US 12,170,361 B2
Batteries with anodes of carbon-coated macro-porous silicon
Min-Kyu Song, Pullman, WA (US); and Younghwan Cha, Pullman, WA (US)
Assigned to WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY, Pullman, WA (US)
Filed by Washington State University, Pullman, WA (US)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/051,979.
Application 18/051,979 is a continuation of application No. 17/022,843, filed on Sep. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,522,174.
Application 17/022,843 is a continuation of application No. 16/572,988, filed on Sep. 17, 2019, granted, now 10,797,308.
Application 16/572,988 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2018/049676, filed on Sep. 6, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/555,580, filed on Sep. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0307609 A1, Sep. 28, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 4/1395 (2010.01); C01B 33/021 (2006.01); C01B 33/06 (2006.01); H01M 4/1393 (2010.01); H01M 4/36 (2006.01); H01M 4/38 (2006.01); H01M 4/62 (2006.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01)
CPC H01M 4/1395 (2013.01) [C01B 33/021 (2013.01); C01B 33/06 (2013.01); H01M 4/1393 (2013.01); H01M 4/366 (2013.01); H01M 4/386 (2013.01); H01M 4/625 (2013.01); H01M 10/0525 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a silicon material for use in anodes of batteries, the method comprising:
reacting a metal or a mixture of multiple metals with silicon (Si) in a solid state reaction to form a metal silicide;
performing a CO2-thermic oxidation process on the formed metal silicide with carbon dioxide to form a composite of one or more metal oxides, silicon, and carbon; and
contacting the formed composite of one or more metal oxides, silicon, and carbon with an acid to remove the one or more metal oxides from the composite to produce particles of the silicon material individually having: a crystalline silicon formed in the CO2-thermic oxidation process; and pores in the crystalline silicon, the pores corresponding to the removed metal oxide by the acid and having surfaces coated with the carbon from the performed CO2-thermic oxidation process,
wherein reacting the metal or the mixture of multiple metals with silicon includes reacting one of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), or barium (Ba) with silicon (Si); and performing the CO2-thermic oxidation process includes performing the CO2-termic oxidation process with one of magnesium silicide (Mg2Si), calcium (CaSi2), and barium silicide (BaSi2) and wherein in case Mg is present, Mg is at least 10 wt % more in excess of silicon.