US 10,312,499 B2 · Coating particles of active electrode material for lithium secondary batteries

Abstract

Particles of active electrode material for a lithium secondary battery are coated with a precursor material which is either a carbon-based polymer or a metal and oxygen containing compound. The precursor material-coated particles are injected into a gas stream and momentarily exposed to an atmospheric plasma at a predetermined energy level and temperature up to about 3500° C. The plasma treatment converts (i) the carbon polymer to submicron size carbon particles or (ii) the metal compound to metal oxide particles on the surfaces of the particles of electrode material. In preferred embodiments of the invention the plasma treated coated active electrode material particles are carried by the gas stream and deposited onto an electrode material bearing substrate for a lithium battery cell.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of preparing a coating of sub-micron size carbon particles or of metal oxide particles on surfaces of particles of an active electrode material for a lithium secondary battery, the active electrode material particles having largest dimensions in the range of about one to fifty micrometers;

the method comprising:
coating the surfaces of a quantity of particles of active electrode material with a liquid dispersion of either (i) a carbon-based polymer or (ii) a metal and oxygen-containing compound, and removing the liquid from the surfaces of the active material particles;
and
inserting the (i) carbon-based polymer coated or (ii) the metal and oxygen-containing compound coated active material particles into a atmospheric plasma stream to (i) carbonize the carbon based polymer coating or (ii) to oxidize the metal and oxygen-containing coating to form active electrode material particles coated with (i) submicron size carbon particles or (ii) sub-micron size metal oxide particles.

1 more element

A method of preparing a coating of sub-micron size particles of metal oxide particles on surfaces of particles of an active electrode material for a lithium secondary battery, the active electrode material particles having largest dimensions in the range of about one to fifty micrometers;

the method comprising:
coating the surfaces of a quantity of particles of active electrode material with a liquid dispersion of a metal and oxygen-containing compound, and removing the liquid from the surfaces of the active material particles;
and
inserting the metal and oxygen-containing compound coated active material particles into a atmospheric plasma stream to oxidize the metal and oxygen-containing coating to form active electrode material particles coated with sub-micron size metal oxide particles.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coating particles of active electrode material for lithium secondary batteries

Life of this patent

Coating particles of active electrode material for lithium secondary batteries

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18