IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,341,199
Granted Patent B2
US 12,341,199 · App. 16/573,556 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Printed lithium foil and film

Inventors: Marina Yakovleva (Gastonia, NC); Kenneth Brian Fitch (Cherryville, NC); William Arthur Greeter, Jr. (Dallas, NC); Jian Xia (Belmont, NC)
Assignee: LIVENT USA CORP.
H01M4/668H01M4/622H01M4/666H01M4/667H01M4/8832H01M10/0525H01M10/056H01M2300/0088
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,341,199
App. No.
16/573,556
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate coated with a printable lithium composition is provided. The printable lithium composition includes lithium metal powder; a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is compatible with the lithium powder; and a rheology modifier compatible with the lithium powder and the polymer binder, wherein the rheology modifier is dispersible within the composition and provides a three-dimensional support structure for further improvement of the electrochemical performance of the electrode when coated with the composition. The substrate may be incorporated into a battery. In one embodiment, the battery comprises a cathode, an electrolyte and an anode, wherein the cathode, the electrolyte, the separator, the anode, or a combination thereof may each comprise a substrate coated with a printable lithium composition.

Claims (17)

1. An anode having coated thereon as a film or a foil, a printable lithium composition comprising:

50 to 98% by weight of a stabilized lithium metal powder having a mean particle size of from 5 to 80 microns and

2 to 50% by weight of a polymer binder selected from the group consisting of unsaturated elastomers, saturated elastomers, polyacrylic acid, polyvinylidene chloride and polyvinyl acetate; a rheology modifier and a non-polar solvent compatible with the stabilized lithium metal powder and selected from the group consisting of acyclic hydrocarbons, cyclic hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons; and wherein the lithium composition is printable, wherein the polymer binder is compatible with the stabilized lithium metal powder; and wherein the rheology modifier is carbon based, and is compatible with the stabilized lithium metal powder and with the polymer binder, the rheology modifier is dispersible within the printable lithium composition and wherein the film or the foil has a thickness of between about 1 to about 50 microns.

2. The anode of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the foil or the film is between about 10 microns to about 30 microns.

3. The anode of claim 1 , wherein the rheology modifier is carbon nanotubes.

4. The anode of claim 1 , wherein the polymer binder has a molecular weight of 1,000 to 8,000,000.

5. The anode of claim 4 , wherein the unsaturated elastomer is selected from the group consisting of butadiene rubber, isobutylene, and styrene butadiene rubber.

6. The anode of claim 4 , wherein the saturated elastomer is selected from the group consisting of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and ethylene-vinyl acetate.

7. The anode of claim 4 , wherein the thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polyethylene and polymers of ethylene oxide.

8. The anode of claim 7 , wherein the polymers of ethylene oxide are selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(ethylene oxide).

9. The anode of claim 1 , wherein the printable lithium composition further includes one or more additional rheology modifier.

10. The anode of claim 1 , wherein the printable lithium composition comprises between about 70% to about 85% by weight of the stabilized lithium metal powder and between about 15% to about 30% by weight of the polymer binder and the rheology modifier.

11. A battery comprising a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode according to claim 1 .

12. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the electrolyte has a concentration of 1 M or more.

13. The battery of claim 12 , wherein the concentration of the electrolyte is between about 3 M and about 5 M.

14. The battery of claim 11 , wherein the electrolyte is selected from lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide or lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide.

15. The battery of claim 11 further including a solid electrolyte component adapted to be combined with the printable lithium composition to form a solid electrolyte film.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2025
From: RIO TINTO FINANCE PLC
To: LIVENT USA CORP.; ARCADIUM LITHIUM INTERMEDIATE IRL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 071886/0172 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT - REEL/FRAME 047327/0058 AND 050900/0939 Recorded Mar 6, 2025
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: LIVENT USA CORP.
Reel/Frame 070433/0759 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT - REEL/FRAME 061373/0148 Recorded Mar 6, 2025
From: C ITIBANK, N.A.
To: LIVENT USA CORP.
Reel/Frame 070433/0732 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2025
From: LIVENT USA CORP.; ARCADIUM LITHIUM INTERMEDIATE IRL LIMITED
To: RIO TINTO FINANCE PLC
Reel/Frame 070061/0312 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Sep 2, 2022
From: LIVENT USA CORP.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061373/0148 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 25, 2022
From: FMC LITHIUM USA CORP.
To: LIVENT USA CORP.
Reel/Frame 058838/0522 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2021
From: XIA, JIAN; GREETER, WILLIAM ARTHUR, JR.; YAKOVLEVA, MARINA; FITCH, KENNETH BRIAN
To: FMC LITHIUM USA CORP.
Reel/Frame 056847/0897 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2020
From: YAKOVLEVA, MARINA; FITCH, KENNETH BRIAN; GREETER, WILLIAM ARTHUR, JR; XIA, JIAN
To: FMC LITHIUM USA CORP.
Reel/Frame 052771/0524 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Oct 31, 2019
From: FMC LITHIUM USA CORP.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 050900/0939 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation In Part 16359707 · Mar 20, 2019
Provisional Application 62874269 · Jul 15, 2019
Provisional Application 62864739 · Jun 21, 2019
Provisional Application 62691819 · Jun 29, 2018
Provisional Application 62646521 · Mar 22, 2018
Related Publication 20200014033A1 · Jan 9, 2020
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