United States Patent and Trademark Office >>
Patent for composite anode material made of core-shell particles granted to StoreDot
With continued success in the portable electronic device market, Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are of increasing interest for applications in electric and hybrid vehicles, surgical tools, and oil and gas drilling, etc., due to their superior energy density and long cycle life.
However, current LIBs employ conventional graphite anodes, which are limited in their capacity and their ability to support fast charging.
The present invention relates to the field of lithium-ion batteries, and more particularly, to anodes thereof. This disclosure covers core-shell particles, composite anode material, anodes made therefrom, lithium-ion cells and methods, which enable production of fast-charging lithium-ion batteries.
The composite anode material has core-shell particles that are configured to receive and release lithium ions at their cores and to have shells that are configured to allow for core expansion upon lithiation.
The cores of the core-shell particles are connected to the respective shells by conductive material such as carbon fibers, which may form a network throughout the anode material and possibly interconnect cores of many core-shell particles to enhance the electrical conductivity of the anode.
Ionic conductive material and possibly mechanical elements may be incorporated in the core-shell particles to enhance ionic conductivity and mechanical robustness toward expansion and contraction of the cores during lithiation and de-lithiation.
