US 12,355,102 B2
Method of manufacturing a thin film composite solid electrolyte
Xi Chen, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Nancy J. Dudney, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Sergiy Kalnaus, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Max J. Palmer, Oak Ridge, TN (US); and Andrew S. Westover, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Assigned to UT-BATTELLE, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed by UT-Battelle, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed on Oct. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/497,023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/089,039, filed on Oct. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0115693 A1, Apr. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 50/403 (2021.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01); H01M 10/0565 (2010.01); H01M 50/409 (2021.01); H01M 50/414 (2021.01); H01M 50/434 (2021.01); H01M 50/446 (2021.01)
CPC H01M 50/446 (2021.01) [H01M 10/0525 (2013.01); H01M 10/0565 (2013.01); H01M 50/403 (2021.01); H01M 50/409 (2021.01); H01M 50/414 (2021.01); H01M 50/434 (2021.01); H01M 2300/0082 (2013.01); H01M 2300/0085 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for manufacturing a thin film composite solid electrolyte, said method comprising:
spray coating an aqueous suspension of ceramic particles onto a substrate to form a ceramic thin film while the substrate is heated to a temperature of 70° C. to 150° C., the aqueous suspension including ceramic particles in an amount of under 15 wt. %, the ceramic particles having a mean particle diameter of 0.1 μm to 10 μm;
sintering the ceramic thin film under argon gas at a temperature of 750° C. to 1250° C. for 1 to 5 hours to form a ceramic structure, the ceramic structure having an interconnected necked morphology that defines cavities;
preparing a polymer electrolyte by combining an amine-functional compound and an epoxy-functional compound with a weight ratio of 9:10, wherein the amine-functional compound includes O,O′-Bis(2-aminopropyl) polypropylene glycol-block-polyethylene glycol-block-polypropylene glycol, and wherein the epoxy-functional compound includes poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether;
dissolving a lithium salt in the polymer electrolyte; and
filling the cavities of the ceramic structure with the polymer electrolyte in a reduced atmosphere by capillary action for 2 to 6 hours and thereafter curing the polymer electrolyte at 70° C. to 130° C. for 4 to 48 hours to form a thin film composite electrolyte having a thickness of less than 50 μm and a ceramic weight fraction of more than 60 wt. %.