US2024021952A1PendingUtilityA1

Li-ion battery having improved safety against combustion

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Assignee: CHEMOURS CO FC LLCPriority: Jul 14, 2014Filed: Sep 27, 2023Published: Jan 18, 2024
Est. expiryJul 14, 2034(~8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Dennis J. KountzAlan D. EnglishPaul Douglas BrothersJames R. HooverDonna Lynn Visioli
H01M 50/383H01M 10/4235H01M 50/30H01M 50/3425H01M 50/35H01M 50/103H01M 50/143H01M 50/119H01M 10/0525H01M 10/058H01M 50/394H01M 50/375Y02E60/10Y02P70/50H01M 2200/10H01M 2200/20H01M 50/107
82
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention provides a process comprising for modifying a Li-ion battery having a region of electrochemical activity and an enclosure therefor, said process comprising forming at least one chamber within said enclosure separate from said region of electrochemical activity, positioning combustion abatement agent within said chamber, whereby said combustion abatement agent is not in contact with said region of electrochemical activity, said chamber being pressure or heat sensitive, whereby when said region of electrochemical activity overheats, said chamber is breached, allowing said combustion abatement agent to contact said region of electrochemical activity to abate combustion of said region of electrochemical activity, wherein exemplary of combustion abatement agent is the composition comprising liquid fluoropolyether and exemplary of the of the chamber exhibiting pressure or heat sensitivity is to include a low melting, non-flammable polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol in the material of construction of the chamber.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Li-ion battery comprising:
 an enclosure;   a region of Li-ion electrochemical activity positioned within said enclosure, said region including oppositely charged electrodes for attracting Li-ions from one said electrode to another said electrode;   a first chamber positioned within said enclosure separate from said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity,   said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity being subject to overheating by short-circuiting occurring within said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity;   said first chamber containing a composition comprising at least one combustion abatement agent maintained separate from said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity, wherein said combustion abatement agent comprises liquid fluoropolyether;   a structure defining said first chamber including a first membrane that is breachable by said overheating to thereby release said combustion abatement agent into said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity to abate combustion therewithin;   with the proviso that when said first membrane comprises combustion abatement agent, the presence of said combustion abatement agent in said first chamber is optional.   
     
     
         2 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said first membrane is breachable by said overheating causing rupture of said first membrane. 
     
     
         3 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said first membrane is breachable by said overheating causing melting of said first membrane. 
     
     
         4 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said first membrane is inert to Li-ion electrochemical activity occurring within said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity. 
     
     
         5 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said first chamber containing said combustion abatement agent is positioned between said enclosure and said region of Li-ion electrochemical activity. 
     
     
         6 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said first membrane comprises a thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer. 
     
     
         7 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 6 , wherein said thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer is selected from the group consisting of a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer and a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer. 
     
     
         8 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 6 , wherein said thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer has at least 300 unstable end groups per 10 6  carbon atoms, said end groups being selected from the group consisting of —COOH, —COF, and —CONH 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises decomposition catalyst. 
     
     
         10 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 9 , wherein said composition further comprises solid material. 
     
     
         11 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 9 , wherein said decomposition catalyst comprises a Lewis acid. 
     
     
         12 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 9 , wherein said composition is in a semi-solid state. 
     
     
         13 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said liquid fluoropolyether is a perfluoropolyether. 
     
     
         14 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein said enclosure further comprises a second chamber remote from said first chamber, said second chamber comprising a second membrane. 
     
     
         15 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 14 , wherein said second membrane is breachable by rupture by said overheating. 
     
     
         16 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 14 , wherein said second membrane is breachable by melting by said overheating. 
     
     
         17 . The Li-ion battery of  claim 14 , wherein said second membrane comprises a thermally-destabilizable fluoropolymer. 
     
     
         18 . A process for forming a Li-ion battery having a region of electrochemical activity and an enclosure therefor, said process comprising:
 forming a first chamber within said enclosure separate from said region of electrochemical activity; and   positioning a composition comprising at least one combustion abatement agent within said first chamber, wherein said at least one combustion abatement agent comprises liquid fluoropolyether, whereby said composition is not in contact with said region of electrochemical activity;   said first chamber being pressure and/or heat sensitive, whereby when said region of electrochemical activity overheats, said first chamber is breached, allowing said at least one combustion abatement agent to contact said region of electrochemical activity to abate combustion of said region of electrochemical activity.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18  further comprising positioning a first membrane between said first chamber and said region of electrochemical activity. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein said first membrane is breachable by said overheating to thereby release said combustion abatement agent into said region of electrochemical activity to abate combustion therewithin. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 18  further comprising forming a second chamber in said enclosure remote from said first chamber. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein said second chamber comprises a second membrane breachable by said overheating.

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