and the dry electrolyte material, said binder comprising fibrils; the electrode dry mixture, dry electrolyte material, and said binder in the form of a dry electrode film. The electrolyte material may include a glass ceramic and, optionally, an air-stabilizing dopant. The glass ceramic may include LiPS. The electrodes may include a composite cathode of the dry electrode film and optionally further include a solid-state electrolyte layer. Also provided are methods for forming the electrodes, optionally where the methods may be applicable for a solvent-free process to form electrodes and electrochemical cells and batteries including the electrodes.

Dry process formation of solid state lithium ion cell

Provided are processes to form microporous silicon useful as an active material in an electrode of an electrochemical cell the processes including subjecting a mixture of silicon oxide and a metal reducing agent, optionally aluminum, to mechanical milling to form mechanically activated silicon oxide/aluminum, thermally treating the silicon oxide/aluminum to reduce the silicon oxide and form Si/AlO, and removing at least a portion of the alumina from the Si to form a microporous silicon. The resulting electrochemically active microporous silicon is also provided with residual alumina present at 15% by weight or less that demonstrates excellent cycle life and safety.

Processes to fabricate porous silicon and its use as feedstock for secondary battery electrodes

Provided are materials that may be used in or as a separator in an electrochemical cell such as a lithium sulfur battery. The separator includes a material capable of absorbing and desorbing a polysulfide. The inclusion of the materials in a separator provide for reduced sulfur loss from a cathode during cycling thereby improving cycle life.

Separator for lithium sulfur batteries

Methods for preparing an electrode may include compressing an electrode dry mixture comprising an active material and an electrolyte material to form an electrode film. An electrolyte dry mixture or a stand-alone solid-state electrolyte film is compressed against a surface of the electrode film to form a laminate of an electrolyte layer and the electrode film. The electrolyte dry mixture may include the electrolyte material. Compressing the electrode dry mixture may include calendering the electrode dry mixture. Compressing the electrolyte dry mixture or stand-alone electrolyte film may be accomplished also by calendering. The electrolyte material may include a glass ceramic and, optionally, an air-stabilizing dopant. The glass ceramic may include LiPS. Thus, the electrodes may include a composite cathode and a solid-state electrolyte layer. The methods may be applicable for a solvent-free process to form electrodes and electrochemical cells and batteries including the electrodes.

Provided are electrochemically active materials capable of absorbing and desorbing an ion suitable for use in secondary cells. The provided materials include a core consisting of a plurality of silicon particulates of a particle size less than 1 micrometer, the particulates intermixed with and surrounded by a silicon metal alloy composite, and an electrochemically active buffering shell layer enveloping at least a portion of the core such that the resulting electrochemically active material has an overall particle size with a maximum linear dimension of greater than one micrometer.

Core-shell electrochemically active particles with modified microstructure and use for secondary battery electrodes

Provided are electrode active materials that include a metal oxide or oxynitride with a porous structure that when loaded with sulfur serve as electrochemically superior cathode active materials. The metal nitride or metal oxynitride structures are optionally used on their own, are coated with another material, or itself coats another porous structure such as a porous carbon structure that allows for excellent retention of both sulfur and polysulfides, are conductive themselves, and show long term stability and excellent cycle life.

Metal nitride or oxynitride cathode materials for lithium sulfur batteries

Provided are electrodes that may be used in electrochemical cells that incorporate relatively high loading of active material while also demonstrating excellent adhesion, resistance to mechanical breakdown, and also offer improved capacity retention, particularly at discharge rates of C/72 or greater.

A rechargeable, hybrid battery system incorporates a high power battery component and a high energy density battery component. The voltage of the high energy density battery varies as a function of its state of charge, but remains greater than the voltage of the high power battery throughout the operating range of the battery system.

Hybrid battery system

Subassemblies for use in an electrochemical device are provided, as are processes for preparing the subassemblies and electrochemical cells incorporating the subassemblies. In some embodiments, the subassemblies include (a) a first electrode and (b) a separator or a first current collector or both. The first electrode is bonded to the separator or the first current collector or both. In some embodiments, the subassemblies further include a second electrode and a second current collector. In some embodiments, the electrodes or separators are sintered. Bipolar cells are also provided, including a plurality of stacked electrochemical cells that are joined in series. The positive electrode and the negative electrode of each stack include a sintered electrode.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Michael R Wixom