Abstract: Systems and methods for batteries comprising a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, wherein the anode is a Si-dominant anode that utilizes water-soluble maleic anhydride- and/or maleic acid-containing polymers/co-polymers, derivatives, and/or combinations (with or without additives) as binders.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for high volume roll-to-roll direct coating of electrodes for silicon-dominant anode cells and may include applying a slurry to a current collector film, the slurry comprising silicon particles and a binder material; drying the slurry to form a precursor composite film; rolling the current collector film into a precursor composite roll; and applying a heat treatment to the precursor composite film and the current collector film in a nitrogen gas environment, wherein the heat treatment is configured for converting the precursor composite film to a pyrolyzed composite film. The heat treatment may include one or both of: applying the heat treatment to a roll comprising the precursor composite roll in whole; and applying the heat treatment to the current collector film as it is continuously fed from the precursor composite roll.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for producing an electrode comprising a current collector and an active material. The active material is tape cast and laminated to the current collector. This electrode may be used as the anode and/or cathode of a lithium-ion battery. The tape casting may be performed by coating a device with a slurry and allowing the slurry to dry. The device may be, for example, a stainless steel drum or a belt having a low adhesion. The slurry may be pealed from the device as a laminate layer. One or more laminate layers may be adhered to the current collector that is subsequently pyrolyzed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for water soluble weak acidic resins as carbon precursors for silicon-dominant anodes may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and pyrolyzed water-soluble acidic polyamide imide as a primary resin carbon precursor. The electrode coating layer may include a pyrolyzed water-based acidic polymer solution additive. The polymer solution additive may include one or more of: polyacrylic acid (PAA) solution, poly (maleic acid, methyl methacrylate/methacrylic acid, butadiene/maleic acid) solutions, and water soluble polyacrylic acid. The electrode coating layer may include conductive additives. The current collector may include a metal foil, where the metal current collector includes one or more of a copper, tungsten, stainless steel, and nickel foil in electrical contact with the electrode coating layer. The electrode coating layer may be more than 70% silicon.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multiple carbon precursors for enhanced battery electrode robustness may include an electrode having an active material, the active material including two or more carbon precursor materials, wherein the carbon precursor materials have different pyrolysis temperatures. A battery may include the electrode. The carbon precursor materials may include polyimide (PI) and polyamide-imide (PAI). The active material may be pyrolyzed at a temperature such that a first carbon precursor material is partially pyrolyzed and a second carbon precursor material is completely pyrolyzed. The carbon precursor materials may include two or more of PI, PAI, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and sodium alginate. The active material may include silicon constituting at least 50% of weight of a formed anode after pyrolysis. The active material may include silicon constituting up to 97% of weight of a formed electrode after pyrolysis.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for synthesizing solid-state polymer electrolyte and/or using solid-state polymer electrolyte in production of all-solid-state alkali-ion batteries.

Abstract: Systems and methods for carbon compositions as conductive additives for dense and conductive cathodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and a cathode active material. The active material may comprise an anode, an electrolyte, and a cathode comprising an active material. The active material may comprise 0D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in three dimensions, and 1D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in two dimensions, where the 1D carbon particles have a diameter of less than 120 nm and a surface area of 30 m2/g. The 0D and 1D particles may comprise between 1% and 10% of the active material. The 1D conductive carbon particles may comprise carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, and/or vapor grown carbon fibers. The cathode active material may comprise nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA), nickel cobalt manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium iron phosphate, lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, or mixtures and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that provide for a silicon-carbon composite material that includes nanoparticulate (e.g., nanocrystalline) silicon derived from a reaction between a zintl salt and metal halide. The nanoparticulate silicon-carbon composite material can be used to provide electrode materials (e.g., anode) and cells.

Abstract: Systems and methods for silosilazanes, silosiloxanes, and siloxanes as additives for silicon-dominant anodes in a battery that may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode active material. The active material may comprise 50% or more silicon as well as an additive including one or more of: silosilazane, silicon oxycarbides, and polyorganosiloxane. The silosilazane may comprise one or more amine groups, silanols, silyl ethers, sylil chlorides, dialkylamoinosilanes, silyl hydrides, and cyclic azasilanes. The active material may comprise a film with a thickness between 10 and 80 microns. The film may have a conductivity of 1 S/cm or more. The active material may comprise between 50% and 95% silicon. The active material may be held together by a pyrolyzed carbon film. The anode may comprise lithium, sodium, potassium, silicon, and/or mixtures and combinations thereof. The battery may comprise a lithium ion battery. The electrolyte may comprise a liquid, solid, or gel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for water based phenolic binders for silicon-dominant anodes may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and a pyrolyzed water-based phenolic binder. The water-based phenolic binder may include phenolic/resol type polymers crosslinked with poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride), poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid), and/or Poly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADAM). The electrode coating layer may further include conductive additives. The current collector may comprise one or more of a copper, tungsten, stainless steel, and nickel foil in electrical contact with the electrode coating layer. The electrode coating layer may include more than 70% silicon. The electrode may be in electrical and physical contact with an electrolyte, where the electrolyte includes a liquid, solid, or gel. The battery electrode may be in a lithium ion battery.

Abstract: Systems and methods for silosilazanes, silosiloxanes, and siloxanes as additives for silicon-dominant anodes in a battery that may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode active material. The active material may comprise 50% or more silicon as well as an additive including one or more of: silosilazane, silicon oxycarbides, and polyorganosiloxane. The silosilazane may comprise one or more amine groups, silanols, silyl ethers, sylil chlorides, dialkylamoinosilanes, silyl hydrides, and cyclic azasilanes. The active material may comprise a film with a thickness between 10 and 80 microns. The film may have a conductivity of 1 S/cm or more. The active material may comprise between 50% and 95% silicon. The active material may be held together by a pyrolyzed carbon film. The anode may comprise lithium, sodium, potassium, silicon, and/or mixtures and combinations thereof. The battery may comprise a lithium ion battery. The electrolyte may comprise a liquid, solid, or gel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sulfur-containing chemicals as cathode additives for silicon-based lithium ion batteries may include a silicon-based anode, an electrolyte, and a cathode. The cathode may include an active material and a sulfur-containing additive. The cathode active material may include one or more of nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA), nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NCM), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), and lithium manganese oxide (LMO). The sulfur-containing additive may include elemental sulfur and/or Li2S. The sulfur-containing additive may include one or more of lithium polysulfides (Li2Sn, where n=2-8), polysulfides, and organic polysulfides. The sulfur-containing additive may include one or more of metal sulfides, transition metal polysulfide complexes, S-containing organic polymers or copolymer, polymeric sulfur, and transition metal sulfides.

Abstract: Systems and methods for batteries comprising a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, wherein functional aliphatic and/or aromatic amine compounds or derivatives are used as electrolyte additives to reduce gas generation in Li-ion batteries.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use of perforated anodes in silicon-dominant anode cells may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the cathode and anode each comprise an active material on a current collector. One or both of the current collector and active material may be perforated. For example, the current collector may be perforated and/or both the current collector and active material may be perforated. The battery may comprise a stack of anodes and cathodes. Each cathode of the stack may be perforated and/or each anode of the stack may be perforated. Each cathode of the stack may comprise two layers of active material on each side of the cathode where a first of the two layers of active material may be for prelithiation of anodes of the battery. A second of the two layers may be for lithium cycling of the battery.

Abstract: Systems and methods for thermal gradient during electrode pyrolysis may include fabricating the battery electrode by pyrolyzing an active material on a metal current collector, wherein the active material comprises silicon particles in a binder material, the binder material being pyrolyzed such that a resistance at an inner surface of the active material in contact with the current collector is at least 50% higher than a resistance at an outer surface of the active material. The active material may be pyrolyzed by electromagnetic radiation, which may be provided by one or more lasers, which may include one or more CO2 lasers. The electromagnetic radiation may be provided by one or more infrared lamps. An outer edge of the current collector may be gripped using a thermal transfer block that removes heat from the current collector during pyrolysis of the active material and subsequent cool down.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for control of thermal transfer during electrode pyrolysis based processing. A thermal rod may be used for processing battery electrodes, with the thermal rod being configured for engaging an electrode roll. At least a portion of the thermal rod is disposed within the electrode roll once it is engaged with the electrode roll, and the thermal rod is configured for providing thermal transfer into the electrode roll during processing of the electrode roll, with the processing including pyrolysis processing of the electrode roll.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use of silicon with impurities in silicon-dominant anode cells may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode including an active material, where the anode active material includes silicon, and where an impurity level of the silicon may be more than 400 ppm. The impurity level of the silicon is more than 600 ppm. The impurity level may be for elements with an atomic number between 2 and 42. The silicon may have a purity of 99.90% or less. A resistance of the silicon when pressed into a 4 mm thick and 15 mm diameter pellet may be 25 k? or less. The active material may include silicon, carbon, and a pyrolyzed polymer on a metal current collector. The metal current collector may include a copper or nickel foil in electrical contact with the active material. The active material may include more than 50% silicon.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for control of furnace atmosphere for improving capacity retention of silicon-dominant anode cells. Furnace atmosphere may be controlled during processing of a silicon-dominated electrode in a furnace, with the processing including pyrolysis of the silicon-dominated electrode, and the controlling including setting or adjusting one or more of pressure of the furnace atmosphere, and composition of the furnace atmosphere. The controlling of the furnace atmosphere may be configured based on at least one environment condition. The at least one environment condition may be an oxygen-free environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for heat treatment of whole cell structures. A battery may be formed based on applying of heat treatment to a whole cell composition that includes, at least, both anode material and cathode material, such that the anode material and the cathode material are heat treated at the same time. The heat treatment may include pyrolysis. The whole cell composition, and the corresponding cell formed based thereon, may include solid state electrolyte.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for using inorganic coatings in silicon-dominant cells.