Abstract: Subassemblies for use in an electrochemical device are provided, as are processes for preparing the subassemblies and electrochemical cells incorporating the subassemblies. In some embodiments, the subassemblies include (a) a first electrode and (b) a separator or a first current collector or both. The first electrode is bonded to the separator or the first current collector or both. In some embodiments, the subassemblies further include a second electrode and a second current collector. In some embodiments, the electrodes or separators are sintered. Bipolar cells are also provided, including a plurality of stacked electrochemical cells that are joined in series. The positive electrode and the negative electrode of each stack include a sintered electrode.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wound electromechanical storage device assembly including a negative electrode sheet, a plurality of negative electrode tabs which are integral to and extend from the negative electrode sheet, a positive electrode sheet, a plurality of positive electrode tabs which are integral to and extend from the positive electrode sheet, and a separator sheet disposed between the negative and positive electrode sheets, wherein the negative electrode sheet, positive electrode sheet, and separator sheet are wound around a common axis to form a plurality of windings, and wherein each winding includes one negative electrode tab and one positive electrode tab.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are lithium or lithium-ion batteries that employ an aluminum or aluminum alloy current collector protected by conductive coating in combination with electrolyte containing aluminum corrosion inhibitor and a fluorinated lithium imide or methide electrolyte which exhibit surprisingly long cycle life at high temperature.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of processing electrode active material structures for use in electrochemical cells or, more specifically, methods of forming surface layers on these structures. The structures are combined with a liquid to form a mixture. The mixture includes a surface reagent that chemically reacts and forms a surface layer covalently bound to the structures. The surface reagent may be a part of the initial liquid or added to the mixture after the liquid is combined with the structures. In some embodiments, the mixture may be processed to form a powder containing the structures with the surface layer thereon. Alternatively, the mixture may be deposited onto a current collecting substrate and dried to form an electrode layer. Furthermore, the liquid may be an electrolyte containing the surface reagent and a salt. The liquid soaks the previously arranged electrodes in order to contact the structures with the surface reagent.

Abstract: A material suitable for use in an electrode, preferably an anode, and processes of its formation are provided. The material includes an electrode base material and an organic artificial solid electrolyte interface material including a water soluble organic polymer coating the electrode base material. The polymer is polymerized with a crosslinker to form the organic artificial solid electrolyte interface material. The resulting artificial SEI coated electrode material demonstrates superior discharge rate capacity and cycle stability.

Abstract: Provided are electrochemical cells and electrolytes used to build such cells. The electrolytes include imide salts and/or methide salts as well as fluorinated solvents capable of maintaining single phase solutions at between about ?30° C. to about 80° C. The fluorinated solvents, such as fluorinated carbonates, fluorinated esters, and fluorinated esters, are less flammable than their non-fluorinated counterparts and improve safety characteristics of cells containing these solvents. The amount of fluorinated solvents in electrolytes may be between about 30% and 80% by weight not accounting weight of the salts. Linear and cyclic imide salts, such as LiN(SO2CF2CF3)2, and LiN(SO2CF3)2, as well as methide salts, such as LiC(SO2CF3)3 and LiC(SO2CF2CF3)3, may be used in these electrolytes. Fluorinated alkyl groups enhance solubility of these salts in the fluorinated solvents. In some embodiments, the electrolyte may also include a flame retardant, such as a phosphazene, and/or one or more ionic liquids.

Abstract: Provided are electrochemical cells and electrolytes used to build such cells. An electrolyte includes at least one salt having a molecular weight less than about 250. Such salts allow forming electrolytes with higher salt concentrations and ensure high conductivity and ion transport in these electrolytes. The low molecular weight salt may have a concentration of at least about 0.5M and may be combined with one or more other salts, such as linear and cyclic imide salts and/or methide salts. The concentration of these additional salts may be less than that of the low molecular weight salt, in some embodiments, twice less. The additional salts may have a molecular weight greater than about 250. The electrolyte may also include one or more fluorinated solvents and may be capable of maintaining single phase solutions at between about ?30° C. to about 80° C.

Abstract: Improved positive electrode material and methods for making the same are described. Lithium-iron-manganese phosphate materials, doped with one or more dopant Co, Ni, V, and Nb, and methods for making the same are described. The improved positive electrode material of the present invention is capable of exhibiting improved energy density and/or specific capacity for use in wide range of applications. In certain embodiments, energy density of greater than 340 mWh/g is possible.

Abstract: High-purity crystalline ferric phosphate material with desirable characteristics for use in synthesis of nano-sized LFP cathode material are described. The ferric phosphate dihydrate material has as disclosed herein has a molar ratio of phosphorous to iron is from about 1.001 to about 1.05, a surface area of from about 25 m2/g to about 65 m2/g, and is substantially free of metallic or magnetic impurities. Methods of synthesizing high-purity crystalline ferric phosphate material with desirable characteristics for use in synthesis of nano-sized LFP cathode material are also described. In some embodiments, one or more magnetic traps are used during the reaction process and/or after the formation of the final product to remove magnetic impurities. In some embodiments, a synthetic method of ferric phosphate using multiple steps is described, wherein the intermediate of the synthesis is isolated and purified to improve the purity of the ferric phosphate material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing voltage threshold detection circuitry of individual battery cells within a battery pack supplying power to a vehicle are disclosed. One example system comprises, a plurality of battery cells within a battery pack, a plurality of voltage threshold detecting circuits detecting voltage of the plurality of battery cells, a voltage of a first battery cell of the plurality of battery cells coupled to a first voltage threshold detecting circuit of the plurality of voltage threshold detecting circuits, and a network that selectively couples a second battery cell to the first voltage detecting circuit while the first battery cell is coupled to the first voltage detecting circuit.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing operation of analog digital converters (ADCs) of a battery pack supplying power to a vehicle are disclosed. One example system comprises, a first ADC for determining a voltage of at least one battery cell; a second ADC for determining a voltage of a plurality of battery cells; and a controller performing an action in response to comparing an output of said first ADC to an output of said second ADC.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to anode materials having high surface areas and improved cycle performance made by surface treatments of spheroidized graphite powders. The surface treatments provide a high surface area protective coating over the spheroidized graphite powder. The anodes made according to the disclosed embodiments have improved cycle life and long term high temperature storage performance. In the disclosed embodiments, a spheroidized graphite powder is coated with a high surface area protective coating. The high surface area protective coating improves the performance and durability of an anode made from disclosed material. The high surface area protective coating can include polymers, metal compounds and/or hard carbon. Further, in some embodiments, a protective coating, that may or may not have a high surface area but does have increased durability, can be formed by heat treating the spheroidized graphite in oxidizing or inert atmospheres.

Abstract: Provided are electrochemical cells and electrolytes used to build such cells. The electrolytes include ion-supplying salts and fluorinated solvents capable of maintaining single phase solutions with the salts at between about ?30° C. to about 80° C. The fluorinated solvents, such as fluorinated carbonates, fluorinated esters, and fluorinated esters, are less flammable than their non-fluorinated counterparts and increase safety characteristics of cells containing these solvents. The amount of fluorinated solvents in electrolytes may be between about 30% and 80% by weight not accounting weight of the salts. Fluorinated salts, such as fluoroalkyl-substituted LiPF6, fluoroalkyl-substituted LiBF4 salts, linear and cyclic imide salts as well as methide salts including fluorinated alkyl groups, may be used due to their solubility in the fluorinated solvents.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for processing electrochemically active materials and resulting active material structures for use in rechargeable batteries. The resulting active materials structures include carbon containing coatings that partially or completely cover the surface of the active material structures. In a typical embodiment, the method includes providing a solution of carbon containing precursor in a solvent, dispersing electrochemically active material in the solution to form a mixture, removing the solvent from the mixture to form electrochemically active material coated with the carbon containing precursor, and heating the electrochemically active material coated with the carbon containing precursor in an inert atmosphere at a temperature sufficient to at least partially convert the carbon containing precursor into a carbon coating.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling the output of a battery pack are disclosed. In one example, a battery pack contactor is opened in response to battery pack current. The system and method may reduce battery pack degradation and increase system flexibility.

Abstract: A battery system comprises a battery cell having a cell body and a voltage terminal extending out of the cell body and having first and second terminal edges; a busbar to which an upper end of the voltage terminal is electrically connected; and a zipper fuse formed in a portion of the terminal between the cell body and the busbar, wherein the zipper fuse comprises an array of perforations through the voltage terminal and extending across the voltage terminal from the first edge to the second edge.

Abstract: Provided are electrochemical cells and electrolytes used to build such cells. An electrolyte may include a fluoroalkyl-substituted LiPF6 salt or a fluoroalkyl-substituted LiBF4 salt. In some embodiments, at least one fluorinated alkyl of the salt has a chain length of from 1 to 8 or, more specifically, between about 2 and 8. These fluorinated alkyl groups, in particular, relatively large fluorinated alkyl groups improve solubility of these salts in fluorinated solvents that are less flammable than, for example, conventional carbonate solvents. At the same time, the size of fluoroalkyl-substituted salts should be limited to ensure adequate concentration of the salt in an electrolyte and low viscosity of the electrolyte. In some embodiments, the concentration of a fluoroalkyl-substituted salt is at least about 0.5M.

Abstract: A battery system comprises a plurality of battery subunits arranged in a stack, wherein each battery subunit among the plurality of battery subunits comprises a first battery cell, a heatsink, a second battery cell, and a compliant pad in that order with the heatsink between and in thermal contact with the first and second battery cells and with the compliant pad abutting the second battery cell.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for processing electrochemically active materials for use in rechargeable batteries. The methods may also be practiced on electrodes and batteries containing such electrochemically active materials. In a typical embodiment, a method of chemically modifying the surface of an electrochemically active component of a battery is provided, the method including receiving the electrochemically active material and exposing the electrochemically active material to a gaseous reactant under conditions that chemically modify surfaces of the electrochemically active material that are accessible to the gaseous reactant, and thereby produce a modified electrochemically active material having improved properties for use in the battery.

Abstract: A battery housing is comprised of a unitary, seamless base member having a generally planar, quadrilateral bottom face with a side wall extending therefrom. The length dimension of the bottom face is at least twice the height of the side wall. The base member has an open top face. The housing includes a cover which closes the open top face and is engageable with the side wall of the base. An electrically resistive sealing gasket is configured to contact the cover member and the side wall so as to provide a fluid-tight seal. The components are mechanically interlocked by crimping or hemming. The housing is specifically configured to accommodate stacking of individual batteries into power assemblies, and the geometry of the housing optimizes thermal management. Further disclosed are batteries and battery assemblies including the housing.