Battery Chemicals
Lithium Battery Chemicals
Lithium batteries (LiBs) have emerged as the primary energy storage system for mobile applications. LiBs provide the high energy densities needed for the long battery lifetime, extend mobile range, and higher power delivery required in applications such as electronic devices and electric vehicles (EVs). With these benefits, the high energy densities within LiBs present unique challenges to cell chemistries.
Halocarbon Fluorinated Electrolyte Additives and Co-Solvents are designed to enhance the safety, performance and reliability of high energy-density lithium batteries. These additives and co-solvents help protect the LiB electrolytes even under conditions of voltage and temperature stress.
| Featured Halocarbon Product | Key Features |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not seeing what you’re looking for?
|
1 USPTO Application # 17/760,723 (Halocarbon Patent Approved May 2025)
2 Electrolyte design for lithium-ion batteries with a cobalt-free cathode and silicon oxide anode; Seongjae Ko, Xiao Han, Tatau Shimada, Norio Takenaka, Yuki Yamada & Atsuo Yamada, Nature Sustainability Volume 6, Pages: 1705–1714 (2023)
3 Acyclic phosphate-based battery electrolyte 1 for high-voltage and safe operation Zheng, Q., Yamada, Y., Shang, R. et al. Nat. Energy 5, 291–298 (2020).
Harnessing the Benefits of Fluorochemistry
Halocarbon additives & co-solvents improve cycle life, reduce flammability, decrease cell swelling, and form more robust Solvent Electrode Interface (SEI) layers.
Carbon—Fluorine bonds are thermodynamically more stable than Carbon—Hydrogen bonds
The proper placement of Carbon—Fluorine Bonds in additives and co-solvents can be used to tune critical performance parameters
The table to right provides comparative examples of simple hydrocarbons and their fluorinated analogs.
Halocarbon Additives Improve Overall Battery Performance
Halocarbon scientists have worked with leading electrolyte and battery manufacturers to better understand critical failure modes, and have designed fluorinated additives to improve the overall performance of high energy density lithium batteries.
- Enhanced electrolyte stability and safety
- Cell component compatibility and improved charge transport
- Improved SEI layer formation
- Reduced swelling
The sections below delve deeper into these benefits of using Halocarbon additives in your electrolyte formulations
Stabilizing the Electrolyte
The demand for higher power and higher energy densities in lithium ion batteries continues to grow. Traditional electrolyte solvents are susceptible to breakdown, especially at voltages >4.2 V. Likewise, electrolytes formulated for lower-density cells undergo decomposition in high energy density cells – cells containing high nickel (NMC 811 and higher) cathodes or silicon-containing anodes.
Halocarbon has designed fluorinated materials that have much higher anodic stabilities compared to their non-fluorinated counterparts, making them ideal for use at higher voltages, higher C-rates, and in higher energy density systems.
Halocarbon fluorinated additives were specifically designed to improve the capacitance and prolong the lifetime of high energy cells. In addition, some of these fluorinated materials will also reduce the flammability of electrolyte solutions, increasing the safety and reliability of the lithium ion batteries in which they are used.
Improving Charge Transport
Lithium ion batteries will continue to evolve towards higher and higher energy densities. This requires that multiple components within the cell to keep pace with the demands of high voltage electrochemistry. The electrolyte is no different, and fluorinated materials are here to stay. Halocarbon understands this need and is working to develop solutions that keep pace and evolve with new technological developments and trends.
For example, new battery designs are exploring the use of higher nickel cathodes, silicone-containing anodes, and polymeric materials to comprise higher percentages of the electrolytes. Halocarbon has designed fluorinated products to keep pace with these trends. These materials are designed to increase the wetting of electrodes and separators, and increase the solubility of lithium ions and other electrolyte additives. As a result, Halocarbon fluorinated products facilitate more efficient ion-transport throughout the cell.
Fine-Tuning the SEI Layer
The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is a self-assembled porous coating that forms a protective layer on the surface of battery electrodes.
The SEI layer forms during the initial charge-discharge cycles of a lithium ion battery cell and is created by the electrochemical breakdown of various components in the electrolyte. Typically, these components are traditional electrolyte additives and co-solvents like ethylene carbonate (EC) and vinylidene carbonate (VC). The SEI layer is essential to the health and performance of a lithium ion battery, helping to mitigate initial capacity-loss during early cycles, increasing cell lifetimes, and improving the overall safety of the battery.
Halocarbon fluorinated additives and co-solvents are specifically designed to generate uniform SEI layers that electronically insulate and protect the surface of the anode, preventing adverse degradation of the electrolyte at higher voltages. In high energy density systems, Halocarbon products have been demonstrated to boost the performance of traditional SEI layer formers like EC and VC.
Decreasing Swelling
As a lithium battery ages, the chemical reactions taking place within the electrolytes of LiB cells leads to a broad range of decomposition products. These decomposition products, especially those from hydrocarbon-based carbonates, generate gases that are trapped within the cells. Over time, the buildup of these gasses leads to the swelling of batteries.
The higher electrochemical stability of Halocarbon additives, avoids these breakdown products. These additives help to stabilize electrolyte formulations, even under conditions of high voltages and thermal stress.