Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc

Xin Zhao

Yuhao Lu

Sean Vail

Jie Song

Motoaki Nishijima

An electrochemical battery is provided with an aluminum anode current collector and an antimony (Sb)-based electrochemically active material overlying the aluminum current collector. The Sb-based electrochemically active material may be pure antimony, Sb with other metal elements, or Sb with non-metal elements. For example, the Sb-based electrochemically active material may be one of the following: Sb binary or ternary alloys of sodium, silicon, tin, germanium, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, thallium, aluminum, gold, cadmium, mercury, cesium, gallium, titanium, lead, carbon, and combinations thereof. The aluminum current collector may additionally include a material such as magnesium, iron, nickel, titanium, and combinations thereof. In one aspect, the anode further composed of a coating interposed between the aluminum current collector and the Sb-based electrochemically active material. This coating may be a non-corrodible metal or a carbonaceous material. The cathode is may be composed of a number of different active materials including sodium-based Prussian Blue analogs.

Antimony-based anode on aluminum current collector

An alkali-ion battery is provided with a transition metal cyanometallate (TMCM) sheet cathode and a non-alkaline metal anode. The fabrication method mixes TMCM powders, conductive additives, and a polytetrafluoroethylene binder with a solution containing water, forming a wet paste. The wet paste is formed into a free-standing sheet of cathode active material, which is laminated to a cathode current collector, forming a cathode electrode. The free-standing sheet of cathode active material has a thickness typically in the range of 100 microns to 2 millimeters. The cathode electrode is assembled with a non-alkaline metal anode electrode and an ion-permeable membrane interposed between the cathode electrode and anode electrode, forming an assembly. The assembly is dried at a temperature of greater than 100 degrees C. The dried assembly is then inserted into a container (case) and electrolyte is added. Thick anodes made from free-standing sheets of active material can be similarly formed.

Alkali-ion battery with enhanced transition metal cyanometallate electrode structure

A sodium or potassium battery is provided, prior to an initial charge and discharge cycle, with a halogen salt additive. As is conventional, the battery is made up of the following components: an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. In addition, the battery includes a halogen salt (MX), where M is a metal and X is a halogen element. The halogen salt is added to the anode, the cathode, the electrolyte, or combinations thereof. The concentration MX with respect to the component(s) to which it is added is in the range of 0.01% to 10% in weight. The element X can be selected from the group of halogen elements listed in the Periodic Table. M is a material such as lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, magnesium, calcium, barium, titanium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, ammonium, or combinations thereof. Advantageously, the electrolyte may be either aqueous or non-aqueous.

Sodium and potassium ion batteries with halogen salts

A method is provided for fabricating an antimony anode. The method disperses antimony (Sb) particles in a layered carbon network using a process such as mechanical mixing, ball milling, stirring, or ultrasound sonication, forming a Sb/carbon composite. The Sb/carbon composite is mixed with a binder, forming a mixture, and the mixture is deposited on a current collector. Advantageously, the binder may be an aqueous (water soluble) binder. In one aspect, prior to dispersing the Sb particles in the layered carbon network, the Sb particles are coated with carbon. For example, the Sb particles may be dispersed in a solution including a polymer, where the solution may be an aqueous or organic. Alternatively, the Sb particles may be dispersed in a solution including a monomer. The monomer solution is polymerized to form polymer sheathed Sb core-shell structures, and then carbonized. Associated Sb anodes and Sb anode batteries are also provided.

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Vancouver, WA, United States of America

Xin Zhao