IP Library Granted Patent US 10,826,115
Granted Patent B2
US 10,826,115 · App. 16/143,157 · Granted Nov 3, 2020

Lithium, phosphorus, sulfur, and iodine including electrolyte and catholyte compositions, electrolyte membranes for electrochemical devices, and annealing methods of making these electrolytes and catholytes

Inventors: Tim Holme (San Jose, CA); Zhebo Chen (San Jose, CA); William Hudson (San Jose, CA); Kian Kerman (San Jose, CA); Sunil Mair (San Jose, CA); Amal Mehrotra (San Jose, CA); Kim Van Berkel (San Jose, CA); Cheng-Chieh Chao (San Jose, CA); Drake Nguyen (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: QuantumScape Corporation
H01M10/056C01D15/00H01M10/0525H01M10/0562C01P2002/72C01P2002/88C01P2004/03C01P2006/40H01M10/0585H01M2300/0068H01M2300/0091H01M2300/0094
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,826,115
App. No.
16/143,157
Granted
Nov 3, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure sets forth battery components for secondary and/or traction batteries. Described herein are new solid-state lithium (Li) conducting electrolytes including monolithic, single layer, and bi-layer solid-state sulfide-based lithium ion (Li 30 ) conducting catholytes or electrolytes. These solid-state ion conductors have particular chemical compositions which are arranged and/or bonded through both crystalline and amorphous bonds. Also provided herein are methods of making these solid-state sulfide-based lithium ion conductors including new annealing methods. These ion conductors are useful, for example, as membrane separators in rechargeable batteries.

Claims (29)

1. An electrolyte comprising a compound characterized by

Li x P y S z I t , wherein 5≤x≤12; 1≤y≤3; 5≤z≤9, and 0.1≤t≤2; and

said electrolyte characterized by an x-ray powder diffraction (XRD) pattern comprising primary peaks at 20°±1° and at 29°±1° (2Θ),

wherein the primary peak at 20°±1° (2Θ) has a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 2°±1°,

wherein the primary peak at 29°±1° (2Θ) has a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 2°±1°,

wherein subscripts x, y, z, and t are rational numbers; and

wherein the compound is neutrally charged; wherein the XRD pattern is acquired using Cu-Kα radiation.

2. The electrolyte of claim 1 , consisting essentially of a compound characterized by Li x P y S z I t , wherein 5≤x≤12; 1≤y≤3; 5≤z≤9, and 0.1≤t≤2; and

said electrolyte characterized by an XRD pattern comprising primary peaks at 20°±1° and at 29°±1° (2Θ),

wherein the primary peak at 20°±1° (2Θ) has a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 2°±1°,

wherein the primary peak at 29°±1° (2Θ) has a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 2°±1°,

wherein subscripts x, y, z, and t are rational numbers; and

wherein the compound is neutrally charged.

3. The electrolyte of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is characterized by an XRD pattern having the following reflections: 20, 25, 27, 29, and 45±1° (2Θ).

4. The electrolyte of claim 2 , wherein the electrolyte is characterized by an XRD pattern having the following reflections: 20, 25, 27, 29, and 45±1° (2Θ).

5. The electrolyte of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is semiamorphous.

6. The electrolyte of claim 1 , wherein the compound is Li a P b S c I d , wherein 7.2≤a≤7.6, 1.4≤b≤1.8, 7.0≤c≤7.4, and 0.8≤d≤1.2.

7. The electrolyte of claim 1 , wherein the compound is Li 7.4 P 1.6 S 7.2 I.

8. The electrolyte of claim 1 , comprising LiI.

9. The electrolyte of claim 1 , comprising Li 2 S.

10. The electrolyte of claim 1 , wherein the compound does not have an argyrodite crystal structure.

11. The electrolyte of claim 1 , further comprising a polymer.

12. The electrolyte of claim 11 , wherein the weight loading of Li x P y S z I t is at least 50% (w/w) but less than 95% (w/w).

13. The electrolyte of claim 12 , wherein the weight loading of the polymer is about at least 0.01 (w/w) but less than 50% (w/w).

14. The electrolyte of claim 11 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, epoxides, polypropylene (PP), atactic polypropylene (aPP), isotactic polypropylene (iPP), polybutadiene (PBD), polybutadiene rubber (PB), cross-linked polybutadiene (cPBD), polystyrene (PS), ethylene propylene rubber (EPR), ethylene pentene copolymer (EPC), polyisobutylene (PIB), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyolefins, polyethylene-co-poly-1-octene (PE-co-PO), polyethylene-co-poly(methylene cyclopentane) (PE-co-PMCP), poly methyl-methacrylate, acrylics, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), polyvinyl acetacetal resin, polyvinylbutylal resin, PVB stereoblock polypropylenes, polypropylene polymethylpentene copolymer, polyethylene oxide (PEO), PEO block copolymers, nitriles, nitrile butadiene rubber, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyisoprene rubber (PI), polychloroprene rubber (CR), polyethyl acrylate (PEA), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), aqueous-compatible polymers, silicone, PMX-200 (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS), methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, polyvinylbutyral (PVB), poly ethyl methacrylate (PEMA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), stereo block polypropylenes, polypropylene carbonate, polyethylene, and combinations thereof.

15. The electrolyte of claim 1 formed as a thin film having a film thickness from about 10 nm to about 100 μm.

16. The electrolyte of claim 15 , wherein the thin film has a surface roughness from 0.5 μm Rt to 30 μm Rt, wherein Rt is the maximum surface roughness peak height of sampled surface, or a surface roughness from 0.5 μm Ra to 30 μm Ra, wherein Ra is the average peak height of sampled surface roughness.

17. A bi-layer solid-state electrolyte, having a top layer and a bottom layer, wherein the top layer comprises the electrolyte of claim 1 and wherein the bottom layer comprises a compound characterized by the empirical formula (1-x)(60:40 Li 2 S:SiS 2 )·(x)(Li 3 PO 4 ) wherein x is from 0.01 to 0.99.

18. An electrochemical device comprising the electrolyte of claim 1 .

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 2, 2023
From: QUANTUMSCAPE SUBSIDIARY, INC.
To: QUANTUMSCAPE BATTERY, INC.
Reel/Frame 062915/0514 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 23, 2023
From: QUANTUMSCAPE CORPORATION
To: QUANTUMSCAPE SUBSIDIARY, INC.
Reel/Frame 062841/0762 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2020
From: HOLME, TIM; HUDSON, WILLIAM; KERMAN, KIAN; MAIR, SUNIL; MEHROTRA, AMAL; VAN BERKEL, KIM; CHEN, ZHEBO
To: QUANTUMSCAPE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053486/0334 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2019
From: CHAO, CHENG-CHIEH; NGUYEN, DRAKE
To: QUANTUMSCAPE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047993/0758 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15367103 · Dec 1, 2016
Provisional Application 62263409 · Dec 4, 2015
Provisional Application 62321428 · Apr 12, 2016
Related Publication 20190097262A1 · Mar 28, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,347,863