IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,586,782
Granted Patent B2
US 12,586,782 · App. 17/939,412 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Active material, anode layer, battery, and methods for producing these

Inventors: Mitsutoshi Otaki (Susono, JP); Jun Yoshida (Mishima, JP); Masanori Harata (Kariya, JP); Yasuhiro Yamaguchi (Kariya, JP); Kota Urabe (Kariya, JP); Tatsuya Eguchi (Kariya, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H01M4/386C01B33/021H01M4/0433H01M10/0525C01P2002/72C01P2002/74C01P2002/77C01P2006/14C01P2006/16C01P2006/40H01M2004/021H01M2004/027
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,586,782
App. No.
17/939,412
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A main object of the present disclosure is to provide an active material wherein a volume variation due to charge/discharge is small. The present disclosure achieves the object by providing an active material comprising a silicon clathrate II type crystal phase, including a void inside a primary particle, and a void amount A of the void with a fine pore diameter of 100 nm or less is more than 0.15 cc/g and 0.40 cc/g or less.

Claims (43)

1 . An active material comprising:

a primary particle comprising a silicon clathrate II type crystal phase; and

a void inside the primary particle,

wherein:

a void amount A of the void with a fine pore diameter of 100 nm or less is more than 0.15 cc/g and 0.40 cc/g or less, and

the active material is produced by a method comprising:

an alloying step of obtaining a Na—Si alloy by reacting a Na source and a Si source; and

a silicon clathrate forming step of forming the silicon clathrate II type crystal phase by heating the Na—Si alloy so as to reduce a Na amount in the Na—Si alloy,

wherein:

in the silicon clathrate forming step, a scavenger that captures Na in the Na—Si alloy is used, and

a particle wherein a void amount C of a void with a fine pore diameter of 50 nm or less is 0.05 cc/g or more and 0.20 cc/g or less, is used as the Si source.

2 . An active material comprising a silicon clathrate II type crystal phase,

a primary particle comprising a silicon clathrate II type crystal phase; and

a void inside the primary particle,

wherein:

a void amount B of the void with a fine pore diameter of 50 nm or less is more than 0.10 cc/g and 0.25 cc/g or less, and

the active material is produced by a method comprising:

an alloying step of obtaining a Na—Si alloy by reacting a Na source and a Si source; and

a silicon clathrate forming step of forming the silicon clathrate II type crystal phase by heating the Na—Si alloy so as to reduce a Na amount in the Na—Si alloy,

wherein:

in the silicon clathrate forming step, a scavenger that captures Na in the Na—Si alloy is used, and

a particle wherein a void amount C of a void with a fine pore diameter of 50 nm or less is 0.05 cc/g or more and 0.20 cc/g or less, is used as the Si source.

3 . The active material according to claim 2 , wherein a void amount A of the void with a fine pore diameter of 100 nm or less is 0.05 cc/g or more and 0.40 cc/g or less.

4 . The active material according to claim 1 , wherein, as peaks of the silicon clathrate II type crystal phase, peak “A” at a position of 2θ=20.09°+0.50° and peak “B” at a position of 2θ=31.72°+0.50° are observed in X-ray diffraction measurement using a CuKα ray, and

when an intensity of the peak “A” is regarded as I A , an intensity of the peak “B” is regarded as I B , and a maximum intensity in 2θ=22° to 23° is regarded as I M , I A /I M is 1.75 or more and 2.00 or less, and I B /I M is 1.35 or more and 1.75 or less.

5 . An anode layer comprising the active material according to claim 1 .

6 . A battery comprising a cathode layer, an anode layer, and an electrolyte layer placed between the cathode layer and the anode layer, and

the anode layer is the anode layer according to claim 5 .

7 . A method for producing the active material according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

an alloying step of obtaining a Na—Si alloy by reacting a Na source and a Si source; and

a silicon clathrate forming step of forming a silicon clathrate II type crystal phase by heating the Na—Si alloy so as to reduce a Na amount in the Na—Si alloy,

wherein:

in the silicon clathrate forming step, a scavenger that captures Na in the Na—Si alloy is used, and

a particle wherein a void amount C of a void with a fine pore diameter of 50 nm or less is 0.05 cc/g or more and 0.20 cc/g or less, is used as the Si source.

8 . A method for producing an anode layer, the method comprising:

an active material producing step of producing an active material by the method for producing an active material according to claim 7 , and

an anode layer forming step of forming an anode layer using the active material.

9 . The method for producing an anode layer according to claim 8 , wherein the anode layer forming step includes a press treatment of pressing the anode layer in a thickness direction, and

by the press treatment, a void amount D of the void with a fine pore diameter of 50 nm or less in the active material is adjusted to be 0.035 cc/g or more and 0.11 cc/g or less.

10 . The method for producing an anode layer according to claim 9 , wherein, by the press treatment, a void amount E of the void with a fine pore diameter of 100 nm or less in the active material is adjusted to be 0.053 cc/g or more and 0.16 cc/g or less.

11 . A method for producing a battery, the method comprising:

an active material producing step of producing an active material by the method for producing an active material according to claim 7 , and

an anode layer forming step of forming an anode layer using the active material.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: OTAKI, MITSUTOSHI; YOSHIDA, JUN; HARATA, MASANORI; YAMAGUCHI, YASUHIRO; URABE, KOTA; EGUCHI, TATSUYA
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 061015/0447 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2021-151942 · Sep 17, 2021 · national
JP 2022-077966 · May 11, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230090390A1 · Mar 23, 2023
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