Methods of Manufacturing Lithium Metal for Batteries
AssigneeChemelectronics LLC
InventorsMichelle B. Li, Michael Li, Lili Zhou
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Abstract
Methods are disclosed for the sustainable and scalable production of lithium metal. In one method, lithium salts such as lithium chloride are reduced using low-temperature hydrogen plasma to form lithium metal and lithium hydride. In another method, lithium hydride is thermally decomposed under vacuum or subjected to self-discharging in an Al/LiH/Pd circuit to yield lithium metal. The processes reduce harmful emissions, operate at lower temperatures than molten salt electrolysis, and produce high-purity lithium metal suitable for use in lithium-ion batteries.
Claims5
A method for producing lithium metal, comprising:
- a) providing a lithium salt selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, lithium hydroxide, and lithium carbonate;
- b) subjecting the lithium salt to low-temperature hydrogen plasma at a hydrogen flow rate between 10-30 sccm and a power between 10-30% for a period of 0.5-6 hours, thereby producing lithium hydride and lithium metal;
- and
- c) isolating the lithium metal under inert or vacuum conditions.
A method for producing lithium metal from lithium hydride, comprising:
- a) placing lithium hydride between a palladium anode and an aluminum cathode;
- b) heating the assembly under vacuum to a temperature between 70-100° C.;
- c) applying a potential difference between 5-50 volts across the electrodes;
- and
- d) recovering lithium metal formed at the cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.