Granted Patent B2

US 12,606,443 · App. 18/042,178 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Inventors: Henry R. Costantino (Woodinville, WA); Abirami Dhanabalan (Bothell, WA); Avery J. Sakshaug (Snohomish, WA); Christopher Timmons (Monroe, WA); Rajankumar Patel (Pasco, WA)

Assignee: GROUP14 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

C01B32/963C04B35/565C04B38/0054C01P2006/12C01P2006/14C01P2006/40C04B2235/614

Abstract

Claims (15)

1 . A process for preparing silicon-carbon composite particles comprising:

a. providing a carbon scaffold comprising a pore volume, wherein the pore volume comprises greater than 70% microporosity;

b. heating the porous carbon scaffold to a temperature from 350° C. to 550° C.;

c. contacting the carbon scaffold with a silane feedstock gas corresponding to a Y CVI less than 0.5 wherein Y CVI =(mole of silane feedstock gas per hour)/(mol of carbon scaffold);

d. wherein an X Si of the process is greater than 60%, wherein X Si =100×(mol of silicon in the silicon-carbon composite)/(mol silane feedstock gas), wherein the mol silicon in the silicon-carbon composite is determined from the silicon content in the silicon-carbon composite by thermogravimetric analysis; and

e. wherein the silicon-carbon composite particles comprise:

i. a silicon content of 40% to 60% by weight;

ii. a Z of less than 10, wherein Z=1.875×[(M1100−M)/M1100]×100, wherein M1100 is a mass of the silicon-carbon composite at 1100° C. and M is the minimum mass of the silicon-carbon composite between 800° C. and 1100° C. when the silicon-carbon composite is heated under air from about 25° C. to about 1100° C., as determined by thermogravimetric analysis;

iii. a surface area less than 30 m 2 /g; and

iv. a φ of greater than or equal to 0.1, wherein φ=(Max peak height dQ/dV in Regime I)/(Max peak height dQ/dV in Regime III), wherein dQ/dV is measured in a half-cell coin cell, and Regime I is 0.8V-0.4V and Regime III is 0.15V-0V.

2 . The process for preparing silicon-carbon composite particles of claim 1 , wherein the pore volume comprises greater than 90% microporosity.

3 . The process for preparing silicon-carbon composite particles of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-carbon composite particles comprise a surface area less than 10 m 2 /g.

4 . The process for preparing silicon-carbon composite particles of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-carbon composite particles comprise a Dv50 ranging from 5 nm to 20 microns.

5 . The process for preparing silicon-carbon composite particles of claim 1 , wherein Y CVI is less than 0.3.

6 . The process for preparing silicon-carbon composite particles of claim 1 , wherein X Si is greater than 85%.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)