Abstract: Provided is a humic acid-based coating suspension comprising humic acid, particles of an anti-corrosive pigment or sacrificial metal, and a binder resin dissolved or dispersed in a liquid medium, wherein the humic acid has a weight fraction from 0.1% to 50% based on the total coating suspension weight excluding the liquid medium. Also provided is an object or structure coated at least in part with such a coating.

Abstract: Provided is a elastic heat spreader film comprising: (a) an elastomer or rubber as a binder material or a matrix material; and (b) multiple graphene sheets that are bonded by the binder material or dispersed in the matrix material, wherein the multiple graphene sheets are substantially aligned to be parallel to one another and wherein the elastomer or rubber is in an amount from 0.001% to 20% by weight based on the total heat spreader film weight; wherein the multiple graphene sheets contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets selected from pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof; and wherein the elastic heat spreader film has a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 100% and an in-plane thermal conductivity from 200 W/mK to 1,750 W/mK.

Abstract: Provided is a graphene-based coating suspension comprising multiple graphene sheets, thin film coating of an anti-corrosive pigment or sacrificial metal deposited on graphene sheets, and a binder resin dissolved or dispersed in a liquid medium, wherein the multiple graphene sheets contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets selected from a pristine graphene material having essentially zero % of non-carbon elements, or a non-pristine graphene material having 0.001% to 47% by weight of non-carbon elements wherein the non-pristine graphene is selected from graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof. The invention also provides a process for producing this coating suspension. Also provided is an object or structure coated at least in part with such a coating.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium cell comprising: (a) a cathode having a cathode active material and a first electrolyte in ionic contact with the cathode active material; (b) an anode having an anode current collector but no anode active material and having no lithium metal when the cell is made; (c) an optional porous separator electronically separating the anode and the cathode; and (d) a second electrolyte, comprising a polymer electrolyte in ionic contact with the first electrolyte, wherein the polymer electrolyte is disposed substantially between the anode and the cathode, between the separator and the cathode, and/or between the separator and the anode. The polymer electrolyte substantially does not permeate into the anode or the cathode. Also provided is a method of preparing or operating such an anode-less lithium cell.

Abstract: Provided is a battery assembly having a distributed cooling and fire protection system, the battery assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of battery cells; (b) a case configured to hold the plurality of battery cells; and (c) a cooling liquid distribution system, having a cooling liquid reservoir and/or pipes that are in proximity to at least a subset of the plurality of the cells and configured to deliver, on demand, a desired amount of the first cooling liquid on a cell or multiple cells in the vicinity of the cell when a temperature of the cell exceeds a threshold temperature; wherein the first cooling liquid comprises a fire protection or fire suppression substance which, on contact with the cell, prevents, retards, or extinguishes a cell fire and prevents a propagation or cell-to-cell cascading reactions of a thermal runaway or fire event.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a thin film graphene-bonded metal foil current collector for a battery or supercapacitor, said process comprising: (a) providing a graphene suspension comprising graphene sheets dispersed in a liquid medium; (b) operating a micro-gravure coater to deposit a layer of the graphene suspension onto at least one of the two primary surfaces of a metal foil to form a wet layer of graphene deposited thereon; and (c) removing said fluid medium from the deposited wet layer to form a dry layer of graphene, having a layer thickness from 1 nm to 100 nm. Optionally, the process may include heat treating the dry layer of graphene at a temperature from 35° C. to 3,000° C.

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising an anode active material layer, an electrolyte, and a cathode active material layer comprising multiple particulates, wherein at least one of the particulates comprises one or a plurality of sulfur-containing material particles being partially or fully embraced or encapsulated by a thin shell layer of a conducting polymer network, having a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?8 S/cm, an electron conductivity from 10?8 to 103 S/cm at room temperature (typically up to 5×10?2 S/cm), and a shell layer thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 ?m. This battery exhibits an excellent combination of high sulfur content, high sulfur utilization efficiency, high energy density, and long cycle life. Also provided are a powder mass containing such multiple particulates, a cathode layer comprising such multiple particulates, and a method of producing the cathode layer and the battery cell.

Abstract: Provided is apparatus for introducing a quasi-solid electrolyte into one or a plurality of lithium battery cells, the apparatus comprising: (a) a cell-holding device to hold one or a plurality of lithium battery cells and is in a working relation to a liquid electrolyte-filling device that injects a liquid electrolyte into the battery cells, wherein the liquid electrolyte comprises a lithium salt dissolved in a first liquid solvent having a first lithium salt concentration from 0.001 M to 3.0 M (mole/L); and (b) a solvent vapor-removing device in a working relation to the cell-holding device, wherein the vapor-removing device comprises a pumping device to move solvent vapors away from the battery cells so that the electrolyte has a final lithium salt concentration higher than the first concentration and higher than 2.0 M. Also provided is a method of operating the apparatus.

Abstract: A bipolar electrode for a lithium battery, the bipolar electrode comprising: (a) a current collector comprising a conductive material foil having two opposing primary surfaces, wherein one or both of the primary surfaces is optionally coated with a layer of graphene or expanded graphite material having a thickness from 5 nm to 50 ?m; and (b) a negative electrode layer and a positive electrode layer respectively disposed on the two primary surfaces, wherein the positive electrode layer comprises a mixture of particles of a cathode active material and a quasi-solid or solid-state electrolyte and the electrolyte comprises a polymer, which is a polymerization or crosslinking product of a reactive additive, wherein the reactive additive comprises (i) a first liquid solvent that is polymerizable, (ii) an initiator or curing agent, and (iii) a lithium salt. Also provided is a bipolar battery comprising a plurality of bipolar electrodes connected in series.

Abstract: Provided is graphene-based protective layer deposited on a surface of a clean facility (e.g., a medical facility), wherein the protective layer comprises graphene sheets coated on the surface or at least partially embedded in the surface, wherein the graphene sheets comprise a plurality of discrete single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets selected from pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof. Preferably, surfaces of graphene sheets carry an anti-microbial compound, preferably in the form of a nanoparticle, nano-wire, or nano-coating.

Abstract: A method of producing a rechargeable lithium battery cell, the method comprising (a) preparing a liquid electrolyte solution comprising an ion-conducting polymer dispersed in a first liquid solvent and an optional lithium salt dissolved in the first liquid solvent; (b) impregnating the electrolyte solution into the cathode, the anode, a porous structure of the separator, or the battery cell; (c) removing the first liquid solvent; and (d) impregnating a second liquid solvent, comprising an optional lithium salt dissolved therein, into the cathode, the anode, the separator porous structure, or the battery cell; wherein the ion-conducting polymer comprises a polymer having an ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 10?2 S/cm when measured at room temperature without the presence of a liquid solvent and the polymer does not occupy more than 25% by weight of the cathode, not counting a current collector weight.

Abstract: A bipolar electrode for a lithium battery, the bipolar electrode comprising: (a) a current collector comprising a conductive material foil having two opposing primary surfaces, wherein one or both of the primary surfaces is optionally coated with a layer of graphene or expanded graphite material; and (b) a negative electrode layer and a positive electrode layer respectively deposited on the two primary surfaces, wherein the positive electrode layer comprises a mixture of particles of a cathode active material and a quasi-solid or solid-state electrolyte and the electrolyte comprises a nitrile and a polymer, which is a polymerization or crosslinking product of a reactive additive comprising (i) a first liquid solvent that is polymerizable, (ii) an initiator or a curing agent, and (iii) a lithium salt. Also provided is a bipolar battery that comprises a plurality of bipolar electrodes connected in series.

Abstract: Provided is a method of improving the cycle-life of a lithium metal secondary battery, the method comprising implementing an anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer (or an anode current collector layer substantially without any lithium when the battery is made) and a porous separator/electrolyte assembly, wherein the anode-protecting layer is in a close physical contact with the anode active material layer (or the anode current collector), has a thickness from 10 nm to 500 ?m and comprises an electrically and ionically conducting network of cross-linked polymer chains having a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5×10?2 S/cm and an electron conductivity from 10?8 to 103 S/cm and wherein the anode active material layer contains a layer of lithium or lithium alloy, in a form of a foil, coating, or multiple particles aggregated together, as an anode active material.

Abstract: Provided is a method of improving fast-chargeability of a lithium secondary battery containing an anode, a cathode, a porous separator disposed between the anode and the cathode, and an electrolyte, wherein the method comprises packing particles of an anode active material to form an anode active material layer having interstitial spaces and disposing a lithium ion reservoir in the interstitial spaces, configured to receive lithium ions from the cathode through the porous separator when the battery is charged and to enable the lithium ions to enter the particles of anode active material in a time-delayed manner.

Abstract: Provided is a composite particulate for use in a lithium battery cathode, the composite particulate comprising one or a plurality of particles of a cathode active material encapsulated by or embedded in an electrically and/or ionically conducting polymer gel network, wherein the cathode active material is selected from the group of lithium nickel cobalt metal oxides having a general formula LixNiyCozMwO2, where M is selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), magnesium (Mg), beryllium (Be), calcium (Ca), tantalum (Ta), silicon (Si), and combinations thereof and x ranges from 0 to 1.2, the sum of y+z+w ranges from 0.8 to 1.2, w ranges from 0 to 0.5, y and z are both greater than zero, and the ratio z/y ranges from 0 to 0.5.

Abstract: A flame-resistant composite separator for use in a lithium battery, wherein the composite separator comprises a porous layer of a first polymer, having pores and a thickness from 50 nm to 200 ?m, and a second polymer permeating into or residing in the pores, wherein: (a) the first polymer comprises a flame-resistant polymer or thermally stable polymer; (b) the second polymer comprises a polymer that is polymerized and/or cured in situ in the pores or is a polymer solidified from a polymer solution inside the pores of the first polymer layer; and (c) the first polymer or the second polymer has a lithium-ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 2×10?2 S/cm at room temperature.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium battery comprising an anode, a cathode, and a quasi-solid or solid-state electrolyte in ionic communication with the anode and the cathode, wherein the electrolyte comprises a polymer comprising chains of a polyester of phosphoric acid and a lithium salt dissolved or dispersed in the polyester of phosphoric acid. The electrolyte may further comprise from 0.1% to 50% by weight of a non-aqueous liquid solvent dispersed in the polyester of phosphoric acid. The polymer may further comprise a flame-retardant and/or particles of an inorganic solid-state electrolyte. Also provided is an electrolyte composition comprising a lithium salt and an initiator and/or a crosslinking agent dissolved or dispersed in a reactive liquid medium comprising a reactive monomer or oligomer that is a precursor to a polyester of phosphoric acid.

Abstract: A rechargeable sodium cell, comprising an anode, a cathode, an elastic polymer separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the elastic polymer separator has a thickness from 10 nm to 200 ?m (preferably less than 50 ?m) and comprises a high-elasticity polymer having a sodium ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm at room temperature and a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 1,000% when measured without any additive dispersed therein. The cell can be a sodium metal cell, sodium-air cell, sodium-ion cell, sodium-sulfur cell, or a sodium-selenium cell.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing isolated graphene sheets directly from a biomass, the method including: (A) providing a biomass in a liquid state, solution state, solid state, or semi-solid state; (B) heat treating the biomass and, concurrently or sequentially, using chemical or mechanical means to form graphene domains dispersed in a disordered matrix of carbon or hydrocarbon molecules, wherein the graphene domains are each composed of from 1 to 30 planes of hexagonal carbon atoms or fused aromatic rings and, in the situations wherein there are 2-30 planes in a graphene domain, having an inter-graphene space between two planes of hexagonal carbon atoms or fused aromatic rings no less than 0.4 nm; and (C) separating and isolating these planes of hexagonal carbon atoms or fused aromatic rings to recover graphene sheets from said disordered matrix.

Abstract: Provided is a method of improving the cycle-life of a lithium metal secondary battery, the method comprising implementing an anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer (or an anode current collector layer substantially without any lithium when the battery is made) and a porous separator/electrolyte assembly, wherein the anode-protecting layer is in a close physical contact with the anode active material layer (or the anode current collector), has a thickness from 10 nm to 500 ?m and comprises an elastic polymer foam having a fully recoverable compressive elastic strain from 2% to 500% and interconnected pores and wherein the anode active material layer contains a layer of lithium or lithium alloy, in a form of a foil, coating, or multiple particles aggregated together, as an anode active material.