Dry particle packaging systems and methods of making same
A dry particle packaging system and method for making is disclosed.
1 . A process for manufacturing an electrode for use in an electro-chemical 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 the dry binder to create a structure 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 by a calender roll.
4 . The process of claim 2 , wherein the step of dry fibrillizing comprises application of shear to the particles.
5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the shear is applied by 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 about 10 PSI.
8 . The process of claim 5 , wherein the pressure is greater than or equal to 60 PSI.
9 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising a step of compacting the dry material.
10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the step of compacting is performed by at least 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 pass though the compacting apparatus the dry material comprises a self supporting dry film.
13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the self supporting dry film comprises a width of 10 mm or more.
14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the self supporting dry film is formed as a continuous sheet.
15 . The process of claim 14 , wherein the sheet is at least one meter long.
16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material is manufactured without the substantial use of any processing additives.
17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the processing additives not used include: hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and Isopars™.
18 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising a step of calendering the dry material onto a substrate.
19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the substrate comprises a collector.
20 . The process of claim 19 , wherein the collector comprises an aluminum foil.
21 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the dry material is calendered directly onto the substrate without use of an intermediate layer.
22 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the dry material is calendered onto a treated substrate.
23 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry binder comprises a fluoropolymer.
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 . The process of claim 1 wherein the structure comprises a compression density that is greater than or equal to 0.3 gm/cm 3 .
30 . The process of claim 9 , wherein after the compacting step the dry material comprises a density of greater than about 0.3 gm/cm 3 .
31 . A method of manufacturing an electrode, comprising the steps of:
mixing dry carbon and dry binder particles; and
forming a self-supporting film from the mixed dry particles without the substantial use of any processing additives.
32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the processing additives not used include: hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and Isopars™.
33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein after the step of mixing, the dry particles comprise a compression density of greater than about 0.3 gm/cm 3 .
34 . An electrochemical device product, comprising:
a self-supporting film consisting of a dry mix of dry carbon and dry binder particles.
35 . The product of claim 34 , wherein the dry mix comprises a compression density that is greater than about 0.3 gm/cm 3 .
36 . The product of claim 34 , wherein the film comprises a width of at least 10 mm.
37 . The product of claim 34 , wherein the dry mix is dry fibrillized.
38 . The product of claim 34 , wherein the dry mix comprises substantially no processing additives.
39 . The product of claim 38 , 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™.
40 . The product of claim 37 , wherein the dry mix is dry fibrillized by application of a pressure.
41 . The product of claim 37 , wherein the dry mix is dry fibrillized by application of a shear force
42 . The product of claim 40 , wherein the pressure is applied by a compacting device.
43 . An electrochemical device product, comprising:
one or more self supporting dry film, the film including binder and dry carbon particles, wherein at least some of the binder is dry fibrillized in dry form.
44 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the self supporting dry film is a compacted film.
45 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the self supporting dry film comprises a width of at least 10 mm.
46 . The product of claim 44 , wherein the self supporting dry film comprises a thickness of greater than 500 um.
47 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the self supporting dry film is coupled to a substrate.
48 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the mix comprises between about 50% to 99% activated carbon.
49 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the mix comprises between about 0% to 30% conductive carbon.
50 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the mix comprises between about 0.5% to 50% fluoropolymer particles.
51 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the mix 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.
52 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the self supporting film comprises no processing additives.
53 . The product of claim 52 , 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™.
54 . The product of claim 47 , wherein the substrate comprises a collector.
55 . The product of claim 54 , wherein the collector comprises aluminum.
56 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the product comprises a collector, and wherein the dry film is positioned directly against a surface of the collector.
57 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the dry mix is dry fibrillized by application of pressure.
58 . The product of claim 56 , wherein the collector comprises two sides, wherein one self supporting dry film is calendered directly against one side of the collector, and wherein a second self supporting dry film is calendered directly against a second side of the collector.
59 . The product of claim 43 , wherein the binder comprises a thermoplastic, thermoset, or radiation set material.
60 . The product of claim 58 , wherein the collector is formed to comprise a roll.
61 . The product of claim 60 , wherein the roll is disposed within a sealed aluminum housing.
62 . The product of claim 61 , wherein within the housing is disposed an electrolyte, and wherein the product comprises a double-layer capacitor.
63 . An electrochemical product, consisting of:
a dry mix of dry binder and dry conductive particles formed into a continuous self supporting electrode film without the substantial use of any processing aids.
64 . The product of claim 63 , wherein the processing additives not used include:
hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and Isopars™.
65 . The product of claim 63 , wherein the product is a capacitor.
66 . The product of claim 63 , wherein the product is a battery.
67 . The product of claim 63 , wherein the product is a fuel-cell.
68 . The product of claim 63 , wherein the conductive particles comprise a metal.
69 . An electrochemical device, comprising
a film comprising a dry mix of dry binder and dry carbon particles, the film coupled to a collector, the collector shaped into a roll, the roll impregnated with an electrolyte and disposed within a sealed aluminum housing.
70 . The device of claim 69 , wherein the film comprises substantially no processing additive.
71 . The device of claim 69 , wherein the film consists of the dry carbon particles and the dry binder.
72 . The device of claim 70 , wherein the film is substantially free of agglomerates of the dry binder.
73 . The device of claim 72 , wherein the film comprises a density of greater than 0.3 gm/cm 3 .
74 . The device of claim 69 , wherein the film comprises a width of at least 10 mm.
75 . An electrochemical device, comprising:
dry process based electrode means for providing conductive electrode functionality in an electrochemical device.
76 . An processing aid free method for manufacture of an electrochemical device electrode, comprising the steps of:
providing dry carbon particles;
providing dry binder particles; and
forming the dry carbon and dry binder particles into an electrochemical device electrode without the use of any other intentionally added material.
77 . The solventless method of claim 76 , wherein the step of forming comprises intermixing the dry carbon and dry binder particles to form an additive electrochemical device electrode without the use of any processing aides.