# US 2026/0094841 A1 · Carbon-rich structures for suppression of thermal runaway, and electrodes and electrochemical cells containing the same

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- Number: US 2026/0094841 A1
- Document ID: US20260094841A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/345,692
- Filed: 2025-09-30
- Published: 2026-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2024-09-30
- Assignees: Solid Power Operating, Inc.
- Applicants: Solid Power Operating, Inc.
- Inventors: Forrest LASKOWSKI; Rose E. RUTHER; Stephanie YOUNG; Derek JOHNSON; Saalik RAUF
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260094841A1

## CPC

- H01M 4/628: {Inhibitors, e.g. gassing inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors}
- H01M 4/0404: {by coating on electrode collectors}
- H01M 4/131: Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
- H01M 4/1391: of electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
- H01M 4/366: {as layered products}
- H01M 4/621: {Binders}
- H01M 4/625: {Carbon or graphite}
- H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- 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

## Abstract

Sacrificial carbon structures for inhibiting thermal runaway in an electrochemical cell, and electrodes and electrochemical cells including the same. Structures having increased carbon content may be incorporated into the electrodes such that the carbon is positioned to react with released oxygen, to mitigate thermal runaway. These structures may take the form of a sacrificial carbon layer, a plurality of sacrificial carbon layers, and/or a multilayer active material layer having a sacrificial carbon base layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrode for an electrochemical device, comprising:
a current collector;
an active material layer comprising an active material, a first binder, and a conductive material; and
a sacrificial carbon layer consisting of a carbon-based material and a second binder, the sacrificial carbon layer interposed between the current collector and the electrode active material layer,
wherein the sacrificial carbon layer has a thickness of at least 10 μm,
wherein the active material layer has a carbon content of no more than 7 wt %, and
wherein a carbon content of the sacrificial carbon layer is greater than the carbon content of the active material layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based material is one or more selected from the group consisting of carbon black, graphite, a carbon fiber, amorphous carbon, graphene, and a carbon nanotube.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrode of claim 2, wherein the carbon material is carbon black.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein the first binder and the second binder are the same.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein the second binder is polyacrylic acid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the sacrificial carbon layer is at least 15 μm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the sacrificial carbon layer is no more than 30 μm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electrode of claim 7, wherein the thickness of the sacrificial carbon layer is no more than 20 μm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein a loading amount of the sacrificial carbon layer is within a range 1 mg to 5 mg, per cm2 of the current collector.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electrode of claim 9, wherein the loading amount of the sacrificial carbon layer is within a range of 2 mg to 4 mg, per cm2 of the current collector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The electrode of claim 9, wherein the loading amount of the sacrificial carbon layer is within the range 2 mg to 3 mg, per cm2 of the current collector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein a molar ratio of carbon to oxygen in the oxide active material is within a range of 1:3 to 2:1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The electrode of claim 12, wherein the molar ratio of the carbon to the oxygen in the oxide active material is within a range of 1:2 to 1:1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The electrode of claim 1, wherein the electrode is a cathode.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The electrode of claim 14, wherein the active material is a NMC-type active material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical cell comprising:
the electrode of claim 1,
a separator, and
a second electrode.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A method of manufacturing the electrode of claim 1, comprising:
providing the current collector;
forming the sacrificial carbon layer;
forming a slurry comprising the active material, the first binder, the conductive material, and a solvent;
casting the slurry on the sacrificial carbon layer to form a slurry-coated layer;
drying the slurry to form a dried slurry-coated layer; and
densifying the dried slurry-coated layer to form the active material layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A method of manufacturing the electrode of claim 17, wherein the forming the sacrificial carbon layer comprises at least one of atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, electrodeposition, slurry coating, spraying, or dry processing.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

A method of manufacturing the electrode of claim 17, further comprising forming the sacrificial carbon layer directly on a surface of the current collector.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

A method of manufacturing the electrode of claim 17, further comprising coating a primer layer onto the current collector and subsequently forming the sacrificial carbon layer on the primer layer.