公开(公告)号：US20200052350A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-13

申请号：US16101921

申请日：2018-08-13

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M10/44 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M4/583 ,  H01M4/62 ,  H01M4/66 ,  H01M2/14

Abstract: Provided is a method of improving fast-dischargeability or high rate capability of a lithium secondary battery containing an anode, a cathode, a porous separator disposed between the anode and the cathode, and an electrolyte, wherein the method comprises packing particles of a cathode active material to form a cathode active material layer having interstitial spaces and disposing a lithium ion receptor in the interstitial spaces, configured to receive lithium ions from the anode through the porous separator when the battery is discharged and to enable the lithium ions to enter the particles of cathode active material in a time-delayed manner.

公开(公告)号：US20200028179A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-23

申请号：US16116341

申请日：2018-08-29

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Hui He ,  Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/62 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M10/054 ,  H01M4/133 ,  H01M4/136 ,  H01M4/134 ,  H01M4/36 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/58 ,  H01M4/587

Abstract: The invention provides a method of improving the cycle-life of a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell. The method comprises implementing an anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer and a porous separator/electrolyte, and/or implementing a cathode-protecting layer between a cathode active material and the porous separator/electrolyte, wherein the anode-protecting layer or cathode-protecting layer comprises a conductive sulfonated elastomer composite having from 0.01% to 40% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material and from 0.01% to 40% by weight of an electrochemically stable inorganic filler dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material and the protecting layer has a thickness from 1 nm to 100 μm, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10−7 S/cm to 5×10−2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10−7 S/cm to 100 S/cm when measured at room temperature.

公开(公告)号：US20200010695A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-09

申请号：US16030105

申请日：2018-07-09

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Yi-jun Lin ,  Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: C09D5/08 ,  C09D5/24 ,  C09D5/10 ,  C09D175/12 ,  C09D175/02 ,  C09D167/08 ,  C09D163/00 ,  C23F11/04

Abstract: Provided is a humic acid-based coating suspension comprising humic acid, particles of an anti-corrosive pigment or sacrificial metal, and a binder resin dissolved or dispersed in a liquid medium, wherein the humic acid has a weight fraction from 0.1% to 50% based on the total coating suspension weight excluding the liquid medium. Also provided is an object or structure coated at least in part with such a coating.

公开(公告)号：US20190393487A1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-26

申请号：US16123212

申请日：2018-09-06

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Hui He ,  Baofei Pan ,  Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/36 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M10/0565 ,  H01M10/058 ,  H01M2/16 ,  H01M4/66

Abstract: Provided is a lithium secondary battery, comprising a cathode, an anode, and a porous separator or electrolyte, wherein the anode comprises: (a) an anode active layer containing a layer of lithium or lithium alloy, in a form of a foil, coating, or multiple particles aggregated together, as an anode active material; (b) a first anode-protecting layer having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 μm (preferably

公开(公告)号：US20190386337A1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-19

申请号：US16010213

申请日：2018-06-15

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M10/0525 ,  H01M10/052 ,  H01M4/136 ,  H01M4/133 ,  H01M4/137 ,  H01M4/36 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/60 ,  H01M4/587 ,  H01M4/583 ,  H01M4/62 ,  H01M10/0569 ,  H01M10/0568

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising an anode active material layer, an electrolyte, and a cathode active material layer comprising multiple particulates, wherein at least one of the particulates comprises one or a plurality of sulfur-containing material particles being embraced or encapsulated by a thin layer of a conductive sulfonated elastomer composite having from 0.01% to 50% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material, wherein the conductive reinforcement material is selected from graphene sheets, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, metal nanowires, conductive polymer fibers, or a combination thereof and the composite has a recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10−7 S/cm to 5×10−2 S/cm, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 μm. This battery exhibits an excellent combination of high sulfur content, high sulfur utilization efficiency, high energy density, and long cycle life.

公开(公告)号：US20190386296A1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-19

申请号：US16126736

申请日：2018-09-10

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Hui He ,  Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/36 ,  H01M10/052 ,  H01M4/62 ,  H01M4/38

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising: (a) an anode; (b) a cathode active material layer comprising a sulfur-containing material; and (c) an electrolyte or an electrolyte/separator layer; wherein the anode comprises (i) an anode active material layer; (ii) a first anode-protecting layer, in physical contact with the anode active material layer, having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 μm and comprising a thin layer of an electron-conducting material having a specific surface area greater than 50 m2/g; and (iii) a second anode-protecting layer in physical contact with the first anode-protecting layer, having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 μm and comprising an elastomer having a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 1,000% and a lithium ion conductivity from 10−8 S/cm to 5×10−2 S/cm when measure at room temperature.

公开(公告)号：US10511016B2

公开(公告)日：2019-12-17

申请号：US15365049

申请日：2016-11-30

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/36 ,  H01M4/14 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/56 ,  H01M4/62 ,  H01M10/12 ,  H01M4/02

Abstract: A lead acid battery comprising a negative electrode, a positive electrode comprising lead oxide, an electrolyte in physical contact with the negative electrode and the positive electrode, an optional separator positioned between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, wherein the negative electrode comprises a plurality of particulates of graphene-protected lead or lead alloy, wherein at least one of the particulates is formed of a single or a plurality of graphene sheets and a single or a plurality of fine lead or lead alloy particles having a size smaller than 10 μm, and the graphene sheets and the particles are mutually bonded or agglomerated into the particulate with at least a graphene sheet embracing or wrapping around the particulate, and wherein graphene is in an amount of at least 0.01% but less than 99% by weight based on the total weight of the particulate.

公开(公告)号：US20190372093A1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-05

申请号：US15996167

申请日：2018-06-01

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Hao-Hsun Chang ,  Yu-Sheng Su ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/133 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M4/62

Abstract: Provided is graphene-embraced particulate for use as a lithium-ion battery anode active material, wherein the particulate comprises primary particle(s) of an anode active material and multiple sheets of a first graphene material overlapped together to embrace or encapsulate the primary particle(s) and wherein a single or a plurality of graphene-encapsulated primary particles, along with an optional conductive additive, are further embraced or encapsulated by multiple sheets of a second graphene material, wherein the first graphene and the second graphene material is each in an amount from 0.01% to 20% by weight and the optional conductive additive is in an amount from 0% to 50% by weight, all based on the total weight of the particulate. Also provided are an anode and a battery comprising multiple graphene-embraced particulates.

公开(公告)号：US20190352185A1

公开(公告)日：2019-11-21

申请号：US15980005

申请日：2018-05-15

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: C01B32/194 ,  C09K5/14 ,  F28F21/02

Abstract: Provided is an integral graphene film comprising chemically functionalized graphene sheets that are chemically bonded or interconnected with one another having an inter-planar spacing d002 from 0.36 nm to 1.5 nm as determined by X-ray diffraction and a non-carbon element content of 0.1% to 47% by weight, wherein said functionalized graphene sheets are substantially parallel to one another and parallel to an in-plane direction of said integral graphene film and said integral graphene film has a length from 1 cm to 10,000 m, a width from 1 cm to 5 m, a thickness from 2 nm to 500 μm, and a physical density from 1.5 to 2.25 g/cm3. The integral graphene film typically has a Young's modulus from 20 GPa to 300 GPa or a tensile strength from 1.0 GPa to 3.5 GPa.

公开(公告)号：US20190326588A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-24

申请号：US15956325

申请日：2018-04-18

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Hui He ,  Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/134 ,  H01M4/1395 ,  H01M4/583 ,  H01M10/28

Abstract: A method of producing a pre-selenized (selenium-preloaded) active cathode layer for a rechargeable alkali metal-selenium cell; the method comprising: (a) preparing an integral layer of mesoporous structure having pore sizes from 0.5 nm to 50 nm (preferably from 0.5 nm to 5 nm) and a specific surface area from 100 to 3,200 m2/g; (b) preparing an electrolyte comprising a solvent and a selenium source; (c) preparing an anode; and (d) bringing the integral layer and the anode in ionic contact with the electrolyte and imposing an electric current between the anode and the integral layer (serving as a cathode) to electrochemically deposit nanoscaled selenium particles or coating on the graphene surfaces. The selenium particles or coating have a thickness or diameter smaller than 20 nm (preferably 90% or even >95%).