# US 10,483,523 B2 · Dual function current collector

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- Number: US 10,483,523 B2
- Document ID: US10483523B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/436,574
- Filed: 2017-02-17
- Published: 2017-08-24
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-19
- Assignees: American Lithium Energy Corporation
- Applicants: American Lithium Energy Corporation
- Inventors: Jiang Fan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483523B2

## CPC

- H01M 4/0445: {Forming after manufacture of the electrode, e.g. first charge, cycling}
- H01M 4/1395: of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
- H01M 4/38: of elements or alloys
- H01M 4/382: {Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence)}
- H01M 4/505: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
- H01M 4/525: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
- H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
- H01M 10/4235: {Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence)}
- H01M 10/446: {Initial charging measures}
- H01M 4/131: Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
- H01M 4/136: Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy
- H01M 4/661: {Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence)}
- H01M 10/0562: Solid materials
- H01M 10/0569: characterised by the solvents
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A battery can include a separator, a first current collector, a protective layer, and a first electrode. The first current collector and the protective layer can be disposed on one side of the separator. The first electrode can be disposed on an opposite side of the separator as the first current collector and the protective layer. Subjecting the battery to an activation process can cause metal to be extracted from the first electrode and deposited between the first current collector and the protective layer. The metal can be deposited to at least form a second electrode between the first current collector and the protective layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery, comprising:
a separator;
a first current collector;
a protective layer disposed on the first current collector, the protective layer comprising a polymer and/or a polymer composite that is impenetrable to dendrites comprising a first electrode that is formed in situ between the protective layer and the first current collector, the first current collector and the protective layer being disposed on one side of the separator, and the protective layer being non-ionically conductive in an absence of an electrolyte; and
a second electrode, the second electrode being disposed on an opposite side of the separator as the first current collector and the protective layer;
wherein subjecting the battery to an activation process causes metal to be extracted from the second electrode and deposited between the first current collector and the protective layer, wherein the deposit of the metal forms the first electrode between the first current collector and the protective layer, and wherein the protective layer prevents the dendrites comprising the first electrode from penetrating the separator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the activation process comprises charging the battery.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the activation process comprising charging the battery at less than ½ C rate and/or greater than 2 volts.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the first current collector comprises copper (Cu) and/or plated copper.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the first current collector comprises copper foil, stainless steel foil, titanium (Ti) foil, nickel (Ni) plated copper foil, aluminum (Al) plated copper foil, and/or titanium plated copper foil.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the first current collector has a thickness of 10 microns.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is formed from a metal oxide, a metal fluoride, a metal sulfide, and/or a doped salt.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is formed from a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel cobalt oxide (LiNiCoO2), lithium manganese nickel cobalt oxide (LiNiMnCoO2), lithium manganese silicon oxide (Li2MnSiO4), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), lithium fluoride (LiF), and/or lithium sulfide (Li2S).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the metal extracted from the second electrode comprises lithium metal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the protective layer is formed from a crosslinked polymer and/or a non-crosslinked polymer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the protective layer further includes one or more additives, and wherein the one or more additives comprise ceramic particles, metal salt particles, and/or metal stabilizers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery further includes the electrolyte, and wherein a presence of the electrolyte renders the protective layer ionically conductive.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The battery of claim 12, wherein the electrolyte comprises a liquid electrolyte, the liquid electrolyte including metal ions, and wherein the liquid electrolyte further includes one or more organic solvents.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The battery of claim 13, wherein the metal irons comprise lithium ions, and wherein the one or more organic solvents comprise ethylene carbonate ((CH2O)2CO) and/or lithium hexafluorophosphate (Li1PF6).

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The battery of claim 12, wherein the electrolyte comprises a solid-state electrolyte.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The battery of claim 15, wherein the solid-state electrolyte comprises a glass-ceramic binary sulfide electrolyte and/or a polymer electrolyte.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery further comprises a second current collector, the second current collector being coupled with the second electrode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The battery of claim 17, wherein the battery further comprises a safety layer deposited on the second current collector, and wherein the safety layer is configured to respond to a temperature trigger and/or a voltage trigger.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the activation process causes a reduction at the second electrode, the reduction extracting metal from the second electrode, and the metal extracted from the second electrode being deposited between the first current collector and the protective layer to form the first electrode in situ between the first current collector and the protective layer.