Electrodes with silicon oxide active materials for lithium ion cells achieving high capacity, high energy density and long cycle life performance

1. A lithium ion cell comprising:

a negative electrode comprising from about 75 wt % to about 92 wt % an active material, from about 1 wt % to about 7 wt % nanoscale conductive carbon and from about 6 wt % to about 20 wt % polymer binder, wherein the active material comprises from about 40 wt % to about 95 wt % silicon oxide-based material and from about 5 wt % to about 60 wt % graphite, wherein the polymer binder of the negative electrode comprises a blend of at least about 50 wt % polyimide and at least about 5 wt % of a second binder polymer with an elastic modulus no more than about 2.4 GPa;

a positive electrode comprising a nickel-rich lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide approximately represented by the formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 , where x+y+z≈1, 0.45≤x, 0.025≤y≤0.35, 0.025≤z≤0.35, conductive carbon, and a polymer binder;

a separator between the negative electrode and the positive electrode;

electrolyte comprising a lithium salt and non-aqueous solvent; and

a container enclosing the negative electrode, the positive electrode, separator and electrolyte.

2. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 wherein the silicon oxide based material comprises a silicon oxide-silicon-carbon composite.

3. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 wherein the negative electrode active material comprises from about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % silicon-oxide based material and from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % graphite, wherein the graphite has a BET surface area from about 2 m 2 /g to about 100 m 2 /g.

4. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 wherein the second binder polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly vinylidene fluoride, carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene-butadiene rubber, lithiated polyacrylic acid, copolymers thereof and mixtures thereof.

5. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 wherein the nickel-rich lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide is approximately represented by the formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 , where x+y+z≈1, 0.50≤x, 0.03≤y≤0.325, 0.03≤z≤0.325.

6. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 wherein the positive electrode active material further comprises from about 20 wt % to about 80 wt % of (lithium+manganese) rich lithium metal oxide represented by the formula Li 1+b Ni α Mn β Co γ A δ O 2−z F z , where b+α+β+γ+δ≈1, b ranges from about 0.04 to about 0.3, α ranges from 0 to about 0.4, β range from about 0.2 to about 0.65, γ ranges from 0 to about 0.46, δ ranges from about 0 to about 0.15 and z ranges from 0 to 0.2, with the proviso that both α and γ are not 0, and where A is a metal different from lithium, manganese, nickel and cobalt.

7. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 further comprising supplemental lithium in an amount from about 80% to about 180% of the negative electrode first cycle irreversible capacity loss, the lithium ion cell having a ratio at the fourth cycle at a discharge rate of C/3 of negative electrode capacity divided by the positive electrode capacity from about 1.10 to about 1.95 and the lithium ion cell having an energy density of at least about 235 Wh/kg discharged from a selected charge voltage to 2.5V at a rate of C/3 ad 30° C., wherein the selected charge voltage is from 4.15V to 4.35V.

8. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of negative electrodes;

a plurality of positive electrodes,

wherein the container has a prismatic shape and the assembled cell has a capacity of at least about 2 Ah, cycled from 4.35V to 2V at a rate of C/3.

9. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 having a capacity at the 450th cycle of at least about 80% of the capacity at the 5th cycle when cycled from the 10th cycle to the 450th cycle between 2.5V and a selected charge voltage at a rate of C/3, wherein the selected charge voltage is from 4.15V to 4.35V.

10. A lithium ion cell comprising:

a negative electrode comprising silicon oxide, graphite, nanoscale conductive carbon, and a polymer binder wherein the negative electrode comprises from about 75 wt % to about 92 wt % an active material, from about 1 wt % to about 7 wt % nanoscale conductive carbon and from about 7 wt % to about 20 wt % polymer binder, wherein the active material comprises from about 40 wt % to about 95 wt % silicon oxide-based material and from about 5 wt % to about 60 wt % graphite wherein the polymer binder of the negative electrode comprises a blend of at least about 50 wt % polyimide and at least about 5 wt % of a second binder polymer with an elastic modulus no more than about 2.4 GPa;

a positive electrode comprising a lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide, conductive carbon, and a polymer binder wherein the positive electrode comprises a nickel-rich lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide approximately represented by the formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 , where x+y+z≈1, 0.45≤x, 0.025≤y≤0.35, 0.025≤z≤0.35;

a separator between the negative electrode and the positive electrode;

electrolyte comprising a lithium salt and non-aqueous solvent; and

a container enclosing the negative electrode, the positive electrode, separator and electrolyte;

wherein the lithium ion cell has an energy density of at least 235 Wh/kg discharged from a selected charge voltage to 2.5V at a rate of C/3 at 30° C. and has a capacity at 450 cycles at least about 80% of the capacity at the 5th cycle when cycled from the 5th cycle to the 450th cycle between 2.3V and the selected charge voltage at a rate of C/3, wherein the selected charge voltage is from 4.05V to 4.375V.

11. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 wherein the negative electrode comprises from about 80 wt % to about 92 wt % an active material, from about 1 wt % to about 6 wt % nanoscale conductive carbon and from about 8 wt % to about 18 wt % polymer binder, wherein the active material comprises from about 55 wt % to about 95 wt % silicon oxide-based material and from about 5 wt % to about 45 wt % graphite.

12. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 wherein the negative electrode active material comprises from about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % silicon-oxide based material and from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % graphite and wherein the polymer binder of the negative electrode comprises polyimide and a second binder polymer selected from the group consisting of poly vinylidene fluoride, carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene-butadiene rubber, lithiated polyacrylic acid, copolymers thereof and mixtures thereof.

13. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 wherein the positive electrode comprises a nickel-rich lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide approximately represented by the formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 , where x+y+z≈1, 0.55≤x, 0.025≤y≤0.3, 0.025≤z≤0.3.

14. The lithium ion cell of claim 13 wherein 0.525≤x≤0.7, and wherein the selected charge voltage is from 4.25V to 4.375V.

15. The lithium ion cell of claim 13 wherein 0.7≤x≤0.9, and wherein the selected charge voltage is from 4.05V to 4.285V.

16. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 having a total capacity of at least about 2 Ah and wherein the container has a prismatic shape with an area from about 10,000 mm 2 to about 50,000 mm 2 and a volume from about 30,000 mm 3 to about 800,000 mm 3 .

17. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 further comprising plurality of negative electrodes and a plurality of positive electrodes, and having an energy density of at least about 245 Wh/kg discharged from the selected voltage to 2.5V at a rate of C/3 at 30° C.

18. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 further comprising supplemental lithium in an amount from about 80% to about 180% of the negative electrode first cycle irreversible capacity loss and the lithium ion cell and the lithium ion cell having a ratio at the fourth cycle at a discharge rate of C/3 of negative electrode capacity divided by the positive electrode capacity from about 1.10 to about 1.95 and the lithium ion cell and the lithium ion cell having a capacity at the 450th cycle of at least about 80% of the capacity at the 5th cycle when cycled from the 10th cycle to the 450th cycle between 2.5V and the selected voltage at a rate of C/3.

19. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 wherein the polymer binder of the negative electrode comprises from about 12 wt % to about 40 wt % of the second binder polymer, which has an elastic modulus of no more than about 2 GPa.

20. The lithium ion cell of claim 1 further comprising supplemental lithium in an amount from about 80% to about 180% of the negative electrode first cycle irreversible capacity loss and the lithium ion cell, wherein the nickel-rich lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide is approximately represented by the formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 , where x+y+z≈1, 0.55≤x, 0.03≤y≤0.3, 0.03≤z≤0.3, wherein the negative electrode active material comprises from about 55 wt % to about 90 wt % silicon-oxide based material and from about 10 wt % to about 45 wt % graphite, wherein the graphite has a BET surface area from about 5 m 2 /g to about 60 m 2 /g, and wherein the lithium ion cell has a capacity at the 500th cycle of at least about 80% of the capacity at the 6th cycle when cycled to the 500th cycle between 2.5V and the selected voltage at a rate of C/3.

21. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 wherein the polymer binder of the negative electrode comprises from about 12 wt % to about 40 wt % of the second binder polymer, which has an elastic modulus of no more than about 2 GPa.

22. The lithium ion cell of claim 10 further comprising supplemental lithium in an amount from about 80% to about 180% of the negative electrode first cycle irreversible capacity loss and the lithium ion cell, wherein the nickel-rich lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide is approximately represented by the formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 , where x+y+z≈1, 0.55≤x, 0.03≤y≤0.3, 0.03≤z≤0.3, wherein the negative electrode active material comprises from about 55 wt % to about 90 wt % silicon-oxide based material and from about 10 wt % to about 45 wt % graphite, wherein the graphite has a BET surface area from about 5 m 2 /g to about 60 m 2 /g, and wherein the lithium ion cell has a capacity at the 500th cycle of at least about 80% of the capacity at the 6th cycle when cycled to the 500th cycle between 2.5V and the selected voltage at a rate of C/3.

23. A lithium ion cell comprising:

a negative electrode comprising silicon oxide, graphite, nanoscale conductive carbon, and a polymer binder wherein the negative electrode comprises from about 75 wt % to about 92 wt % an active material, from about 1 wt % to about 7 wt % nanoscale conductive carbon and from about 7 wt % to about 20 wt % polymer binder, wherein the active material comprises from about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % silicon oxide-based material and from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % graphite, wherein the polymer binder of the negative electrode comprises polyimide and a second binder polymer selected from the group consisting of poly vinylidene fluoride, carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene-butadiene rubber, lithiated polyacrylic acid, copolymers thereof and mixtures thereof;

a positive electrode comprising a lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide, conductive carbon, and a polymer binder wherein the positive electrode comprises a nickel-rich lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide approximately represented by the formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 , where x+y+z≈1, 0.45≤x, 0.025≤y≤0.35, 0.025≤z≤0.35;

a separator between the negative electrode and the positive electrode;

electrolyte comprising a lithium salt and non-aqueous solvent; and

a container enclosing the negative electrode, the positive electrode, separator and electrolyte;

wherein the lithium ion cell has an energy density of at least 235 Wh/kg discharged from a selected charge voltage to 2.5V at a rate of C/3 at 30° C. and has a capacity at 450 cycles at least about 80% of the capacity at the 5th cycle when cycled from the 5th cycle to the 450th cycle between 2.3V and the selected charge voltage at a rate of C/3, wherein the selected charge voltage is from 4.05V to 4.375V.