Varta has filed a patent for a lithium-ion secondary electrochemical cell that includes a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a lithium reserve. The negative electrode and positive electrode are composite electrodes capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions. The lithium reserve is formed at a current collector reserve region that is free of the electrochemically active components. GlobalData’s report on Varta gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData s company profile on Varta, hydrogen storage alloys was a key innovation area identified from patents. Varta's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Lithium-ion secondary electrochemical cell with a lithium reserve
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230207789A1) describes a lithium-ion secondary electrochemical cell with several unique features. The cell includes a negative electrode and a positive electrode, both formed as composite electrodes with electrochemically active components capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions.
One notable feature of the cell is the presence of a lithium reserve, which is formed at a current collector reserve region that is at least partly free of the electrochemically active components. This reserve region can be located at the longitudinal end of the negative and/or positive electrode tape, forming an outer side of a coil or delimiting a void in the center of the coil. Alternatively, in a stack configuration, the reserve region can be located at the edge of the tape-like negative and/or positive electrode.
The patent also mentions the use of a separator to separate the negative and positive electrodes. The anode and cathode current collectors, which have two flat sides separated by a peripheral edge, are coated on both sides with the electrochemically active components. However, the current collector reserve region is formed on only one flat side of the anode and/or cathode current collector.
The lithium reserve in the cell can have various characteristics, including being composed of electrochemically active lithium, activatable lithium, lithium-containing compounds, lithium foil, lithium strip, vapor-deposited lithium or lithium-containing material, encapsulated lithium particles, or a coating.
The patent also describes the use of a housing to enclose the negative and positive electrodes, with at least a portion of the current collector reserve region facing towards the housing. The lithium reserve can be activatable by cycling, and the cell can be in the form of a cylindrical round cell or a button cell.
Additionally, the patent includes claims related to a coil or stack for a lithium-ion secondary electrochemical cell, as well as a process for producing the coil or stack. The process involves coating the anode and cathode current collectors with the electrochemically active components, omitting the current collector reserve region during coating, charging the reserve region with a lithium-containing material to form the lithium reserve, and processing the electrodes with a separator to form the coil or stack.
Overall, this patent presents a novel design for a lithium-ion secondary electrochemical cell with a lithium reserve and unique configurations for the negative and positive electrodes. The inclusion of a reserve region and the various characteristics of the lithium reserve offer potential advantages in terms of cell performance and longevity.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies
