Methods for alkaliating roll anodes
AssigneeNanoscale Components, Inc.
InventorsRobert W. Grant, Matthew Sweetland, Asela Maha Acharige
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Abstract
The present invention relates to processes that may be used singly or in combination to prevent lithium (or alkali metal) plating or dendrite buildup on bare substrate areas or edges of electrode rolls during alkaliation of a battery or electrochemical cell anode composed of a conductive substrate and coatings, in which the electrode rolls may be coated on one or both sides and may have exposed substrate on edges, or on continuous or discontinuous portions of either or both substrate surfaces.
Claims39
An electrochemical process to alkaliate an anode to produce an alkaliated anode characterized by bare substrate areas free of alkali metals comprising the steps of:
- a. Subjecting an anode to a non-aqueous electrolytic solution comprising an alkali metal salt, wherein said anode comprises a conductive substrate comprising at least one surface characterized by at least one area having an alkaliation coating thereon and at least one area that is free of an alkaliation coating;
- b. Applying a forward reducing current to alkaliate the anode for a time sufficient to at least partially alkaliate the anode in the areas having an alkaliation coating;
- c. Maintaining the anode produced by step (b) in the solution and, optionally, applying a reversed oxidative current to remove any alkali metal deposits from the bare substrate areas;
- and
- d. Repeating steps b and c, wherein the anode is maintained in at least one step c in the substantial absence of current for a time sufficient to permit diffusion of at least some of the alkali metal into the alkaliation coating.
An electrochemical process to alkaliate an anode to produce an alkaliated anode characterized by bare substrate areas free of alkali metals comprising the steps of:
- a. Subjecting an anode to a non-aqueous electrolytic solution comprising an alkali metal salt, wherein said anode comprises a conductive substrate comprising at least one surface characterized by at least one area having an alkaliation coating thereon and at least one area that is free of an alkaliation coating;
- b. Applying a forward reducing current to alkaliate the anode for a time sufficient to at least partially alkaliate the anode in the areas having an alkaliation coating and deposit alkali metal onto a bare substrate area;
- c. Maintaining the anode produced by step (b) in the solution and, optionally, applying a reversed oxidative current to remove any alkali metal deposits from the bare substrate areas;
- and
- d. Repeating steps b and c.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.