# US 11,078,083 B2 · Process for producing a silicon-carbon composite

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- Number: US 11,078,083 B2
- Document ID: US11078083B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/078,359
- Filed: 2017-02-28
- Published: 2020-10-08
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-01
- Assignees: Evonik Operations GmbH
- Applicants: Evonik Operations GmbH
- Inventors: Julia Lyubina; Michael Kroell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078083B2

## CPC

- C01B 33/02: Silicon (forming single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure C30B)
- C01B 32/00: Carbon; Compounds thereof (C01B21/00, C01B23/00 take precedence; percarbonates C01B15/10; carbon black C09C1/48)
- C01B 32/05: Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30
- C01B 32/956: Silicon carbide
- H01M 4/133: Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
- H01M 4/1395: of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
- H01M 4/366: {as layered products}
- H01M 4/386: {Silicon or alloys based on silicon}
- H01M 4/625: {Carbon or graphite}
- H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
- C01P 2002/02: Amorphous compounds
- H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Process for producing a silicon-carbon composite powder in which a) a gas stream A containing at least one starting compound of silicon selected from the group consisting of SiH4, Si2H6 and Si3H8, and b) a gas stream B containing at least one starting compound of carbon selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, ethylene and acetylene are reacted in a hot wall reactor at a temperature of less than 900° C., the reaction mixture is cooled or allowed to cool and the pulverulent reaction product is separated from gaseous materials.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing a silicon-carbon composite powder, the process comprising:
feeding
a) a gas stream A comprising at least one silicon starting compound selected from the group consisting of SiH4, Si2H6 and Si3H8, and
b) a gas stream B comprising at least one carbon starting compound selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, ethylene and acetylene into a hot wall reactor at a temperature of less than 900° C., to form a reaction mixture, cooling the reaction mixture or allowing the reaction mixture to cool, and separating a pulverulent reaction product, to obtain the silicon-carbon composite powder,
wherein the gas stream B is fed into the hot wall reactor after the gas stream A.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the gas stream A and the gas stream B are fed into the hot wall reactor simultaneously, either separately or in a mixture comprising the gas stream A and the gas stream B.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein an Si/C volume fraction in the silicon-carbon composite powder is in a range of 30:1 to 1:30.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the silicon starting compound is SiH4 and the carbon starting compound is acetylene.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising:
feeding at least one inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon and helium into the hot wall reactor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein there is a laminar flow through the hot wall reactor.

### Claim 7

A lithium-ion battery anode comprising a silicon-carbon composite powder, having an Si/C volume fraction in a range of 20:1 to 1:10 and comprising silicon particles having an average diameter of 300 nm or less, wherein a surface of the silicon particles is at least partly encapsulated with an amorphous, carbon-comprising layer having an average layer thickness of less than 200 nm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The lithium-ion battery anode of claim 7, wherein the silicon particles are amorphous.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The lithium-ion battery anode of claim 7, wherein the amorphous, carbon-comprising layer comprises at least one species selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic, an aromatic and a graphitic species.