SILICON PARTICLES FOR BATTERY ELECTRODES
Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.
1 . A battery electrode, comprising:
a current collector comprising a current collector top surface and a current collector bottom surface; and
an active material layer on the current collector top surface;
wherein the active material layer comprises greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles;
wherein the silicon particles are distributed throughout the active material layer; and
wherein an average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is less than about 5 m 2 /g.
2 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 1 m 2 /g.
3 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 2 m 2 /g.
4 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 3 m 2 /g.
5 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is less than about 4 m 2 /g.
6 . The battery electrode of claim 5 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 2 m 2 /g.
7 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein a median particle size of the silicon particles is less than about 44 μm.
8 . The battery electrode of claim 7 , wherein the median particle size of the silicon particles greater than about 10 nm.
9 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein a median particle size of the silicon particles is less than about 15 μm.
10 . The battery electrode of claim 7 , wherein the median particle size of the silicon particles greater than about 1 μm.
11 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein the active material layer has a silicon content of less than about 50% by weight.
12 . The battery electrode of claim 1 , wherein the active material layer has a silicon content of greater than about 35% by weight.
13 . A method of forming a battery electrode, the method comprising:
providing a current collector comprising a current collector top side and a current collector bottom side;
providing an active material layer mixture on the current collector top side;
curing the active material layer mixture to form an active material layer on the current collector top side;
wherein the active material layer comprises greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles;
wherein the silicon particles are distributed throughout the active material layer; and
wherein an average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is less than about 5 m 2 /g.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 1 m 2 /g.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 2 m 2 /g.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 3 m 2 /g.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is less than about 4 m 2 /g.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the average surface area per unit mass of the silicon particles is greater than about 2 m 2 /g.
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a median particle size of the silicon particles is less than about 44 μm.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the median particle size of the silicon particles greater than about 10 nm.