Abstract: A method of making a calendered electrode for a battery cell comprises introducing a coated electrode having a first surface extending thereover. The coated electrode has a predetermined density of active materials for ion transport. The method further comprises selectively modifying the coated electrode by patterning the first surface to define a patterned electrode having a first portion and a second portion. After the step of selectively modifying, the method further comprises compressing the patterned electrode by calendering the first surface to provide the first portion having a first density of active materials and the second portion having a second density of active materials. The second density is greater than the first density to define the calendered electrode having a spatial variation of active material density.

Abstract: The concepts described herein provide a hybrid metal/polymer current collector for a battery cell electrode that includes a collector body joined to a tab portion and encased in an electrically conductive overlay, and an associated method of manufacture. The tab portion is fabricated from a homogeneous electrically conductive material, the collector body is fabricated from a polymer, and the collector body is joined to the tab portion at a junction.

Abstract: A battery electrode includes an electrically conductive sheet and two or more coating layers of an ion transport medium stacked thereon. Each coating layer has a respective two-dimensional array of low porosity regions formed therein, with a remainder of each coating layer that is not the two-dimensional array of low porosity regions defining a respective network of interconnected high porosity regions. Each of the high porosity regions has a feature size D, and an intralayer pitch P is defined between adjacent ones of the high porosity regions of each coating layer, with each pair of adjacent two-dimensional arrays having a respective alignment error E therebetween. A respective first electrically conductive path is formed thereacross via the networks of high porosity regions when D?E?P, with a second electrically conductive path being formed across all of the coating layers via the networks of high porosity regions.

Abstract: Presented are lithium-metal electrodes for electrochemical devices, systems and methods for manufacturing lithium-metal foils, and vehicle battery packs containing battery cells with lithium-metal anodes. A method of melt spinning lithium-metal foils includes melting lithium (Li) metal stock in an actively heated vessel to form molten Li metal. Using pressurized gas, the molten Li metal is ejected through a slotted nozzle at the base of the vessel. The ejected molten Li metal is directly impinged onto an actively cooled and spinning quench wheel or a carrier sheet that is fed across a support roller underneath the vessel. The molten Li metal is cooled and solidified on the spinning wheel/carrier sheet to form a Li-metal foil. The carrier sheet may be a polymeric carrier film or a copper current collector foil. An optional protective film may be applied onto an exposed surface of the Li-metal foil opposite the carrier sheet.

Abstract: A battery electrode includes an electrically conductive sheet and two or more coating layers of an ion transport medium stacked thereon. Each coating layer has a respective two-dimensional array of low porosity regions formed therein, with a remainder of each coating layer that is not the two-dimensional array of low porosity regions defining a respective network of interconnected high porosity regions. Each of the high porosity regions has a feature size D, and an intralayer pitch P is defined between adjacent ones of the high porosity regions of each coating layer, with each pair of adjacent two-dimensional arrays having a respective alignment error E therebetween. A respective first electrically conductive path is formed thereacross via the networks of high porosity regions when D?E?P, with a second electrically conductive path being formed across all of the coating layers via the networks of high porosity regions.

Abstract: A method of making a calendered electrode for a battery cell comprises introducing a coated electrode having a first surface extending thereover. The coated electrode has a predetermined density of active materials for ion transport. The method further comprises selectively modifying the coated electrode by patterning the first surface to define a patterned electrode having a first portion and a second portion. After the step of selectively modifying, the method further comprises compressing the patterned electrode by calendering the first surface to provide the first portion having a first density of active materials and the second portion having a second density of active materials. The second density is greater than the first density to define the calendered electrode having a spatial variation of active material density.