US 2019/0319264 A1 · Process for Alkali Metal-Selenium Secondary Battery Containing a Cathode of Encapsulated Selenium Particles

Abstract

Provided is a method of manufacturing an alkali metal-selenium cell, comprising: (a) providing a cathode; (b) providing an alkali metal anode; and (c) combining the anode and the cathode and adding an electrolyte in ionic contact with the anode and the cathode to form the cell; wherein the cathode contains multiple particulates of a selenium-containing material selected from selenium, a selenium-carbon hybrid, selenium-graphite hybrid, selenium-graphene hybrid, conducting polymer-selenium hybrid, a metal selenide, a Se alloy or mixture with Sn, Sb, Bi, S, or Te, a selenium compound, or a combination thereof and wherein at least one of the particulates comprises one or a plurality of selenium-containing material particles being embraced or encapsulated by a thin layer of an elastomer having a recoverable tensile strain from 5% to 1000%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10−7 S/cm, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 μm.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a rechargeable alkali metal-selenium cell, said method comprising:

(a) providing a cathode and an optional cathode current collector to support said cathode;
(b) providing an alkali metal anode and an optional anode current collector to support said anode;
and
(c) combining the anode and the cathode and adding an electrolyte in contact with the anode and the cathode to form said alkali metal-selenium cell;
wherein said cathode contains multiple particulates of a selenium-containing material selected from selenium, a selenium-carbon hybrid, selenium-graphite hybrid, selenium-graphene hybrid, conducting polymer-selenium hybrid, a metal selenide, a Se alloy or mixture with Sn, Sb, Bi, S, or Te, a selenium compound, or a combination thereof and wherein at least one of said particulates comprises one or a plurality of said selenium-containing material particles being embraced or encapsulated by a thin layer of an elastomer having a recoverable tensile strain from 5% to 1000% when measured without an additive or reinforcement being present in said polymer, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10−7 S/cm at room temperature, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 μm.

2 more elements

A method of manufacturing a powder mass for a lithium-selenium battery cathode, said method comprising (a) dispersing particles of a selenium-containing material in an elastomer solution to form a slurry, wherein said selenium-containing material is selected from a selenium-carbon hybrid, selenium-graphite hybrid, selenium-graphene hybrid, conducting polymer-selenium hybrid, metal selenide, a Se alloy or mixture with Sn, Sb, Bi, S, or Te, a selenium compound, or a combination thereof;

and (b) dispensing and forming said slurry into said powder mass comprising multiple particulates of said selenium-containing material wherein at least one of said particulates comprises one or a plurality of selenium-containing material particles being embraced or encapsulated by a thin layer of an elastomer having a recoverable tensile strain no less than 5% when measured without an additive or reinforcement, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10−7 S/cm at room temperature, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 μm.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process for Alkali Metal-Selenium Secondary Battery Containing a Cathode of Encapsulated Selenium Particles

Life of this patent

Process for Alkali Metal-Selenium Secondary Battery Containing a Cathode of Encapsulated Selenium Particles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20