Patent · US Expired

High energy glass containing carbon electrode for lithium battery

US6183912A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 28, 1999
Grant dateFeb 6, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 28, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A novel high energy density electrode for rechargeable lithium batteries, and process of making same has been developed. The process forms a composite which (1) comprises submicron particles of lithium-alloying sp elements embedded in a conductive matrix of carbon, graphite or a lithium-containing, ionically-conductive glass, and (2) is capable of reversibly accepting and donating lithium. The particles are produced within the conductive matrix through the reaction of halides (e.g., Cl) of the sp elements with Si, B, S or P, which forms volatile halides (e.g., SiCl.sub.x, SCI.sub.x, BCI.sub.x and PCI.sub.x) and submicron size (i.e., less than 0.1 micron, and preferably nanometer size) sp element particles distributed throughout the matrix. By sp element is meant an element whose valence electrons reside in the s and p orbitals of the atoms and are found in the third, fourth and fifth rows of the group III, IV and V elements of the periodic table. Hence elements such as Pb, Sn, Sb, Bi, Al, Ga, Ge, In and Ti are seen to be useful with this invention. Carbon/graphite is the preferred conductive matrix because it has a capability of retaining some reversible lithium itself. Lithium ion…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.