IP Library Granted Patent US 12,347,843
Granted Patent B2
US 12,347,843 · App. 17/175,412 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Preparation and powder film deposition of pre-coated powders

Inventor: Denis Phares (Reno, NV)
Assignee: Dragonfly Energy Corp.
H01M4/0404H01M4/0419H01M4/139H01M4/366H01M4/525H01M4/622H01M4/623Y02P20/54
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,347,843
App. No.
17/175,412
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods of forming encapsulated electrochemical and/or ionically conducting particles as well as their use in manufacturing electrochemical cells are described.

Claims (34)

1. A powder for use in an electrochemical cell, the powder comprising:

a plurality of particles, wherein at least one of the plurality of particles comprises:

a core particle; and

a binder comprising a thermoplastic polymer comprising styrene-butadiene, wherein the binder at least partially encapsulates the core particle, wherein an average coating thickness of the binder is between or equal to 3 nm and 1 μm, wherein the core particle comprises an ionically conductive material and/or an electrochemical material, and wherein the core particle comprises a separator material.

2. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the average coating thickness is between 3 nm and 100 nm.

3. The powder of claim 1 , the ionically conductive material comprises at least one selected from the group of an ionically conductive metal oxide and an ionically conductive glass.

4. The powder of claim 1 , wherein a maximum transverse dimension of the core particle is between or equal to 10 nm and 300 μm.

5. The powder of claim 1 , further comprising an ionically conductive salt dissolved in the binder.

6. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the core particle is ionically conductive.

7. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the core particle comprises a cathode active material.

8. An electrochemical cell comprising: a cathode comprising the powder of claim 7 .

9. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the core particle comprises an anode active material.

10. An electrochemical cell comprising: an anode comprising the powder of claim 9 .

11. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the core particle comprises a lithium ion active material.

12. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the core particle comprises a metal oxide, a metal titanate, a metal phosphate, graphite, and/or an ionically conducting glass.

13. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the core particle comprises graphite.

14. The powder of claim 1 , wherein the core particle comprises an electrochemical material comprising at least one selected from lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, lithium manganese cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese iron phosphate, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide, lithium titanate, and graphite.

15. An electrochemical cell comprising: a separator layer comprising the powder of claim 1 .

16. A powder for use in an electrochemical cell, the powder comprising:

a plurality of particles, wherein at least one of the plurality of particles comprises:

a binder comprising a thermoplastic polymer;

an ionically conductive salt dissolved in the binder; and

a core particle, wherein the core particle comprises an ionically conductive material and/or an electrochemical material, and wherein the core particle comprises a separator material.

17. The powder of claim 16 , wherein the binder at least partially encapsulates the core particle.

18. The powder of claim 17 , wherein a maximum transverse dimension of the core particle is between or equal to 10 nm and 300 μm.

19. The powder of claim 17 , wherein an average coating thickness of the binder is between or equal to 3 nm and 1 μm.

20. The powder of claim 19 , wherein the average coating thickness is between 3 nm and 100 nm.

21. The powder of claim 16 , wherein the core particle comprises the electrochemical material, and the electrochemical material comprises at least one selected from the group of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, lithium manganese cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese iron phosphate, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide, lithium titanate, and graphite.

22. The powder of claim 16 , wherein the core particle comprises the ionically conductive material, and the ionically conductive material comprises at least one selected from the group of an ionically conductive metal oxide and an ionically conductive glass.

23. The powder of claim 22 , wherein the core particle comprises at least one selected from the group of Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , TiO 2 , MgO, ZnO, ZrO 2 , CuO, CdO, and Li 2 O.

24. The powder of claim 22 , wherein the core particle comprises at least one selected from the group of Li 2S , P 2 S 5 , xLi 2 S-(1-x)P 2 S 5 , and glass electrolytes comprising Li (3-x) H (x) OCl.

25. The powder of claim 16 , wherein the binder has an average ionic conductivity that is between or equal to 10 −6 S/cm and 10 −2 S/cm.

26. The powder of claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises at least one selected from the group of polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, styrene-butadiene, polyethylene oxide, polyacetylene, polyphenylene, polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyaniline, and polyphenylene sulfide.

27. The powder of claim 16 , wherein the ionically conductive salt comprises a lithium salt.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2025
From: DRAGONFLY ENERGY CORP.; DRAGONFLY ENERGY HOLDINGS CORP.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 070965/0627 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: DRAGONFLY ENERGY CORP.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 061672/0367 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2022
From: NEWLIGHT CAPITAL LLC, A NORTH CAROLINA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, AS SERVICER
To: DRAGONFLY ENREGY CORP., A NEVADA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061363/0700 →
SHORT FORM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 24, 2021
From: DRAGONFLY ENERGY CORP.
To: NEWLIGHT CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 058240/0465 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2021
From: PHARES, DENIS
To: DRAGONFLY ENERGY CORP.
Reel/Frame 056116/0541 →
Continuity (3)
Division 16329914
Provisional Application 62458945 · Feb 14, 2017
Related Publication 20210167354A1 · Jun 3, 2021
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