Dry-particle packaging systems and methods of making same

1 . A process for manufacturing a dry film for use in an energy storage device product, the process comprising the steps of:

supplying dry carbon particles;

supplying dry binder;

dry mixing the dry carbon particles and dry binder; and

dry fibrillizing at least some of the dry binder to create a matrix within which to support the dry carbon particles as a dry material.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of dry fibrillizing comprises application of pressure.

3 . The process of claim 2 , wherein the pressure is applied in a jet-mill.

4 . The process of claim 2 , wherein the application of pressure is effectuated by a calender roll.

5 . The process of claim 3 , wherein the pressure is applied as a pressurized gas.

6 . The process of claim 5 , wherein the gas comprises oxygen.

7 . The process of claim 2 , wherein the pressure is greater than or equal to 10 PSI.

8 . The process of claim 6 , wherein is the matrix comprises a compression density of at least 0.3 gm/cm 3 .

9 . The process of claim 2 , further comprising a step of compacting the dry material.

10 . The process of claim 9; wherein the step of compacting occurs during one pass through a compacting apparatus.

11 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the compacting apparatus is a roll-mill.

12 . The process of claim 10 , wherein after the one pass through the compacting apparatus the dry material comprises a self-supporting dry adhesive electrode film.

13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the self supporting dry adhesive electrode film comprises a width of at least 10 mm.

14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the self supporting dry adhesive electrode film is formed as a continuous sheet.

15 . The process of claim 14 , wherein the sheet is at least 10 um thick.

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material is manufactured without the use of any processing additives.

17 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the electrode film is calendered onto a substrate.

18 . The process of claim 17 , wherein the substrate comprises a collector.

19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the collector comprises an aluminum foil.

20 . The process of claim 17 , wherein the electrode film is calendered directly onto the substrate without use of an intermediate layer.

21 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material is calendered onto a coated substrate.

22 . The process of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the dry binder comprises a fibrillizable fluoropolymer.

23 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the carbon particles comprise activated carbon and conductive carbon.

24 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material consists of the dry carbon particles and the dry binder.

25 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 50% to 99% activated carbon.

26 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 0% to 30% conductive carbon.

27 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 1% to 50% fluoropolymer particles.

28 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 50% to 99% activated carbon and between about 0% to 30% conductive carbon, and wherein the dry binder comprises between about 1% to 50% fluoropolymer.

29 . A method of manufacturing an adhesive electrode film, comprising the steps of:

mixing dry carbon and dry binder particles; and

forming a self-supporting adhesive film from the dry particles without the substantial use of any processing additives.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the processing additives are selected from a group consisting of: hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone, mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and Isopars™.

31 . A process for making an energy storage device, the process comprising:

mixing dry carbon particles and dry binder to form one or more dry mixture; and

compacting the one or more dry mixture to form one or more dry film.

32 . The process of claim 31 , further comprising the step of bonding the one or more dry film to a current collector.

33 . The process of claim 31 , further comprising the step of bonding the one or more dry film to a separator.

34 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the step of compacting includes heating the carbon particles and binder.

35 . The process of claim 34 , wherein the step of compacting comprises forming the dry film after one pass through a compacting device.

36 . The process of claim 35 , wherein the dry film is formed as a long continuous film.

37 . The process of claim 35 , wherein the dry film is self-supporting.

38 . The process of claim 32 , further comprising a step wherein the dry film is bonded directly to the current collector.

39 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the mixing step comprises dry fibrillizing at least some of the dry mixture.

40 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the mixing step comprises subjecting at least some of the dry binder to high shear forces.

41 . The process of claim 40 , wherein the high shear forces are applied by a pressurized gas.

42 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the gas comprises oxygen.

43 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the pressure is greater than or equal to 10 PSI.

44 . The process of claim 41 , wherein the film comprises a width of at least 10 mm.

45 . The process of claim 31 , wherein at least some of the dry binder comprises thermoplastic particles.

46 . The process of claim 45 , wherein the thermoplastic particles are selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefin, and non-fibrillizable fluoropolymer particles.

47 . The process of claim 31 , wherein at least some of the dry binder comprises fibrillizable fluoropolymer particles.

48 . The process of claim 47 , wherein the fibrillizable fluoropolymer particles comprise PTFE.

49 . The process of claim 31 , wherein at least some of the dry carbon particles comprise conductive graphite.

50 . The process of claim 31 , wherein at least some of the dry carbon particles comprise a mixture of activated carbon and conductive carbon.

51 . The process of claim 32 , wherein the current collector comprises a metal.

52 . The process of claim 51 , wherein the current collector comprises aluminum foil.

53 . The process of claim 32 , wherein the one or more dry film is a dry conductive electrode film.

54 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the dry film consists of a mix of dry carbon particles and dry binder particles.

55 . The process of claim 54 , wherein the dry carbon particles comprise dry conductive carbon particles.

56 . The process of claim 54 , wherein the dry carbon particles comprise dry activated carbon particles.

57 . The process of claim 55 , wherein the dry binder comprises dry thermoplastic particles.

58 . The process of claim 32 , wherein the dry binder comprises dry thermoplastic particles, and wherein the step of bonding occurs during application of heat.

59 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the dry film comprises a compaction density of at least 0.3 gm/cm 3 .

60 . The process of claim 55 , wherein the dry binder comprises radiation set particles.

61 . The process of claim 55 , wherein the dry binder comprises thermoset particles.

62 . The process of claim 31 , wherein a first dry mixture of the one or more dry mixture comprises activated carbon particles, conductive carbon particles, and first binder particles; and wherein a second dry mixture of the one or more dry mixture comprises conductive carbon particles and second binder particles.

63 . The process of claim 31 , further comprising a feeding step, wherein a first dry mixture of the one or more dry mixture comprises first dry particles, wherein a second dry mixture of the one or more dry mixture comprises second dry particles, wherein during the feeding step the first dry particles are provided as a first stream of dry particles, wherein during the feeding step the second dry particles are provided as a second stream of dry particles, and wherein during the mixing step the second stream is intermixed within the first stream.

64 . The process of claim 62 , wherein the second stream comprises a distribution of dry particles sizes, and wherein during the mixing step the second stream is intermixed within the first stream so as to have a similar distribution of particles sizes as that in the feeding step.

65 . The process of claim 31 , wherein a first dry mixture of the one or more dry mixture comprises a first dry film, and wherein a second dry mixture of the one or more dry mixture comprises dry particles, wherein during the mixing step the dry particles are provided against the first dry film as a stream of dry particles.

66 . The process of claim 31 , further comprising the step of providing an additive-based film, wherein a first dry mixture of the one or more dry mixture comprises dry particles, wherein during the mixing step the dry particles are provided against the additive-based film as a stream of dry particles.

67 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the energy storage device comprises an energy storage device electrode, and wherein all process steps do not utilize any processing additives.

68 . A solventless method for manufacture of an energy storage device electrode, comprising the steps of:

providing dry carbon particles;

providing dry binder particles;

forming the dry carbon and dry binder particles into an adhesive energy storage device electrode without the substantial use of any solvent.

69 . A solventless method for manufacture of an energy storage device electrode, comprising the steps of:

providing dry carbon particles;

providing dry binder particles;

intermixing the dry carbon and dry binder particles to form an energy storage device electrode without substantial use of hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone, mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and Isopars™.

70 . A method of adhering capacitor structures together, comprising the steps of:

providing a first capacitor material;

providing a first dry mixture of particles; and

adhering the particles to the material.

71 . The method of claim 70 , wherein the step of adhering comprises a step of compacting the material and the particles together.

72 . The method of claim 70 , wherein the material comprises a second dry mixture of particles.

73 . The method of claim 71 , wherein the material comprises a current collector.

74 . The method of claim 71 , wherein the step of compacting forms the material and the particles into a capacitor electrode.

75 . The method of claim 74 , wherein the first material comprises an additive based film.

76 . The method of claim 70 , wherein the particles comprises conductive carbon and binder.

77 . The method of claim 76 , wherein the binder comprises a thermoplastic material.

78 . The method of claim 77 , wherein the step of adhering occurs during application of heat to the particles.

79 . The method of claim 74 , wherein the electrode comprises a density of at least gm/cm 3 .

80 . The method of claim 76 , wherein the binder comprises a thermoset material.

81 . The method of claim 76 , wherein the binder comprises a radiation set material.

82 . The method of claim 72 , wherein as a percentage of a weight of the first dry mixture, the first dry mixture comprises between about 50% to 99% activated carbon, between about 0% to 30% conductive carbon, and between about 1% to 50% fibrillizable fluoropolymer; and wherein as percentage of weight of the second dry mixture, the second dry mixture comprises about 40% to 60% binder, and about 40% to 60% conductive carbon.

83 . The method of claim 82 , wherein the first and second dry mixtures define a dry carbon film that comprises about 1 to 100 parts of the second mixture for about every 1000 parts of the first dry mixture.

84 . The method of claim 70 , wherein the first dry mixture comprises conductive particles and binder particles.

85 . The method of claim 84 , wherein the conductive particles comprise a metal.

86 . A blend of dry particles for use in the dry manufacture of a self supporting energy storage device electrode, comprising:

dry carbon particles; and

dry binder particles.

87 . The particles of claim 86 , wherein the dry carbon particles comprise activated carbon and conductive carbon particles, and wherein the electrode is a capacitor electrode.

88 . The particles of claim 86 , wherein the dry binder particles comprise a dry thermoplastic.

89 . The particles of claim 88 , wherein the dry binder and dry carbon particles are intermixed, and wherein the dry thermoplastic is distributed within a thickness of a surface of the intermix with a decreasing gradient that is greater at a first thickness than a different second thickness.

90 . A process for making an energy storage device structure, comprising: intermixing dry processed carbon and binder particles without the substantial use of any other additives; and forming the particles into an electrode without the substantial use of any other additives, wherein when compared to an electrode made with similar carbon and binder particles and with the substantial use of other additives, the electrode made without the substantial use of any other additives comprises less additive.

91 . A method of making an energy storage device product, comprising:

providing a plurality of dry particles, forming a product using the particles by holding the dry particles in a matrix of dry binder.

92 . The method of claim 91 , wherein the product comprises a compacted structure.

93 . The method of claim 92 , wherein the compacted structure is coupled to a substrate.

94 . The method of claim 93 , wherein the compacted structure is substantially free of processing additives.

95 . The method of claim 94 , wherein the processing additives include hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and Isopars™.

96 . The method of claim 93 , wherein the substrate comprises a collector.

97 . The method of claim 91 , wherein the dry binder is dry fibrillized by pressure.

98 . A method of making an electro-chemical energy structure, comprising:

providing a plurality of particles; forming an electrode from the particles, wherein the electrode comprises substantially no processing additives.

99 . The method of claim 98 , wherein the structure comprises a capacitor structure.

100 . The method of claim 98 , wherein the structure comprises a battery structure.

101 . The method of claim 98 , wherein the structure comprises a fuel-cell structure.

102 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise carbon.

103 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise conductive carbon.

104 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise activated carbon.

105 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise activated carbon and conductive carbon.

106 . The method of claim 98 , wherein the processing additives include hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and Isopars™.

107 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise a metal oxide.

108 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise a fibrillizable particle.

109 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise thermoplastic.

110 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise catalyst impregnated carbon.

111 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise graphite.

112 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise manganese dioxide.

113 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise a metal.

114 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise graphite and intercalated carbon.

115 . The method of claim 98 , wherein at least some of the particles comprise conductive carbon and metal oxide.

116 . The method of claim 98 , wherein the structure is in the form of a sheet.

117 . The method of claim 116 , wherein the structure includes a substrate.