Abstract: A method to create a battery cell is provided. The method includes, within a vacuum or an inert atmosphere, utilizing an etching process to remove a passivation layer from a primary surface of a solid electrolyte. The method further includes applying a surface coating to the primary surface. The method further includes, within the battery cell, disposing the solid electrolyte including the surface coating between an anode and a cathode.

Abstract: A method of forming a lithium ion battery, a lithium ion battery anode, and a lithium ion battery for a vehicle. The method includes exposing a first surface of a lithium layer to carbon dioxide gas and forming a lithium carbonate layer on the first surface of the lithium layer. The method further includes depositing a fluoropolymer layer on a second surface of the lithium carbonate layer to provide a lithium anode. The battery includes one or more battery cells including the anode for the lithium ion battery. The anode includes a lithium layer including a first surface, and a hybrid coating layer disposed on the first surface, wherein the hybrid coating layer includes a plurality of lithium fluoride domains and a plurality of lithium carbonate domains within a carbonaceous matrix.

Abstract: A functionalized polymeric separator membrane, including a polymer backbone chosen from an aramid-based polymer, a polyamide-based polymer, or a polyimide-based polymer, or combinations thereof; and further comprising one or more functional side groups (-FSG) capable of trapping transition metal ions and acidic species. The functionalized polymeric separator membrane may be a sulfonated polyaramid separator membrane. Sulfonation of polyaramid separators add functional groups that trap both acidic species and TM ions, thereby suppressing anode damage caused by TM deposition onto the anode by a two-step process. The functionalized polymer separator membranes may be used with Li-ion, Li-metal, or Sodium-ion batteries.

Abstract: A lithium-ion battery includes a plurality of cells. Each cell comprises an anode, a cathode and a separator that is disposed between the anode and cathode. The anode includes an anode active layer that contacts a current collector. The cathode includes a cathode active layer that contacts the current collector. The current collector from each cell contacts a tab that lies outside the cell. An electrically insulating coating is disposed on a portion of the tab or is disposed on an outer edge of each anode or cathode. The anode and cathode are of different lengths.

Abstract: A sodium ion battery includes an anode, a cathode, a separator and an electrolyte. The anode includes an anode active layer, the cathode includes a cathode active layer and the separator includes a porous film. At least one of the anode active layer, the cathode active layer or the separator have an anode zeolite layer, a cathode zeolite layer or a separator zeolite layer respectively disposed thereon.

Abstract: A prelithiated separator for use in an electrochemical cell. The prelithiated separator includes a base film including a polymer having a melting point greater than 180° C.; a ceramic directly contacting the base film; and lithium on an outer surface of the prelithiated separator.

Abstract: A battery includes multiple stacked cells. Each cell includes an anode layer and a cathode layer separated by a permeable separator. At least one temperature probe structure is disposed on the permeable separator between the anode layer and the cathode layer of a first cell of the stacked cells. The temperature probe structure includes at least a first material partially coating the permeable separator and a second material partially coating the permeable separator. The first material overlaps with the second material at an overlap region. A first sensor output terminal is connected to the first material and a second sensor terminal is connected to the second material. A voltage differential between the first sensor output terminal and the second sensor output terminal corresponds to an average temperature of the overlap region.

Abstract: An electrolyte composition for electrochemical cells including a silicon-containing electrode is provided herein as well as electrochemical cells including the electrolyte composition. The electrolyte composition includes a lithium salt, fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), a linear carbonate, vinylene carbonate, and a fluorosilane additive. The FEC and the linear carbonate are present in the electrolyte composition in a ratio of about 1:3 v/v to about 1:9 v/v.

Abstract: A battery cell having an anode and a cathode with a catalyzed separator interposed therebetween, and sealed within a cell case is described. The catalyzed separator is a substrate having a catalyzed coating arranged thereon. The catalyzed coating includes a bimetallic catalyst arranged on a support material. The bimetallic catalyst includes rhodium or ruthenium and a second transition metal. Lithium in zeolite functions as a catalyst promoter to accelerate a hydroformylation reaction.

Abstract: Methods of making functional particles, such as functional lithium ion-exchanged zeolite particles and functional electrode particles for electrochemical cells are provided as well as electrochemical cells including such particles. A method includes combining a solution including (NH4)3PO4 with lithium ion-exchanged zeolite particles to form a first mixture. The method further includes adding a polymeric binder and a lithium salt to the first mixture to form a first slurry including the functional lithium ion-exchanged zeolite particles comprising Li3PO4.

Abstract: A system for inspecting a battery component includes a heating device configured to heat a surface of the battery component to a selected temperature, an optical-visible imaging device configured to take an optical image of the surface, a thermal imaging device configured to take a thermal image of the surface, and a processor configured to acquire the optical image and the thermal image. The processor is configured to correlate the thermal image with the optical image, identify a feature of interest in at least one of the optical image and the thermal image, determine a geometric characteristic and a temperature characteristic associated with the feature of interest, and determine whether the feature of interest is a defect based on the geometric characteristic and the temperature characteristic.

Abstract: A method to create a garnet-based solid electrolyte separator for a battery cell is provided. The method includes coating a garnet-based material powder, initially including a lithium carbonate layer upon an outer surface of the garnet-based material powder, with aluminum fluoride to create a fluoride-treated garnet-based material powder. The method further includes operating a solid-state reaction upon the fluoride-treated garnet-based material powder, such that the aluminum fluoride reacts with the lithium carbonate layer to create aluminum oxide, carbon dioxide, and lithium fluoride. The solid-state reaction creates a fluoride-treated and solid-state reacted garnet-based material powder including the aluminum oxide and the lithium fluoride. The method further includes sintering the fluoride-treated and solid-state reacted garnet-based material powder including the aluminum oxide and the lithium fluoride.

Abstract: An electrode stack for a solid-state battery is provided. The electrode stack includes a cathode. The cathode includes a cathode current collector and a first layer of material applied to the cathode current collector. The first layer of material includes a cathode active material, a first ionomer configured as a first binder, and a conductive material. The electrode stack further includes a solid electrolyte separator layer, including a second ionomer configured as a second binder. The electrode stack further includes an anode including a layer including lithium metal, silicon, or graphite and an anode current collector. One of the first ionomer and the second ionomer includes a shape-memory ionomer configured for selectively restoring the electrode stack to an original shape.

Abstract: A thermal barrier component for an electrochemical cell according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes a functional material. The functional material includes at least one of a hydrate of a metal carbonate and a hydrate of a metal phosphate. The functional material is configured to release water vapor at a first temperature of greater than or equal to about 100° C. and decompose to release a gaseous fire retardant at a second temperature of greater than or equal to about 300° C. Another thermal barrier component according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes a hydrate and a fire retardant. The hydrate is configured to release water in an amount greater than or equal to about 1 kg at a first temperature of greater than or equal to about 100° C. The fire retardant is configured to decompose at a second temperature of greater than or equal to about 300° C.

Abstract: A thermal barrier component for an electrochemical cell (e.g., a battery) includes a mat, a functional material, and a polymer binder. The mat includes a porous matrix. The functional material is in pores of the porous matrix. The functional material includes an oxide. In certain aspects, the functional material may be a composite material. The polymer binder is in contact with the porous matrix and the functional material. At least one of the porous matrix, the functional material, and the polymer binder is configured to serve as an intumescent carbon source. The oxide is configured to catalyze thermal degradation of the intumescent carbon source to form intumescent carbon at a first temperature. The first temperature is greater than or equal to about 300° C. The thermal barrier component is configured to mitigate thermal runaway in an electrochemical cell. The thermal barrier component may include one or more layers.

Abstract: A method to create a battery cell is provided. The method includes, within a vacuum or an inert atmosphere, utilizing an etching process to remove a passivation layer from a primary surface of a solid electrolyte. The method further includes applying a surface coating to the primary surface. The method further includes, within the battery cell, disposing the solid electrolyte including the surface coating between an anode and a cathode.

Abstract: A pressing machine includes pressing devices, actuators and a control module. At least one of the pressing devices includes a surface having a fluoropolymer material. At least one of the actuators is configured to adjust pressure of the pressing devices on one or more lithium foils, such that the surface presses against one of the one or more lithium foils to form a protective layer. The control module is configured to control the at least one of the actuators to adjust a parameter to control at least one of thickness of the protective layer and fluoride content of the protective layer.

Abstract: A self-protecting functional separator for a battery cell is provided. The self-protecting functional separator includes a polymer substrate including a first primary surface and a second primary surface. The self-protecting functional separator further includes a functional layer applied to the first primary surface. The functional layer including a mixture includes a first piezoelectric material including a single crystal-type material and a second piezoelectric material.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a secondary lithium battery is provided herein, as well as a method for assembling a secondary lithium battery including the negative electrode. The negative electrode includes a current collector having a first side and an opposite second side. A first negative electrode layer is disposed on the first side of the current collector and a second negative electrode layer is disposed on the second side of the current collector. A lithium metal layer is disposed (i) between the first and second negative electrode layers or (ii) on a major facing surface of the first or second negative electrode layer. An electrolyte infiltrates the first and second negative electrode layers and is in contact with the lithium metal layer. The electrolyte establishes a lithium ion transport path between the lithium metal layer and at least one of the first or second negative electrode layers.

Abstract: A coated polymer separator for a battery cell is provided. The coated polymer separator includes a polymer separator including a first primary surface and a second primary surface. The coated polymer separator further includes a ceramic-based composite coating disposed on the first primary surface and the second primary surface. The ceramic-based composite coating includes lithiated zeolite particles and particles of a second ceramic material including an oxide.