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Triweekly Patent Update – 2023-11-21 – Free Version

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  • Lithium-ion batteries – electrolytes – solid & semi-solid

  • SOLID-STATE BATTERY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE BATTERY UTILIZING SPRAY PYROLYSIS
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS / MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT) / US 2023361338 A1

    To form a negative electrode that allows for cycling of lithium metal, a carbon black / PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) slurry was applied to a Cu foil, which resulted in a 5 μm thick porous MIEC (mixed ionic-electronic conductor) layer (see Figures below). This negative electrode was heated to 300°C, and lanthanum nitrate (La(NO3)3) was spray-pyrolyzed onto it, forming a 30 nm thick La2O3 ELI (electrolyte-layer integration) buffer layer without post annealing.
    A gel solid electrolyte was made using a PVDF-HFP (poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)) matrix with lithium bis(pentafluoroethanesulfonyl)imide in a 1:1 mass ratio mix of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate. This electrolyte, about 300 μm thick, was layered onto the buffer layer at ambient temperature. A 100 μm thick LiCoO2 (LCO) layer formed the positive electrode, completing the coin cell assembly.
    Impedance measurements across 50 cycles (0.5 C charge / discharge) illustrate no significant increase, as compared to an increase of several orders of magnitude for a comparative example without La2O3 layer.
    FEW UM = few micrometers (about 5 μm as described above)

    Patent Image 1, Samsung Electronics / MIT
    Patent Image 2, Samsung Electronics / MIT

    This work illustrates how the combination of a porous carbon black scaffold on copper covered by a La2O3 layer allows for cycling of lithium metal negative electrodes with promising cycling stability (a larger number of larger-scale experiments is a necessary next validation step).
    The gel solid electrolyte can probably be replaced with a liquid carbonate-free semi-solid or solid electrolyte layer to achieve an improved inherent safety profile.
    From a process cost perspective, this work is very significant because high-temperature sintering above 300°C has been avoided. The need for producing and handling a free-standing oxide film was avoided by employing a spray-pyrolization process.
    It is a very interesting question if La-free oxides based on highly abundant elements exhibit similarly favorable characteristics as La2O3.

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  • Lithium-ion batteries – positive electrode

  • A PROCESS FOR PREPARING CATHODE ACTIVE MATERIALS AND OBTAINED CATHODE ACTIVE MATERIALS THEREOF
    Applicant: BASF / BASF CHINA / WO 2023202930 A1

    LiNi0.90Co0.05Mn0.05O2 (NMC9½½) was synthesized from the corresponding hydroxide precursor and Li2CO3 using the temperature protocol shown in the top Figure that involves process steps at 500, 830 and 1,040°C.
    The middle Figure exhibits a SEM image of the corresponding NMC9½½ that illustrates well-defined crystallites, as compared to a comparative material (bottom Figure) prepared without the so-called transient thermal treatment (TTT) step at 1,040°C for 15 min (formation of rounded, smaller domains).
    While no electrochemical data is shown, the following advantages of single-crystal as compared to polycrystalline NMC materials are emphasized in the patent: reduced structural deterioration, electrolyte side reactions and gas generation.

    Patent Image 1, BASF / BASF CHINA
    Patent Image 2, BASF / BASF CHINA
    Patent Image 3, BASF / BASF CHINA

    This work illustrates how a comparably short (15 min) high-temperature calcination step at 1,040°C very substantially affects NMC9½½ crystallinity and presumably allows for benefiting from the advantages of single-crystal NMC without significantly increasing process costs.

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  • Lithium-ion batteries – negative electrode (excluding Li metal electrodes)

  • SILICON-DOMINANT ELECTRODES FOR ENERGY STORAGE USING WET OXIDIZED SILICON BY ACID
    Applicant: ENEVATE / US 2023361287 A1

    Silicon powder with an average particle size of about 20 µm was dispersed in 67% nitric acid for about 1 h, filtered and rinsed with water to remove any residual acid. This treatment results in the formation of a surface oxide layer (<100 nm thickness).
    Negative electrodes were built by dispersing treated silicon in a slurry with NMP (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone) and polyamic acid resin, followed by coating on PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, densification with a calender, removal of the free-standing electrode from the PET foil, cutting, vacuum drying (120°C for 15 h, 220°C for 5 h), and a thermal treatment (1,175°C) to carbonize the polymer. The Si-carbon electrode was laminated with polyamide-imide-coated Cu foil to form electrodes for which the electrochemical test results shown below were obtained (comparison of electrodes based on acid-treated and untreated Si, 0.5 C charge, 4 C discharge).

    Patent Image, Enevate

    This work illustrates how the use of acid-treated Si in the context of Enevate's carbonized Si-carbon electrodes is highly beneficial for cycling stability.

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  • Fuel cells (PEMFC / SOFC / PAFC / AEMFC) – electrochemically active materials

  • Electrode for fuel cell including non-platinum catalyst and graphene stacked structure and membrane-electrode assembly including the electrode
    Applicant: Kolon / CN 116998033 A

    A platinum-free manganese cathode catalyst complex was made by mixing carbon nanotubes (CNT) and manganese (III) phthalocyanine chloride (1:2 mass ratio).
    The mixture was combined with aniline monomer (2:1 mass ratio) in water and dried at 60°C for 8 h.
    The resulting powder was heat-treated at 800°C for 3 h under a nitrogen atmosphere, and dispersed in a solution of Nafion ionomer, water, and n-propanol.
    A graphene dispersion and the catalyst dispersion were injected into separate nozzles. The graphene dispersion was first sprayed onto a FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) material, followed by the catalyst dispersion (ultrasonic spraying, 180 kHz, 10 μm droplets). This process was repeated to alternately layer graphene and catalyst, forming a 100-layer electrode.
    Finally, a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) was created by using this layered structure as a cathode (4 mg/cm2 cathode catalyst loading) and a Pt/C electrocatalyst as an anode, hot-pressed onto a polymer electrolyte membrane. Tests were also made with a comparative MEA with 0.2 mg/cm2 Pt-based cathode catalyst.
    A similar initial current density was obtained between the two MEA's. The Mn-based MEA exhibits a current density retention of 91% after 100 h at 0.7 V as compared to 33% for the Pt-based comparative MEA. Favorable results were also obtained upon use of Fe or Co instead of Mn.

    This work illustrates how the definition of a very specific 100-layer graphene-manganese structure enables promising longevity in cathode PEMFC catalysts.

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  • Triweekly patent lists for other categories (Excel files are included for premium users)

  • - Lithium metal containing batteries (excluding Li-S, Li-Air): XLSX
  • - Lithium-ion batteries – electrolytes – liquid: XLSX
  • - Lithium-ion batteries – separators: XLSX
  • - Lithium-sulfur batteries: XLSX
  • - Metal-air batteries: XLSX
  • - Na-ion batteries: XLSX
  • Prior patent updates

  • 2023-10-31
  • 2023-10-10
  • 2023-09-19