Technologies Available for License

2016-001: Regenerable Battery Electrode

Invention: 2016-001

Patent Status: U.S. Patent Number 11,201,325 was issued on December 14, 2021

For technical and licensing related questions, email tcp@bnl.gov.

Summary

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Schematic representation of the cathode regeneration process

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are one of the most popular types of rechargeable batteries due to their high cell potential and gravimetric energy density. Since cathode materials have the highest economic and engineering values, it is beneficial to recycle and reuse the precious cathode materials. However, there exists only limited opportunities for electrode recycling. Currently used electrode recycling processes are multistep procedures which involve sequences of mechanical, thermal, and chemical leaching, where only the base material is recovered, and significant processing is required to generate a recycled electrode structure. Another significant issue facing lithium-based batteries is capacity fade due to structural degradation of the electroactive material upon extending cycling. This invention describes active materials to create environmentally benign and inexpensive rechargeable battery with high gravimetric capacity and energy density and defines a simple thermal process to regenerate battery electrodes without the need to reconstruct the electrode following regeneration.

Description

A binder free self-supporting cathode (BFSSC) which is prepared utilizing a fibrous, high aspect ratio manganese oxide (OMS-2) as an electrochemically active material is used to demonstrate regenerable electrodes for lithium based batteries. Whereas the most traditional electrodes are prepared using hard to recycle fluorinated binder polyvinylidene fluoride this binder free cathode was prepared without the need for any toxic binder materials. Electrochemical performance of BFSSC showed higher initial capacity (~115 mA h g−1) relative to the electrode prepared from powder manganese dioxide sample. A facile electrode recycling process is demonstrated, where previously used cathodes are removed from a cell, once the delivered capacity is lower than desired. The removed electrode is rinsed with water followed by heating in air, and then reinserted into the battery restoring its delivered capacity and cycle life. After 200 discharge-charge cycles, the recycled BFSSCs displayed restored crystallinity and oxidation state of the manganese centers with the resulting electrochemistry (capacity and coulombic efficiency) suggestive of successful battery electrode recovery and regeneration. The process of BFSSC regeneration using OMS-2 is shown to be robust with no observed electrode degradation during the cell disassembly, washing, and heat treatment steps; thus, no post processing is required for the recycled electrode. Notably, a variety of alternative cathode materials including oxides of a variety of first row transition metals (e.g., Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) can be used to prepare electrochemically active self-supporting cathodes and regenerated using the described electrode recycling process.

Journal Publication & Intellectual Property

• Effective recycling of manganese oxide cathodes for lithium based batteries (.pdf)
• US 11,201,325 B2 (.pdf)