Patent ID: 11942595
Assignee: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  Y | IPC H

Claim 13:
14. A method of making a rechargeable battery, the method comprising:
sintering cathode material particles to remove surface oxidation and produce porous granules, the granules comprising NiyFe1-y where 0≤y≤1;
combining the granules with molten MAlX4, wherein M is Na, Li, K, or a combination thereof, and X is CI, Br, I, or a combination thereof to provide a NiyFe1-y/MAlX4 mixture;
placing a porous separator on an upper surface of the NiyFe1-y/MAlX4 mixture;
placing additional MAlX4 combined with greater than 0 mol % to 10 mol % sulfur, relative to moles of the NiyFe1-y, on the porous separator;
melting the additional MAlX4, thereby impregnating the porous separator with the additional MAlX4 such that pores of the porous separator are filled with the MAlX4;
placing an aluminum current collector on an upper surface of the porous separator while the MAlX4 is molten;
cooling the MAlX4 to solidify the MAlX4, wherein the MAlX4 is a molten salt electrolyte that is a solid at temperatures less than 50° C.;
activating the cathode by
heating the MAlX4 to a temperature above a melting point of the MAlX4, thereby melting the MAlX4, and
cycling the rechargeable battery while maintaining the temperature of the electrolyte above the melting point of the MAlX4 for 2-40 cycles, wherein after 2-5 cycles, the sulfur is present as oxidized sulfur species; and

at least partially charging the rechargeable battery, whereby the cathode further comprises NiyFe1-yX2, the anode further comprises Al and MX deposited onto the aluminum current collector, where the anode comprises 50 mol % to 130 mol % MX relative to moles of NiyFe1-y in the cathode.