Continuous process for producing electrochemical cells
A process for producing an electrochemical cell, comprising: (A) continuously depositing a wet cathode active material mixture onto a surface of a cathode current collector to form a cathode electrode, wherein the wet cathode active material mixture contains 30% to 85% by volume of a cathode active material and 0% to 15% by volume of a conductive additive dispersed in a first liquid or polymer gel electrolyte; (B) continuously depositing a wet anode active material mixture onto a surface of an anode current collector to form an anode electrode, wherein the wet anode active material mixture contains an anode active material and a conductive additive dispersed in a second electrolytes; and (C) combining the cathode electrode or a portion thereof and the anode electrode or a portion thereof to form the cell; wherein the anode electrode and/or the cathode electrode has a thickness from 200 μm to 3,000 μm.
1. A process for producing an electrochemical cell, said process comprising:
(A) continuously depositing a wet cathode active material mixture onto at least a surface of a cathode current collector to form a wet cathode electrode, wherein said wet cathode active material mixture contains 30% to 85% by volume of a cathode active material and 0% to 15% by volume of a conductive additive dispersed in a first polymer gel electrolyte;
(B) continuously depositing a wet anode active material mixture onto at least a surface of an anode current collector to form a wet anode electrode, wherein said wet anode active material mixture contains 30% to 85% by volume of an anode active material and 0% to 15% by volume of a conductive additive dispersed in a second polymer gel electrolyte; and
(C) combining said wet cathode electrode or a portion thereof and said wet anode electrode or a portion thereof to form said electrochemical cell;
wherein said first or second polymer gel electrolyte contains an ion-conducting polymer selected from poly bis-methoxy ethoxyethoxide-phosphazenex, polyvinyl chloride, poly(vinylidene fluoride)-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), a sulfonated derivative thereof, a sulfonated polymer, or a combination thereof;
wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte or said second polymer gel electrolyte contains from 5 M to 12 M of a metal salt dissolved in a liquid solvent.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (A) includes delivering, continuously or intermittently on demand, said wet cathode active material mixture to said at least a surface through spraying, printing, coating, casting, conveyor film delivery, and/or roller surface delivery; and/or wherein step (B) includes delivering, continuously or intermittently on demand, said wet anode active material mixture to said at least a surface through spraying, printing, coating, casting, conveyor film delivery, and/or roller surface delivery.
3. A process for producing an electrochemical cell, said process comprising:
(A) continuously depositing a first wet electrode active material mixture onto at least a surface of a first current collector to form a first wet electrode, wherein said first wet electrode active material mixture contains a first electrode active material, a conductive additive, and a first polymer gel electrolyte;
(B) introducing a second electrode having a second current collector that has two opposed primary surfaces wherein at least one of the two primary surfaces is deposited with a layer of a second active material; and
(C) combining said first wet electrode or a portion thereof and said second electrode or a portion thereof to form said electrochemical cell, wherein one of said first wet electrode or the second electrode is a cathode and the other is an anode;
wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte contains an ion-conducting polymer selected from poly bis-methoxy ethoxyethoxide-phosphazenex, polyvinyl chloride, poly(vinylidene fluoride)-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), a sulfonated derivative thereof, sulfonated polymer, or a combination thereof;
wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte contains an initial concentration, M 5 , of a metal salt dissolved in a liquid solvent prior to depositing said first wet electrode active material mixture and said step (A) includes a procedure of removing a portion of said liquid solvent after said depositing to increase a metal salt concentration to a final concentration, M 6 , wherein M 6 >M 5 .
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein step (A) includes delivering, continuously or intermittently on demand, said first wet electrode active material mixture to said at least a surface through spraying, printing, coating, casting, conveyor film delivery, and/or roller surface delivery.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein said step (C) comprises continuously laminating said anode electrode, a separator layer, and said cathode electrode into a multi-layer laminated electrochemical cell having a length greater than 10 cm.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein said step (C) comprises cutting said anode electrode into multiple anode layers and cutting said cathode electrode into multiple cathode layers and assembling at least an anode layer and at least a cathode layer to form an electrochemical cell.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein said wet cathode active material mixture and/or said wet anode active material mixture contains a polymer binder.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte or said second polymer gel electrolyte is formed by polymerizing or curing a reactive monomer or oligomer.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte contains a polymer that bonds particles of said cathode active material together or bonds particles of said cathode active material to said cathode current collector when said cathode electrode is formed.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein said second polymer gel electrolyte contains a polymer that bonds particles of said anode active material together or bonds particles of said anode active material to said anode current collector when said anode electrode is formed.
11. The process of claim 3 , wherein said step (C) comprises continuously laminating said anode electrode, a separator layer, and said cathode electrode into a multi-layer laminated electrochemical cell having a length greater than 10 cm.
12. The process of claim 3 , wherein said step (C) comprises cutting said anode electrode into multiple anode layers and cutting said cathode electrode into multiple cathode layers and assembling at least an anode layer and at least a cathode layer to form an electrochemical cell.
13. The process of claim 3 , wherein said first wet electrode active material mixture contains a polymer binder.
14. The process of claim 3 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte is formed by polymerizing or curing a reactive monomer or oligomer.
15. The process of claim 3 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte contains a polymer that bonds particles of said cathode active material together or bonds particles of said cathode active material to said cathode current collector when said cathode electrode is formed.
16. The process of claim 1 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte or said second polymer gel electrolyte contains from 7 M to 12 M of a metal salt dissolved in a liquid solvent.
17. The process of claim 3 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte contains from 5 M to 12 M of said metal salt dissolved in said liquid solvent as the final concentration.
18. The process of claim 1 , wherein said electrochemical cell is a lithium-ion battery or lithium-ion capacitor and said anode active material is selected from the group consisting of:
(a) particles of natural graphite, artificial graphite, meso-carbon microbeads (MCMB), and carbon;
(b) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), titanium (Ti), iron (Fe), and cadmium (Cd);
(c) alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, or Cd with other elements, wherein said alloys or compounds are stoichiometric or non-stoichiometric;
(d) oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Fe, Ni, Co, Ti, Mn, or Cd, and their mixtures or composites;
(e) pre-lithiated versions thereof;
(f) pre-lithiated graphene sheets; and
combinations thereof.
19. The process of claim 1 , wherein said alkali metal battery is a sodium-ion battery or sodium-ion capacitor and said anode active material contains an alkali intercalation compound selected from petroleum coke, carbon black, amorphous carbon, activated carbon, hard carbon, soft carbon, templated carbon, hollow carbon nanowires, hollow carbon sphere, titanates, NaTi 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , Na 2 Ti 3 O 7 , Na 2 C 8 H 4 O 4 , Na 2 TP, Na x TiO 2 (x=0.2 to 1.0), Na 2 C 8 H 4 O 4 , carboxylate based materials, C 8 H 4 Na 2 O 4 , C 8 H 6 O 4 , C 8 H 5 NaO 4 , C 8 Na 2 F 4 O 4 , C 10 H 2 Na 4 O 8 , C 14 H 4 O 6 , C 14 H 4 Na 4 O 8 , or a combination thereof.
20. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal battery is a sodium-ion battery or sodium-ion capacitor and said anode active material contains an alkali intercalation compound selected from the following groups of materials:
(a) sodium- or potassium-doped silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), and mixtures thereof;
(b) sodium- or potassium-containing alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Co, Ni, Mn, Cd, and their mixtures;
(c) sodium- or potassium-containing oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, tellurides, or antimonides of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Fe, Ti, Co, Ni, Mn, Cd, and mixtures or composites thereof;
(d) sodium or potassium salts; and
(e) graphene sheets pre-loaded with sodium or potassium.
21. The process of claim 1 , wherein said cathode active material contains a lithium intercalation compound or lithium absorbing compound selected from the group consisting of lithium cobalt oxide, doped lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, doped lithium nickel oxide, lithium manganese oxide, doped lithium manganese oxide, lithium vanadium oxide, doped lithium vanadium oxide, lithium mixed-metal oxides, lithium iron phosphate, lithium vanadium phosphate, lithium manganese phosphate, lithium mixed-metal phosphates, metal sulfides, lithium polysulfide, and combinations thereof.
22. The process of claim 3 , wherein said cathode active material contains a lithium intercalation compound or lithium absorbing compound selected from the group consisting of lithium cobalt oxide, doped lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, doped lithium nickel oxide, lithium manganese oxide, doped lithium manganese oxide, lithium vanadium oxide, doped lithium vanadium oxide, lithium mixed-metal oxides, lithium iron phosphate, lithium vanadium phosphate, lithium manganese phosphate, lithium mixed-metal phosphates, metal sulfides, lithium polysulfide, and combinations thereof.
23. The process of claim 1 , wherein said cathode active material contains a sodium intercalation compound or a potassium intercalation compound selected from NaFePO 4 , Na (1-x) K x PO 4 , KFePO 4 , Na 0.7 FePO 4 , Na 1.5 VOPO 4 F 0.5 , Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 2 F 3 , Na 2 FePO 4 F, NaFeF 3 , NaVPO 4 F, KVPO 4 F, Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 2 F 3 , Na 1.5 VOPO 4 F 0.5 , Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , NaV 6 O 15 , Na x VO 2 , Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 , Na x CoO 2 , Na 2/3 [Ni 1/3 Mn 2/3 ]O 2 , Na x (Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 )O 2 , Na x MnO 2 , λ-MnO 2 , Na x K (1-x) MnO 2 , Na 0.44 MnO 2 , Na 0.44 MnO 2 /C, Na 4 Mn 9 O 18 , NaFe 2 Mn(PO 4 ) 3 , Na 2 Ti 3 O 7 , Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co 1/3 O 2 , Cu 0.56 Ni 0.44 HCF, NiHCF, Na x MnO 2 , NaCrO 2 , KCrO 2 , Na 3 Ti 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , NiCo 2 O 4 , Ni 3 S 2 /FeS 2 , Sb 2 O 4 , Na 4 Fe(CN) 6 /C, NaV 1-x Cr x PO 4 F, Se z S y , y/z=0.01 to 100, Se, sodium polysulfide, sulfur, Alluaudites, or a combination thereof, wherein x is from 0.1 to 1.0.
24. The process of claim 3 , wherein said cathode active material contains a sodium intercalation compound or a potassium intercalation compound selected from NaFePO 4 , Na (1-x) K x PO 4 , KFePO 4 , Na 0.7 FePO 4 , Na 1.5 VOPO 4 F 0.5 , Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 2 F 3 , Na 2 FePO 4 F, NaFeF 3 , NaVPO 4 F, KVPO 4 F, Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 2 F 3 , Na 1.5 VOPO 4 F 0.5 , Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , NaV 6 O 15 , Na x VO 2 , Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 , Na x CoO 2 , Na 2/3 [Ni 1/3 Mn 2/3 ]O 2 , Na x (Fe 1/2 Mn 1/2 )O 2 , Na x MnO 2 , λ-MnO 2 , Na x K (1-x) MnO 2 , Na 0.44 MnO 2 , Na 0.44 MnO 2 /C, Na 4 Mn 9 O 18 , NaFe 2 Mn(PO 4 ) 3 , Na 2 Ti 3 O 7 , Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co 1/3 O 2 , Cu 0.56 Ni 0.44 HCF, NiHCF, Na x MnO 2 , NaCrO 2 , KCrO 2 , Na 3 Ti 2 (PO 4 ) 3 , NiCo 2 O 4 , Ni 3 S 2 /FeS 2 , Sb 2 O 4 , Na 4 Fe(CN) 6 /C, NaV 1-x Cr x PO 4 F, Se z S y , y/z=0.01 to 100, Se, sodium polysulfide, sulfur, Alluaudites, or a combination thereof, wherein x is from 0.1 to 1.0.
25. The process of claim 1 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte and/or said second polymer gel electrolyte contains a lithium salt or sodium salt dissolved in a liquid solvent and wherein said liquid solvent is water, an organic solvent, an ionic liquid, or a mixture of an organic solvent and an ionic liquid.
26. The process of claim 3 , wherein said first polymer gel electrolyte and/or said second polymer gel electrolyte contains a lithium salt or sodium salt dissolved in a liquid solvent and wherein said liquid solvent is water, an organic solvent, an ionic liquid, or a mixture of an organic solvent and an ionic liquid.
27. The process of claim 18 , wherein said pre-lithiated graphene sheets are selected from pre-lithiated versions of pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, boron-doped graphene, nitrogen-doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, a physically or chemically activated or etched version thereof, or a combination thereof.
28. The process of claim 1 , wherein said cathode active material comprises an alkali metal intercalation compound or alkali metal-absorbing compound selected from an inorganic material, an organic or polymeric material, a metal oxide/phosphate/sulfide, or a combination thereof.
29. The process of claim 28 , wherein said metal oxide/phosphate/sulfide is selected from a lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium vanadium oxide, lithium-mixed metal oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese phosphate, lithium vanadium phosphate, lithium mixed metal phosphate, transition metal sulfide, or a combination thereof.
30. The process of claim 28 , wherein said inorganic material is selected from sulfur, sulfur compound, lithium polysulfide, transition metal dichalcogenide, a transition metal trichalcogenide, or a combination thereof.
31. The process of claim 28 , wherein said inorganic material is selected from TiS 2 , TaS 2 , MoS 2 , NbSe 3 , MnO 2 , CoO 2 , an iron oxide, a vanadium oxide, or a combination thereof.
32. The process of claim 28 , wherein said metal oxide/phosphate/sulfide contains a vanadium oxide selected from the group consisting of VO 2 , Li x VO 2 , V 2 O 5 , Li x V 2 O 5 , V 3 O 8 , Li x V 3 O 8 , Li x V 3 O 7 , V 4 O 9 , Li x V 4 O 9 , V 6 O 13 , Li x V 6 O 13 , their doped versions, their derivatives, and combinations thereof, wherein 0.1<x<5.
33. The process of claim 28 , wherein said metal oxide/phosphate/sulfide is selected from a layered compound LiMO 2 , spinel compound LiM 2 O 4 , olivine compound LiMPO 4 , silicate compound Li 2 MSiO 4 , Tavorite compound LiMPO 4 F, borate compound LiMBO 3 , or a combination thereof, wherein M is a transition metal or a mixture of multiple transition metals.
34. The process of claim 28 , wherein said inorganic material is selected from: (a) bismuth selenide or bismuth telluride, (b) transition metal dichalcogenide or trichalcogenide, (c) sulfide, selenide, or telluride of niobium, zirconium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, titanium, cobalt, manganese, iron, nickel, or a transition metal; (d) boron nitride, or (e) a combination thereof.
35. The process of claim 28 , wherein said organic material or polymeric material is selected from Poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide) (PAQS), a lithium oxocarbon, 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA), poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide), pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone (PYT), polymer-bound PYT, Quino(triazene), redox-active organic material, Tetracyanoquino-dimethane (TCNQ), tetracyanoethylene (TCNE), 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexamethoxytriphenylene (HMTP), poly(5-amino-1,4-dyhydroxy anthraquinone) (PADAQ), phosphazene disulfide polymer ([(NPS 2 ) 3 ]n), lithiated 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetraol formaldehyde polymer, Hexaazatrinaphtylene (HATN), Hexaazatriphenylene hexacarbonitrile (HAT(CN) 6 ), 5-Benzylidene hydantoin, Isatine lithium salt, Pyromellitic diimide lithium salt, tetrahydroxy-p-benzoquinone derivatives (THQLi 4 ), N,N′-diphenyl-2,3,5,6-tetraketopiperazine (PHP), N,N′-diallyl-2,3,5,6-tetraketopiperazine (AP), N,N′-dipropyl-2,3,5,6-tetraketopiperazine (PRP), a thioether polymer, a quinone compound, 1,4-benzoquinone, 5,7,12,14-pentacenetetrone (PT), 5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-dyhydroxy anthraquinone (ADDAQ), 5-amino-1,4-dyhydroxy anthraquinone (ADAQ), calixquinone, Li 4 C 6 O 6 , Li 2 C 6 O 6 , Li 6 C 6 O 6 , or a combination thereof.
36. The process of claim 35 , wherein said thioether polymer is selected from Poly[methanetetryl-tetra(thiomethylene)] (PMTTM), Poly(2,4-dithiopentanylene) (PDTP), a polymer containing Poly(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrathiol) (PETT) as a main-chain thioether polymers, a side-chain thioether polymer having a main-chain consisting of conjugating aromatic moieties, and having a thioether side chain as a pendant, Poly(2-phenyl-1,3-dithiolane) (PPDT), Poly(1,4-di(1,3-dithiolan-2-yl)benzene) (PDDTB), poly(tetrahydrobenzodithiophene) (PTHBDT), poly[1,2,4,5-tetrakis(propylthio)benzene](PTKPTB, or poly[3,4(ethylenedithio)thiophene] (PEDTT).
37. The process of claim 28 , wherein said organic material contains a phthalocyanine compound selected from copper phthalocyanine, zinc phthalocyanine, tin phthalocyanine, iron phthalocyanine, lead phthalocyanine, nickel phthalocyanine, vanadyl phthalocyanine, fluorochromium phthalocyanine, magnesium phthalocyanine, manganous phthalocyanine, dilithium phthalocyanine, aluminum phthalocyanine chloride, cadmium phthalocyanine, chlorogallium phthalocyanine, cobalt phthalocyanine, silver phthalocyanine, a metal-free phthalocyanine, a chemical derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.