Electroactive materials for metal-ion batteries
AssigneeNexeon Limited
InventorsCharles A. Mason, Richard Gregory Taylor, Christopher Michael Friend
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Abstract
The invention relates to a particulate material comprising a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise: (a) a porous carbon framework comprising micropores and mesopores having a total pore volume of at least 0.6 cm3/g, where the volume fraction of micropores is in the range from 0.1 to 0.9 and the volume fraction of pores having a pore diameter no more than 20 nm is at least 0.75, and the porous carbon framework has a D50 particle size of less than 20 μm; (b) silicon located within the micropores and/or mesopores of the porous carbon framework in a defined amount relative to the volume of the micropores and/or mesopores.
Claims31
A particulate material comprising a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise:
- (a) a porous carbon framework comprising micropores and mesopores, wherein
- (i) the micropores and mesopores have a total pore volume as measured by gas adsorption of P1 cm3/g, wherein P1 has a value of at least 0.6 and no more than 1.6,
- (ii) the volume fraction of micropores (φa) is in the range from 0.45 to 0.85, based on the total volume of micropores and mesopores;
- (iii) the volume fraction of pores having a pore diameter of no more than 20 nm (φ20) is at least 0.8, based on the total volume of micropores and mesopores;
- (b) a plurality of nanoscale elemental silicon domains located within the micropores and/or mesopores of the porous carbon framework;
- wherein the weight ratio of silicon to the porous carbon framework in the composite particles is in the range from [1×P1 to 1.9×P1]:1,
- wherein the particulate material has a Z value of no more than 10% as determined by TGA analysis in air,
- wherein Z=1.875×[(Mf−M800)/Mf]×100%,
- wherein Mf is the mass of the TGA sample at completion of oxidation and M800 is the mass of the TGA sample at 800° C.;
- wherein the composite particles have a BET surface area of no more than 60 m2/g;
- and
- wherein the composite particles have a D50 particle diameter in the range from 0.5 to 20 μm.
A particulate material comprising a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise:
- (a) a porous carbon framework comprising micropores and mesopores, wherein
- (i) the micropores and mesopores have a total pore volume as measured by gas adsorption of P1 cm3/g, wherein P1 has a value of at least 0.65 and no more than 1.3,
- (ii) the volume fraction of micropores (φa) is in the range from 0.5 to 0.8, based on the total volume of micropores and mesopores;
- and
- (iii) the volume fraction of pores having a pore diameter of no more than 5 nm (φ5) is at least 0.85, based on the total volume of micropores and mesopores;
- (b) a plurality of nanoscale elemental silicon domains located within the micropores and/or mesopores of the porous carbon framework;
- wherein the weight ratio of silicon to the porous carbon framework in the composite particles is in the range from [1.1×P1 to 1.9×P1]:1,
- wherein the particulate material has a Z value of no more than 10% as determined by TGA analysis in air,
- wherein Z=1.875×[(Mf−M800)/Mt]×100%,
- wherein Mf is the mass of the TGA sample at completion of oxidation and M800 is the mass of the TGA sample at 800° C.;
- wherein the composite particles have a BET surface area of no more than 25 m2/g;
- and
- wherein the composite particles have a D50 particle diameter in the range from 1 to 12 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.