Enevate Corporation

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 kΩ 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.

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, polysilosilazane, silicon oxycarbides, and polyorganosiloxane. 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.

Silicon particles for use in an electrode in an electrochemical cell are provided. The silicon particles may have outer regions extending about 20 nm deep from the surfaces, the outer regions comprising an amount of aluminum such that a bulk measurement of the aluminum comprises at least about 0.01% by weight of the silicon particles. The bulk measurement of the aluminum may provide the amount of aluminum present at least in the outer regions.

Systems and methods utilizing aqueous-based polymer binders for silicon-based anodes may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from a silicon carbon composite or SiOx-based or Si-Carbon-SiOx-based powder and a water soluble polymer and may comprise one or more additional materials. The anode may be in a lithium ion battery.

Systems and methods utilizing aqueous-based polymer binders for silicon-dominant anodes containing pyrolyzed carbon may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and a water soluble polymer and may comprise one or more additional materials. The electrode coating layer may include more than 70% silicon and the anode may be in a lithium ion battery.

Systems and methods utilizing aqueous-based polymer binders for silicon-dominant anodes containing pyrolyzed carbon may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and a water soluble polymer and may comprise one or more additional materials. The electrode coating layer may include more than 70% silicon and the anode may be in a lithium ion battery.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.

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 a primary resin carbon precursor; wherein the primary resin carbon precursor comprises a water-soluble acidic polyamide imide functionalized with acidic groups and one or more polymeric stabilizing additives. The electrode coating layer may also include a base and/or a surfactant. The electrode coating layer may be more than 70% silicon.