Abstract: Provided is a battery cooling and fire protection system, comprising: (A) a plurality of battery cells, wherein at least a cell comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, a protective housing that at least partially encloses the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte, and at least one heat spreader element disposed partially or entirely inside the protective housing; and (B) a case configured to hold the plurality of battery cells and a cooling liquid, wherein the battery cells are partially or fully submerged in the cooling liquid, which is configured to be in thermal communication with the heat spreader element and is configured to transport heat generated by the battery cells through the heat spreader element to the cooling liquid and wherein the cooling liquid comprises a fire protection or fire suppression substance.

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: A surface-enabled, metal ion-exchanging battery device comprising a cathode, an anode, a porous separator, and a metal ion-containing electrolyte, wherein the metal ion is selected from (A) non-Li alkali metals; (B) alkaline-earth metals; (C) transition metals; (D) other metals such as aluminum (Al); or (E) a combination thereof; and wherein at least one of the electrodes contains therein a metal ion source prior to the first charge or discharge cycle of the device and at least the cathode comprises a functional material or nanostructured material having a metal ion-capturing functional group or metal ion-storing surface in direct contact with said electrolyte, and wherein the operation of the battery device does not involve the introduction of oxygen from outside the device and does not involve the formation of a metal oxide, metal sulfide, metal selenide, metal telluride, metal hydroxide, or metal-halogen compound.

Abstract: Provided is an anode particulate or a solid mass of particulates for a lithium battery, the particulate comprising a graphite matrix and a single or a plurality of carbon foam-protected primary particles of an anode active material embedded or dispersed in said graphite matrix, wherein the primary particles of anode active material contain at least one porous particle having a surface pore, internal pore, or both surface and internal pores, having a pore volume of Vpp and a solid volume Va, the carbon foam contains pores having a pore volume Vp, and the volume ratio Vp/Va is from 0.1/1.0 to 5.0/1.0 or a total pore-to-solid volume ratio (Vp+Vpp)/Va is from 0.3/1.0 to 10/1.0 and wherein the carbon foam is physically or chemically connected to the graphite matrix and the primary anode particles. The carbon foam is preferably reinforced with a high-strength material.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a polymer composite film, comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a phthalocyanine compound with a polymer or its precursor and a liquid to form a slurry and forming the slurry into a wet film on a solid substrate, wherein the polymer is preferably selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide, polyoxadiazole, polybenzoxazole, polybenzobisoxazole, polythiazole, polybenzothiazole, polybenzobisthiazole, poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polybenzimidazole, polybenzobisimidazole, and combinations thereof; and (b) removing the liquid from the wet film and, in some embodiments, converting the precursor to the polymer to form the polymer composite film comprising from 0.1% to 50% by weight of the phthalocyanine compound dispersed in the polymer.

Abstract: Provided is a composite layer of expanded graphite flakes and anode particles being dispersed in a conducting polymer network for a lithium battery anode (negative electrode), the layer comprising a mixture of a conducting polymer network, multiple expanded graphite flakes, and multiple particles of an anode active material, wherein the anode particles have a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 ?m and occupy from 30% to 98% by weight, the expanded graphite flakes occupy from 0.01% to 25% by weight, and the conducting polymer network occupies from 1% to 30% by weight based on the total mixture weight and wherein the expanded graphite flakes and the conducting polymer network together form dual conducting pathways for both electrons and lithium ions having an electron conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 103 S/cm and lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5.0×10?3 S/cm when measured at room temperature.

Abstract: Provided is a laminated graphitic layer as an elastic heat spreader, the layer comprising: (A) a plurality of graphitic or graphene films prepared from (i) graphitization of a polymer film or pitch film, (ii) aggregation or bonding of graphene sheets, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii), wherein the graphitic or graphene film has a thermal conductivity of at least 200 W/mK, an electrical conductivity no less than 3,000 S/cm, and a physical density from 1.5 to 2.25 g/cm3; and (B) a conducting polymer network adhesive that bonds together the graphitic or graphene films to form the laminated graphitic layer; wherein the conductive polymer network adhesive is in an amount from 0.001% to 30% by weight and wherein the laminated graphitic layer preferably has a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 1% to 50% and an in-plane thermal conductivity from 100 W/mK to 1,750 W/mK.

Abstract: A process for producing an electrode for an alkali metal battery, comprising: (a) Continuously feeding an electrically conductive porous layer to an anode or cathode material impregnation zone, wherein the conductive porous layer has two opposed porous surfaces and contain interconnected conductive pathways and at least 70% by volume of pores; (b) Impregnating a wet anode or cathode active material mixture into the porous layer from at least one of the two porous surfaces to form an anode or cathode electrode, wherein the wet anode or cathode active material mixture contains an anode or cathode active material and an optional conductive additive mixed with a liquid electrolyte; and (c) Supplying at least a protective film to cover the at least one porous surface to form the electrode.

Abstract: Provided is a composite layer of graphene sheets and anode particles being dispersed in a conducting polymer network for a lithium battery anode (negative electrode), the layer comprising a mixture of a conducting polymer network, multiple graphene sheets, and multiple particles of an anode active material, wherein the anode particles have a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 ?m and occupy from 30% to 98% by weight, the graphene sheets occupy from 0.01% to 25% by weight, and the conducting polymer network occupies from 1% to 30% by weight based on the total mixture weight and wherein the graphene sheets and the conducting polymer network together form dual conducting pathways for both electrons and lithium ions having an electron conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 103 S/cm and lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5.0×10?3 S/cm when measured at room temperature.

Abstract: Provided is a composite thin film current collector for a battery or supercapacitor, the thin film comprising graphene sheets dispersed in or bonded by an electron-conducting polymer network (also referred to as conducting network polymer, crosslinked polymer, or hydrogel polymer) wherein the composite thin film has a thickness from 2 nm to 500 ?m and an electrical conductivity from 10?4 to 104 S/cm and wherein the graphene sheets occupy from 10% to 99% by weight and the polymer network from 1% to 90% by weight of the total composite weight.

Abstract: Provided is conducting network polymer-encapsulated phosphorus-based anode particulate or multiple particulates for a lithium or sodium ion battery, the particulate comprising: (A) a core comprising one or a plurality of phosphorus material particles or coating (e.g. on surfaces of graphitic material particles) having a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 ?m and is selected from red phosphorus, black phosphorus (including phosphorene), violet phosphorus, a metal phosphide, MPy, or a combination thereof, wherein M=Mn, V, Sn, Ni, Cu, Fe, Co, Zn, Ge, Se, Mo, Ga, In, or an alloy thereof, and y=1-4; and (B) an encapsulating shell that embraces or encapsulates the core, wherein the encapsulating shell comprises an electron- and/or ion-conducting network (cross-linked) polymer.

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: A method of producing isolated graphene sheets from a layered graphite, comprising: (a) forming an alkali metal ion-intercalated graphite compound by an electrochemical intercalation which uses a liquid solution of an alkali metal salt dissolved in an organic solvent as both an electrolyte and an intercalate source, layered graphite material as an anode material, and a metal or graphite as a cathode material, and wherein a current is imposed upon a cathode and an anode at a current density for a duration of time sufficient for effecting the electrochemical intercalation of alkali metal ions into interlayer spacing; and (b) exfoliating and separating hexagonal carbon atomic interlayers (graphene planes) from the alkali metal ion-intercalated graphite compound using ultrasonication, thermal shock exposure, exposure to water solution, mechanical shearing treatment, or a combination thereof to produce isolated graphene sheets.

Abstract: Provided is method of improving fast-chargeability of a lithium secondary battery, wherein the method comprises disposing a lithium ion reservoir between an anode and a porous separator and 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 anode in a time-delayed manner. In some embodiments, the reservoir comprises a conducting porous framework structure having pores and lithium-capturing groups residing in the pores, wherein the lithium-capturing groups are selected from (a) redox forming species that reversibly form a redox pair with a lithium ion; (b) electron-donating groups interspaced between non-electron-donating groups; (c) anions and cations wherein the anions are more mobile than the cations; or (d) chemical reducing groups that partially reduce lithium ions from Li+1 to Li+?, wherein 0<?<1.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing one or a plurality of lithium cells, comprising: (a) providing at least a dry lithium cell, comprising a cathode, an anode, a porous separator, and a protective casing, wherein the dry cell is electrolyte-free or contains an initial amount of electrolyte less than a final desired amount; (b) injecting a liquid electrolyte into at least a dry cell to form at least a wet cell, 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; (c) removing portion of the liquid solvent from at least a wet cell to obtain at least a lithium cell comprising a quasi-solid electrolyte having a final lithium salt concentration higher than first concentration and higher than 2.0 M; and (d) optionally sealing the protective housing to produce the lithium cell(s).

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: Provided is a method of producing a non-flammable quasi-solid electrolyte for a lithium battery, the method comprising (A) dissolving a lithium salt in a first liquid solvent to obtain a mixture having a first concentration of lithium salt less than 3.0 M (mole/L), but greater than 0.001M; and (B) removing a portion of the first liquid solvent to obtain the quasi-solid electrolyte having a final lithium salt concentration higher than the first concentration so that the electrolyte exhibits a vapor pressure less than 0.01 kPa when measured at 20° C., a vapor pressure less than 60% of the vapor pressure of the first liquid solvent alone, a flash point at least 20 degrees Celsius higher than a flash point of the first liquid solvent alone, a flash point higher than 150° C., or no detectable flash point.

Abstract: Lacrosse heads are provided that include a polymer and graphene. The graphene increases the durability of the lacrosse heads. Also provided is equipment for other contact sports that include graphene to increase durability.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a graphitic film, comprising: (a) providing a suspension of a mixture of graphene oxide (GO) and aromatic molecules selected from petroleum heavy oil or pitch, coal tar pitch, a polynuclear hydrocarbon, a halogenated variant thereof, or a combination thereof, dispersed or dissolved in a liquid medium; (b) dispensing and depositing the suspension onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet layer, wherein the procedure includes subjecting the suspension to an orientation-inducing stress or strain; (c) partially or completely removing the liquid medium; and (d) heat treating the resulting dried layer at a first temperature selected from 20° C. to 3,200° C. so that the GO and aromatic molecules are cross-linked, merged or fused into larger aromatic molecules to form the graphitic film, wherein the larger aromatic molecules or graphene planes in the graphitic film are substantially parallel to each other.

Abstract: An process for producing multiple porous graphene particulates for a lithium battery anode, the process comprising: (a) preparing a graphene dispersion having multiple anode material particles, multiple sheets of a starting graphene material, and a blowing agent dispersed in a liquid medium, wherein the blowing agent-to-graphene material weight ratio is from 0.01/1.0 to 1.0/1.0; (b) dispensing, forming and drying the graphene dispersion into multiple droplets containing therein graphene sheets, particles of the anode active material, and the blowing agent; and (c) heat treating the droplets at a heat treatment temperature selected from 80° C. to 3,200° C. at a desired heating rate sufficient to induce volatile gas molecules from the non-carbon elements or to activate the blowing agent for producing the multiple porous graphene particulates.