Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that provide for pyrolysis reactions to be performed at reduced temperatures that convert non-conductive precursor polymers to conductive carbon suitable for use in electrode materials, which may be incorporated into a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the pyrolysis method may include one or more catalysts or reactive reagents.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a reaction barrier between an electrode active material and a current collector. An electrode may comprise an active material, a metal foil, and a polymer. The polymer (such as polyamide-imide (PAI)) may be configured to provide a carbonized barrier between the active material and the metal foil after pyrolysis.

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. 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 configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by utilizing a predetermined particle size distribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansion of the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions, which may range from 1 to 10 ?m. The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface active material, which may be configured by utilizing larger particle size distributions that may range from 5 to 25 ?m. The expansion may be configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for the current collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprise nickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper.

Abstract: Systems and methods for high speed formation of cells for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode may be configured by a charge rate during formation of the battery. The expansion of the anode may be less than 1.5% in lateral dimensions of the anode for higher charge rates during formation with the active material being more than 50% silicon, where the higher charge rate may be 1 C or higher, and perpendicular expansion may be higher for charge rates below 1 C during formation. The expansion of the anode may be lower in lateral dimensions for thicker current collectors, which may be 10 ?m or thicker, and may be lower in lateral dimensions for more rigid materials for the current collector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for continuous lamination of battery electrodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode includes a current collector, a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, the anode comprising a polymeric adhesive layer coated onto the current collector, and an active material coated onto the polymeric adhesive layer such that the polymeric adhesive layer is arranged between the active material and the current collector, wherein the anode is subjected to a heat treatment to induce pyrolysis after application of the polymeric adhesive layer to the current collector and application of the active material to the polymeric adhesive layer, the heat being applied to the anode at a temperature between 500 and 850 degrees C.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating silicon carbon composite powder that have the electrical properties of thicker, active material silicon carbon composite films or carbon composite electrodes, and may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the electrodes may include silicon carbon composite powder.

Abstract: Systems and methods for electrode lamination using overlapped irregular shaped active material may include a battery having a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, with the anode including an active material on a metal current collector. The active material may include a plurality of irregularly shaped pieces bonded to the metal current collector, and may include silicon, carbon, and a pyrolyzed polymer. The active material may include more than 50% silicon by weight. The plurality of irregularly shaped pieces may be roll press laminated to the metal current collector. Gaps may remain between some of the irregularly shaped pieces of active material. The gaps may absorb strain in the active material during lithiation of the anode. The metal current collector may include a copper or nickel foil. Portions of the metal current collector not covered by active material may be protected by an adhesive or inorganic layer.

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 anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by a roughness and/or thickness of the current collector, a metal used for the current collector, and/or a lamination process that adheres the active material to the current collector. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for thicker current collectors. A thicker current collector may be 10 ?m thick or greater. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for more rigid materials used for the current collector. A more rigid current collector may include nickel and a less rigid current collector may include copper. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for a rougher surface current collector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by a thickness of the current collector. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for thicker current collectors. A thicker current collector may be 10 ?m thick or greater. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for more rigid materials used for the current collector. A more rigid current collector may include nickel and a less rigid current collector may include copper. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for a rougher surface current collector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by a metal used for the current collector, and/or a lamination process that adheres the active material to the current collector. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for thicker current collectors. A thicker current collector may be 10 ?m thick or greater. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for more rigid materials used for the current collector. A more rigid current collector may include nickel and a less rigid current collector may include copper. The expansion of the anode may be more anisotropic for a rougher surface current collector.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for high volume roll-to-roll transfer lamination of electrodes for silicon-dominant anode cells.

Abstract: Systems and methods for silicon-dominant lithium-ion cells with controlled utilization of silicon may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode has an active material comprising more than 50% silicon. The battery may be charged by lithiating silicon while not lithiating carbon. The active material may comprise more than 70% silicon. A voltage of the anode during discharge of the battery may remain above a minimum voltage at which silicon can be lithiated. The anode may have a specific capacity of greater than 3000 mAh/g. The battery may have a specific capacity of greater than 1000 mAh/g. The anode may have a greater than 90% initial Coulombic efficiency and may be polymer binder free. The battery may be charged at a 10 C rate or higher. The battery may be charged at temperatures below freezing without lithium plating. The electrolyte may comprise a liquid, solid, or gel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for silicon dominant lithium-ion cells with controlled lithiation of silicon may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode. The anode may include silicon lithiated at a level after discharge that is configured to be above a minimum threshold level, where the minimum threshold lithiation is 3% silicon lithiation. The lithiation level of the silicon after charging the battery may range between 30% and 95% silicon lithiation, between 30% and 75% silicon lithiation, between 30% and 65% silicon lithiation, or between 30% and 50% silicon lithiation. The lithiation level of the silicon after discharging the battery may range between 3% and 50% silicon lithiation, between 3% and 30% silicon lithiation, or between 3% and 10% silicon lithiation. The minimum threshold level may be a lithiation level below which a cycle life of the battery degrades. The electrolyte may include a liquid, solid, or gel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for collocated gasoline pumps and electric vehicle charging stations for ultra-high speed charging may include a fuel station having fuel pumps, electric vehicle supply equipment, and a charge buffer. The charge buffer may receive electric current from an electricity supply grid and supply current to the electric vehicle supply equipment. The electric vehicle supply equipment may charge batteries at a rate greater than 4 C, 5.6 C, or 10 C. The electric vehicle supply equipment may be configured to charge batteries with silicon-dominant anodes including active material of 50% or more silicon. The charge buffer may be located in an underground former fuel tank. The electric vehicle supply equipment may supply greater than 120 kW. The charge buffer may include an array of capacitors and/or an array of batteries. The electric vehicle supply equipment may be configured to apply a voltage to batteries above their battery voltage limit when charging.

Abstract: Disclosed are anodes created using water based adhesive solutions, low temperature methods for laminating anodes comprising water based adhesives, and alkali ion batteries that comprise the anodes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for carbon compositions as conductive additives for silicon dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode active material. The active material may include 0D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in three dimensions, 1D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in two dimensions, and 2D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in one dimension. The carbon particles may be between 1% and 40% of the active material. The anode active material may comprise between 20% to 95% silicon or between 50% to 95% silicon. The 0D conductive carbon particles may have a diameter of 50 nm or less. The 1D conductive carbon particles may comprise nanotubes, nanofibers, and/or vapor grown fibers. The 1D conductive carbon particles may have an aspect ratio of 20 or greater. The 2D conductive carbon particles may have a length in each of two dimensions between 1 and 30 ?m.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improved performance of silicon anode containing cells through formation may include a cathode, electrolyte, and silicon containing anode. The battery may be subjected to a formation process comprising one or more cycles of: charging the battery at a 1 C rate to 3.8 volts or greater until a current in the battery reaches C/20, and discharging the battery to 2.5 volts or less. The battery may comprise a lithium ion battery. The electrolyte may comprise a liquid, solid, or gel. The anode may comprise greater than 70% silicon. The battery may be discharged until the current reaches 0.2 C. The battery may be discharged at a 1 C rate or at a 0.2 C rate. The battery may be in a rest period between the charge and discharge.

Abstract: Systems and methods for an ultra-high voltage cobalt-free cathode for alkali ion batteries may include an anode, a cathode, and a separator, with the cathode comprising an active material ANi(1-x)MnxSbOy, where x is a number between 0.0 and 1.0, y is an integer, and A comprises one or more of lithium, sodium, and potassium. The anode may include one or more of an alkali metal, silicon, and carbon. In one example, x is a value in the range between 0.05 and 0.9 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8 where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 50 milliamp-hours per gram. In another example, x is a value in the range between 0.4 and 0.6 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8, where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 70 milliamp-hours per gram.