Patent ID: 11894547
Assignee: SISOM THIN FILMS LLC
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 25:
26. A method of fabricating a cathode for an alkali-ion battery, comprising the steps of:
a) forming coated particles by:
forming particles of an alkali-intercalating material, the alkali-intercalating material comprising an intercalating material selected from the group consisting of a lithium-containing intercalating material, a sodium-containing intercalating material, graphite, SiO2, SnO2, sulfur, graphene oxide, activated carbon, and a combination thereof;
mixing the particles of the alkali-intercalating material with an aqueous solution comprising an aluminum salt and an alkali metal salt to form a first slurry;
adding a water-soluble alkali silicate into the first slurry;
adding electrically-conductive carbon nanoparticles into the first slurry;
sonicating the first slurry to produce a gel;
drying the first gel to form individual dry green coated gel particles; and,
heat treating the green coated gel particles to produce coated particles comprising the particles of the alkali-intercalating material, an alkali ion conductive coating comprising an alkali aluminosilicate, wherein the alkali ion conductive coating conducts an alkali ion selected from the group consisting of a Na ion and an Li ion, and carbon nanoparticles disposed within the alkali ion conductive coating;

b) blending the coated particles with conductive particles, an organic binder, and at least one non-aqueous solvent to form a second slurry;
c) applying a coating of the second slurry to a metal substrate with the substrate heated between 80 and 200° C. in air;
d) calendaring the coated substrate at 10 tons or greater; and
e) curing the coated substrate in nitrogen at 250 to 400° C.