# US 2012/0235644 A1 · Alkali metal ion battery using alkali metal conductive ceramic separator

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- Number: US 2012/0235644 A1
- Document ID: US20120235644A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/466,844
- Filed: 2012-05-08
- Published: 2012-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2008-01-30
- Assignees: Enlighten Innovations Inc.
- Inventors: John Howard Gordon; Sai Bhavaraju
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120235644A1

## CPC

- H01M 10/36: Accumulators not provided for in groups H01M10/05-H01M10/34
- H01M 10/39: working at high temperature
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y10T 29/49108: Electric battery cell making
- 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
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A battery having a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is made of metal and the second electrode is made of an oxidized material that is capable of being electrochemically reduced by the metal of the first electrode. An alkali-ion conductive, substantially non-porous separator is disposed between the first and second electrode. A first electrolyte contacts the first electrode. The first electrolyte includes a solvent which is non-reactive with the metal, and a salt bearing an alkali ion that may be conducted through the separator, wherein the salt is at least partially soluble in the solvent. A second electrolyte is also used. The second electrolyte contacts the second electrode. The second electrolyte at least partially dissolves the salt that forms upon the oxidized material being electrochemically reduced.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery comprising:
a first electrode comprising metal;
a second electrode comprising an oxidized material that is capable of being electrochemically reduced by the metal of the first electrode;
an alkali-ion conductive, substantially non-porous separator disposed between the first and second electrode;
a first electrolyte contacting the first electrode, the first electrolyte comprising:
a solvent which is non-reactive with the metal; and
a salt bearing an alkali ion that may be conducted through the separator,
wherein the salt is at least partially soluble in the solvent;
a second electrolyte contacting the second electrode, wherein the second electrolyte at least partially dissolves the salt that forms upon the oxidized material being electrochemically reduced.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery of claim 1, wherein the metal of the first electrode is not an alkali metal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the separator is a solid alkali metal ion conducting material, wherein the alkali metal is Na, K, or Li.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the separator is selected from the group consisting of a glass separator material, an electronically insulating, ceramic separator material, and a layered alkali ion conducting ceramic-polymer composite membrane comprising alkali ion-selective polymers layered on alkali ion conducting ceramic solid electrolyte material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises S or I2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises one of the following:
MnO2;
AgO;
Ag2O;
FeS2;
O2;
NiOOH;
NiCl2;
HgO;
CdO; or
Cu2O.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte are the same.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the metal comprises sodium, lithium, potassium, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, zinc, or beryllium.

### Claim 9

A method of charging a battery having a first electrode comprising a metal A, a second electrode comprising an oxidized material capable of being electrochemically reduced by the metal A, an alkali-ion conductive, substantially non-porous separator disposed between the first and second electrode; a first electrolyte contacting the first electrode comprised of a polar solvent which is non-reactive with metal A and a salt bearing the alkali-ion, wherein the salt is at least partially soluble in the polar solvent, and a second electrolyte contacting the second electrode, the second electrolyte comprising a solvent that at least partially dissolves the alkali salt that forms upon the reduction of the second electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
applying an electric charging potential to the first and second electrodes to cause the following reaction to occur at the first electrode:
if A is a divalent metal: AX2+2Me++2e−→A+2MeX;
if A is a trivalent metal: AX3+3Me++3e−→A+3MeX; and
if A is a monovalent metal: AX+Me++e−→A+MeX,
wherein applying the electric charging potential also causes oxidation at the second electrode resulting in the release of alkali metal ions, Me+, from the solvent and conducting Me+ ions across the alkali ion conducting separator from the second electrode to the first electrode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the separator is a solid alkali metal ion super ion conducting material, wherein the alkali metal is Na, K, or Li

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the metal A comprises aluminum, magnesium, calcium, zinc, beryllium, sodium, lithium or potassium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the metal A is either a divalent or trivalent metal.

### Claim 13

A method of discharging a battery having a first electrode comprising a metal A, a second electrode comprising an oxidized material capable of being electrochemically reduced by the metal A, an alkali-ion conductive, substantially non-porous separator disposed between the first and second electrode; a first electrolyte contacting the first electrode comprised of a polar solvent which is non-reactive with metal A and a salt bearing the alkali-ion, wherein the salt is at least partially soluble in the polar solvent, and a second electrolyte contacting the second electrode, the second electrolyte comprising a solvent that at least partially dissolves the alkali salt that forms upon the reduction of the second electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
generating an electric potential between the first and second electrodes due in part to the following reaction occurring at the first electrode:
A+2MeX→AX2+2Me++2e−, if A is a divalent metal,
A+MeX→AX+Me++e−, if A is a monovalent metal,
A+3MeX→AX3+3Me++3e−, if A is a trivalent metal,
wherein generation of the electric potential also causes reduction at the second electrode resulting in anions which form salts with alkali metal ions, Me+; and conducting Me+ ions across the alkali ion conducting separator from the first electrode to the second electrode.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the metal A comprises aluminum, magnesium, calcium, zinc, beryllium, sodium, lithium or potassium.

### Claim 15

A method of inhibiting dendrite formation in a rechargeable battery comprising:
obtaining a battery having a first electrode comprising metal and a second electrode comprising an oxidized material capable of electrochemical reduction by the metal; and
disposing an alkali-ion conductive, substantially non-porous separator between the first and second electrodes and where a first electrolyte contacting the first electrode comprised of a polar solvent which is non-reactive with the metal and a salt bearing the alkali-ion where the salt is at least partially soluble in the polar solvent, and a second electrolyte contacting the second electrode, the second electrolyte comprising a solvent which at least partially dissolves the alkali salt that forms upon reduction of the second electrode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte are the same.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent used as part of the first electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid.