Battery electrodes and methods of manufacture
View Patent ↗This disclosure relates to compositions and methods of manufacture of electrodes for batteries, including rechargeable lithium batteries, wherein at least one electrode comprises an electroactive material and a malleable metal. The electrode may be substantially free of other conductive additives and organic binders. Manufacture of the electrode may be performed without solvent or sintering.
1. An electrode for an electrochemical cell, comprising a particulate electroactive material chosen from one of LiCoO 2 , LiCoO 2 doped with Mg, LiNiO 2 , NCA, LiAlO 2 , NMC, graphitic carbon, Ag, Al, Au, B, Ga, Ge, In, Sb, Sn, Si or Zn, and a conductive binder comprising a particulate malleable metal having a D 50 particle size value ranging from about 0.5 μm to about 20 μm that is electrochemically stable over the range of voltages experienced by the electroactive material in use, wherein at least a portion of the metal particles form a conductive contact between at least a portion of the electroactive material particles, and wherein the electrode has greater than or equal to about 10% open porosity and wherein the electrochemical cell is a secondary cell.
2. The electrode of claim 1 , consisting essentially of the particulate electroactive material and the particulate malleable metal.
3. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode has a volume percentage of the electroactive material that is greater than about 60%.
4. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode has a volume percentage of the electroactive material that is greater than or equal to about 65%.
5. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode has a volume percentage of the electroactive material that is greater than or equal to about 75%.
6. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode has a volume percentage of the electroactive material that is greater than or equal to about 85%.
7. The electrode of claim 1 , having greater than or equal to about 15% open porosity.
8. The electrode of claim 1 , having greater than or equal to about 25% open porosity.
9. The electrode of claim 1 , having greater than or equal to about 35% open porosity.
10. The electrode of claim 1 , having greater than or equal to about 45% open porosity.
11. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the particles of electroactive material have a D 50 particle size value ranging from about 0.5 μm to about 20 μm.
12. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electroactive material has a bi-modal or multi-modal particle size distribution.
13. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a positive electrode.
14. The electrode of claim 13 , wherein the electroactive material is LiCoO 2 , LiCoO 2 doped with Mg, LiNiO 2 , NCA, LiAlO 2 , or NMC.
15. The electrode of claim 14 , wherein the electroactive material is LiCoO 2 .
16. The electrode of claim 13 , wherein the malleable metal is aluminum.
17. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a negative electrode.
18. The electrode of claim 17 , wherein the electroactive material is graphitic carbon, Ag, Al, Au, B, Ga, Ge, In, Sb, Sn, Si, or Zn.
19. The electrode of claim 18 , wherein the electroactive material is graphitic carbon.
20. The electrode of claim 17 , wherein the malleable metal is aluminum or copper.
21. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the mass proportion of electroactive material to metal is from about 99.9:0.1 to about 75:25.
22. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the mass proportion of electroactive material to metal is from about 99.5:0.5 to about 80:20.
23. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the mass proportion of electroactive material to metal is from about 99:1 to about 85:15.
24. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the proportion of electroactive material to metal is from about 99:1 to about 90:10.
25. The electrode for an electrochemical cell of claim 1 , further comprising no other conductive additives or organic binders in the electrode.
26. An electrochemical cell, comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte, wherein the first-electrode
(a) comprises a first particulate electroactive material chosen from one of LiCoO 2 , LiCoO 2 doped with Mg, LiNiO 2 , NCA, LiAlO 2 , NMC, graphitic carbon, Ag, Al, Au, B, Ga, Ge, In, Sb, Sn, Si or Zn, and a first particulate malleable metal having a D 50 particle size value ranging from about 0.5 μm to about 20 μm that is electrochemically stable over the range of voltages experienced by the first electroactive material in use, wherein at least a portion of the first metal particles form a conductive contact between at least a portion of the first electroactive material particles, and
(b) has greater than or equal to about 10% open porosity; and wherein the electrochemical cell is a secondary cell.
27. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has a volume percentage of the first electroactive material that is greater than about 60%.
28. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has a volume percentage of the first electroactive material that is greater than about 65%.
29. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has a volume percentage of the first electroactive material that is greater than about 75%.
30. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has a volume percentage of the first electroactive material that is greater than about 85%.
31. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has greater than or equal to about 15% open porosity.
32. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has greater than or equal to about 25% open porosity.
33. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has greater than or equal to about 35% open porosity.
34. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode has greater than or equal to about 45% open porosity.
35. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the particles of the first electroactive material have a D 50 particle size value ranging from about 0.5 μm to about 20 μm.
36. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electroactive material has a bi-modal or multi-modal particle size distribution.
37. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode is a positive electrode and the first electroactive material is LiCoO 2 , LiCoO 2 doped with Mg, LiNiO 2 , NCA, LiAlO 2 , or NMC.
38. The electrochemical cell of claim 37 , wherein the first electroactive material is LiCoO 2 .
39. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode is a positive electrode and the first particulate malleable metal is aluminum.
40. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode is a negative electrode and the first electroactive material is graphitic carbon, Ag, Al, Au, B, Ga, Ge, In, Sb, Sn, Si, or Zn.
41. The electrochemical cell of claim 40 , wherein the first electroactive material is graphite.
42. The electrochemical cell of claim 40 , wherein the first particulate malleable metal is aluminum or copper.
43. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the mass proportion of the first electroactive material to the first malleable metal is from about 99.9:0.1 to about 75:25.
44. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the mass proportion of the first electroactive material to the first malleable metal is from about 99.5:0.5 to about 80:20.
45. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the mass proportion of the first electroactive material to the first malleable metal is from about 99:1 to about 85:15.
46. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the mass proportion of the first electroactive material to the first malleable metal is from about 99:1 to about 90:10.
47. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the second electrode comprises a second particulate electroactive material and a second particulate malleable metal that is electrochemically stable over the range of voltages experienced by the second electroactive material in use, wherein at least a portion of the second metal particles form a conductive contact between at least a portion of the second electroactive material particles, and wherein the second electrode is substantially free of other conductive additives and organic binders.
48. The electrode of claim 13 , wherein the electrode contains lithium.
49. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode contains lithium.
50. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode is a positive electrode.
51. The electrochemical cell of claim 50 , wherein the first electrode contains lithium.
52. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the first electrode contains lithium.
53. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 40 mAh/g of the electroactive material.
54. The electrode of claim 53 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 80 mAh/g of the electroactive material.
55. The electrode of claim 54 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 120 mAh/g of the electroactive material.
56. The electrode of claim 55 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 140 mAh/g of the electroactive material.
57. The electrochemical cell of claim 26 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 40 mAh/g of the first electroactive material.
58. The electrochemical cell of claim 57 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 80 mAh/g of the first electroactive material.
59. The electrochemical cell of claim 58 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 120 mAh/g of the first electroactive material.
60. The electrochemical cell of claim 59 , wherein the secondary cell is capable of cycling at least 20 cycles at C/10 rate while retaining at least 80 percent of the initial capacity when cycled over a voltage range producing charge storage capacity of at least 140 mAh/g of the first electroactive material.