Electrode manufacturing apparatus and electrode manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrode manufacturing apparatus, comprising: an unwinding unit for continuously supplying an electrode current collector wound into a roll shape; the plasma processing unit is used for performing plasma processing on the surface of the expanded electrode current collector; an active material applying unit that applies an active material slurry to a surface of the electrode current collector such that the active material layer is disposed thereon; a drying unit for drying the active material layer disposed on the surface of the electrode current collector; and a winding unit for winding the electrode current collector having the dried active material layer into a roll shape, in which the plasma processing unit includes: a guide roller applying tension to the electrode current collector; and at least one plasma generating device inside the guide roller, and the plasma generating device sprays a gas in a plasma state at a surface of the electrode current collector in contact with the guide roller to perform a surface treatment on the surface of the electrode current collector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0182378, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 22, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrode manufacturing apparatus and an electrode manufacturing method, and more particularly, to an electrode manufacturing apparatus and an electrode manufacturing method for forming a uniform surface level by performing uniform plasma treatment on the surface of an electrode current collector. Background Art

[0003] Generally, types of secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries, lithium-ion polymer batteries, etc. Such secondary batteries are applied and used for small products such as digital cameras, P-DVDs, MP3Ps, mobile phones, PDAs, portable game devices, power tools, and electric bicycles, as well as large products that require high power such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, and power storage devices for storing generated surplus power or renewable energy, and power storage devices for standby power.

[0004] To manufacture an electrode assembly, a cathode, a separator, and an anode are manufactured and stacked. Specifically, a cathode active material slurry is applied to a cathode current collector, an anode active material slurry is applied to an anode current collector, and roll pressing or the like is performed to manufacture the cathode and the anode. Then, a separator is interposed and stacked between the above-manufactured cathode and anode to form a unit cell, and the unit cells are stacked on one another to form an electrode assembly. Then, the above electrode assembly is received in a case, and an electrolyte solution is injected into the case to manufacture a secondary battery.

[0005] Meanwhile, as an electrode current collector of a secondary battery, a metal foil such as an aluminum foil or a copper foil is used, and in order to apply an active material slurry to the electrode current collector and perform roll pressing on it, roll pressing oil can be used for the electrode current collector. At this time, if the active material slurry applied to the metal foil is an aqueous slurry based on an aqueous medium, due to the oiliness of the metal foil remaining due to the roll pressing oil, wetting is problematic, and there is a problem in that it is difficult to coat the aqueous slurry.

[0006] To prevent the above problems, a separate water washing process can be performed on the metal foil before coating the aqueous slurry to remove the oiliness, which requires separate equipment, resulting in an increase in cost, and it is difficult to apply the water washing process to a continuous process when manufacturing electrodes, which is not preferable. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical Problem

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems and is intended to provide an electrode manufacturing apparatus and an electrode manufacturing method in which the bonding force between an electrode current collector and an active material layer is improved, wrinkling of the electrode current collector is prevented, which can improve the electrode quality, and the apparatus configuration is simplified, which can improve the process efficiency.

[0009] Technical Solution

[0010] In one aspect, the present invention provides an electrode manufacturing apparatus including: an unwinding unit configured to continuously supply a wound electrode current collector in a roll form; a plasma processing unit configured to perform plasma processing on the surface of the wound electrode current collector; an active material applying unit configured to place an active material layer by applying an active material slurry onto the surface of the electrode current collector; a drying unit configured to dry the active material layer placed on the surface of the electrode current collector; and a winding unit configured to wind the electrode current collector on which the active material layer is dried into a roll form, wherein the plasma processing unit includes a guide roll that applies tension to the electrode current collector and at least one plasma generator inside the guide roll, and wherein the plasma generator performs surface treatment by ejecting a gas in a plasma state onto the surface of the electrode current collector that contacts the guide roll.

[0011] In another aspect, the present invention provides an electrode manufacturing method including: (A) preparing an electrode current collector; (B) plasma processing the surface of the electrode current collector; and (C) applying an active material slurry onto the surface of the electrode current collector to form an active material layer, wherein step (B) is performed by a plasma generator placed inside a guide roll that conveys the electrode current collector and applies tension to the electrode current collector.

[0012] Advantageous Effects

[0013] The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention can have an improved bonding force between the electrode current collector and the active material layer because the plasma generator removes the oiliness of the electrode current collector, thereby increasing the surface energy.

[0014] In the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the guide roll including the plasma generator is placed in contact with the electrode current collector, and the gas in a plasma state is discharged from the plasma generator, thereby preventing wrinkling of the electrode current collector.

[0015] The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes a plasma generator inside the guide roll, and thus does not require a separate plasma processing space, and thereby the process efficiency can be improved by introducing the apparatus into a continuous process.

[0016] If the slurry for forming the active material layer is an aqueous active material slurry and the aqueous active material slurry is applied to an electrode current collector, the electrode manufacturing method according to the present invention can improve the process efficiency by omitting a cleaning process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic view for describing an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic side view for describing a plasma processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 is a top view of a plasma processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 is a view for describing a plasma processing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for realizing them will be clarified by embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Further, the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein will be used in the sense commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the inventive concept pertains. Further, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries will not be ideally or excessively interpreted unless specifically defined otherwise.

[0023] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular forms include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" are intended to include the recited elements and do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other elements.

[0024] In this specification, when a part is referred to as including a specific component, this means that the part may further include another component rather than excluding another component, unless otherwise stated.

[0025] In this specification, the description of "A and / or B" means A, or B, or A and B.

[0026] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "%" means wt% (weight %).

[0027] Electrode manufacturing equipment

[0028] Hereinafter, an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing, the same elements may have the same reference numerals whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. In addition, when describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known components or functions may be omitted when it is determined that they may obscure the gist of the present invention.

[0029] Specifically, Figure 1 is a schematic view for describing an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a plasma processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a top view of a plasma processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 2 and Figure 3 is Figure 1 a view of an enlarged X region in

[0030] Referring to Figure 1 , an electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may include: a unwinding unit 120 for continuously supplying an electrode current collector 110 wound in a roll form; a plasma processing unit 130 for plasma-processing the surface of the wound electrode current collector 110; an active material applying unit 140 for applying an active material slurry onto the surface of the electrode current collector 110 to provide an active material layer; a drying unit 150 for drying the active material layer placed on the electrode current collector 110; and a winding unit 160 for winding the electrode current collector 110 having the dried active material layer into a roll form.

[0031] The unwinding unit 120 is a component for unwinding the electrode current collector 110 wound in a roll form. Specifically, the unwinding unit 120 may have the form of a roller, and the electrode current collector 110 may be wound or unwound according to the rotation direction. The unwinding unit 120 can unwind the electrode current collector 110 wound in a roll form and continuously supply the electrode current collector 110 to the plasma processing unit 130.

[0032] The electrode current collector 110 is not particularly limited as long as it has high conductivity and does not cause chemical changes in the battery, and may include, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, heat-treated carbon, and aluminum cadmium alloy.

[0033] The electrode current collector 110 may have minute irregularities formed on its surface to improve the bonding force of the active material. For example, the electrode current collector may be used in various forms, such as a film, a sheet, a foil, a net, a porous body, a foam, a nonwoven body, etc. Specifically, the electrode current collector 110 may be an anode current collector or a cathode current collector. If the electrode current collector 110 is a cathode current collector, the cathode current collector may contain copper. In addition, if the electrode current collector 110 is a cathode current collector, the cathode current collector may contain aluminum. More specifically, the electrode current collector 110 may be a cathode current collector.

[0034] The thickness of the electrode current collector 110 may be from 3 μm to 500 μm, specifically from 5 μm to 100 μm, and more specifically from 5 μm to 30 μm.

[0035] The plasma processing unit 130 is a component for performing plasma processing by spraying a gas in a plasma state onto the surface of the unfolded electrode current collector 110. The plasma processing unit 130 may be placed between the unfolding unit 120 and the active material application unit 140. Therefore, before applying the active material slurry to the electrode current collector 110, the oiliness of the electrode current collector 110 can be removed by plasma processing in advance, thereby improving the bonding force between the electrode current collector 110 and the active material layer. In addition, if the slurry for forming the active material layer is an aqueous active material slurry, the cleaning process can be omitted and the aqueous active slurry can be applied to the electrode current collector 110, thereby simplifying the equipment configuration.

[0036] As Figure 2 shown, the plasma processing unit 130 may include a guide roller 131 for applying tension to the electrode current collector 110 and at least one plasma generator 133 inside the guide roller 131. The electrode current collector 110 provided from the unfolding unit 120 is conveyed to the guide roller 131, and after being plasma processed, the electrode current collector 110 can be conveyed to the active material application unit 130 according to the rotation direction of the guide roller 131.

[0037] The plasma processing unit 130 includes a plasma generator 133 inside the guide roller 131, so a separate plasma processing space is not required, thereby improving the process efficiency by introducing the equipment into a continuous process. In addition, since the electrode current collector 110 is plasma processed during the process of conveying the electrode current collector 110 using the guide roller 131, the electrode current collector 110 can be uniformly plasma processed without wrinkling, which is preferable.

[0038] One or more guide rollers 131 may be provided, particularly two or more guide rollers 131 may be provided. Specifically, as Figure 1As shown, the guide roller 131 may include a first guide roller 131a and a second guide roller 131b. One surface of the electrode current collector 110 may be plasma-treated at the first guide roller 131a, and the other surface of the electrode current collector 110 may be plasma-treated at the second guide roller 131b. By providing two or more guide rollers 131, surface treatment can be uniformly performed on both surfaces of the electrode current collector 110.

[0039] The plasma generator 133 may eject a gas in a plasma state onto the surface of the electrode current collector 110 to perform surface treatment thereon. Specifically, the gas in a plasma state may be ejected onto the surface of the electrode current collector 110 that is in contact with the guide roller 131. The plasma generator 133 discharges the gas in a plasma state at a certain pressure onto the surface of the electrode current collector 110 that is in contact with the guide roller 131, thereby preventing wrinkles that may occur on the electrode current collector 110.

[0040] The plasma generator 133 may include a plasma generation module 135 and a discharge unit 137 that is connected to the plasma generation module 135 and discharges plasma.

[0041] The plasma generation module used in the art may be used as the plasma generation module 135 without limitation. Specifically, the plasma generation module 135 may generate low-temperature plasma. Low-temperature plasma is defined as plasma in which the energy of electrons is greater than the energy of ions, where electrons and ions constitute the plasma, and low-temperature plasma only applies mild heat (about 30 °C to 40 °C) to the part in direct contact with it, and is therefore suitable for application to the electrode current collector, which may have deteriorated physical properties due to phase change and grain growth of the metal caused by high temperature. For example, the plasma generation module 135 may be a plasma generation module that uses corona discharge, electromagnetic waves, photocatalyst, etc.

[0042] The discharge unit 137 is connected to the plasma generation module 135 and may be defined as a nozzle that discharges the plasma generated from the plasma generation module 135 to the outside. By the plasma ejected from the discharge unit 137, the oiliness of the electrode current collector 110 can be removed.

[0043] The ejection pressure of the plasma ejected from the discharge unit 137 may be 0.01 MPa to 3.0 MPa, specifically 0.1 MPa to 0.3 MPa, and more specifically 0.2 MPa to 0.3 MPa. If the above range is satisfied, preferably, the oiliness on the surface of the electrode current collector 110 is sufficiently removed, and damage to the electrode current collector 110 can be prevented.

[0044] The discharge part 137 of the plasma generator 133 can be placed at a distance from the electrode current collector 110. The distance H between the discharge part 137 and the electrode current collector 110 can be 1 mm - 20 mm, specifically 4 mm - 8 mm. If the distance H is less than 1 mm, there may be a problem that the electrode current collector 110 may be damaged due to the ejection pressure of the plasma ejected from the discharge part 137, and if it is greater than 20 mm, the oiliness on the surface of the electrode current collector 110 is not sufficiently removed, resulting in a problem that the bonding force with the active material layer may be reduced.

[0045] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the guide roller 131 can include an empty space 139 inside it. The empty space 139 can be placed between the plasma generator 133 and the electrode current collector 110. Specifically, the empty space 139 can be placed between the discharge part 139 and the electrode current collector 110.

[0046] As Figure 3 shown, at least a part of the empty space 139 can be exposed to the outside, and the exposed part of the empty space 139 can face the surface of the electrode current collector 110, and through the exposed part, the plasma can be ejected onto the surface of the electrode current collector. The empty space 139 can be in a form covered by the electrode current collector 110.

[0047] Specifically, except for the empty space 139 and the plasma generator 133, the guide roller 131 can be in a form filled with metal. The gas in the plasma state can be discharged from the plasma generator 133, and the gas in the plasma state can be excited and trapped in the empty space 139. Therefore, the surface of the electrode current collector 110 in contact with the guide roller 131 is uniformly surface-treated, and the wrinkling of the electrode current collector 110 that may occur during the plasma treatment can be prevented.

[0048] As Figure 2 shown, the length d1 of the empty space 139 in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the electrode current collector 110 can be shorter than the length d2 of the electrode current collector 110 in the width direction. If the length d1 of the empty space 139 in the width direction is longer than the length d2 of the electrode current collector 110 in the width direction, the gas in the plasma state discharged from the plasma generator cannot be trapped in the empty space 139, so that the surface of the electrode current collector 110 in contact with the guide roller 131 cannot be uniformly surface-treated, and the gas in the plasma state at a certain pressure is not applied to the electrode current collector 110, resulting in the possibility of wrinkling of the electrode current collector 110.

[0049] The surface energy of the plasma-treated electrode current collector can be 50 dynes / cm (dyne / cm) or greater, specifically from 50 dynes / cm to 70 dynes / cm, and more specifically from 50 dynes / cm to 60 dynes / cm. If the surface energy of the electrode current collector satisfies the above range, the coating quality of the electrode current collector is improved, such that the boundary between the coated portion and the uncoated portion without coating treatment can be fabricated according to the target electrode design, and in particular, the effect can be maximized in the case of an aqueous electrode.

[0050] The surface energy can be measured at room temperature (e.g., 25 °C) by a dyne pen test. Specifically, the surface energy is measured by a dyne pen test. Specifically, using a surface energy measurement kit (Super Marker Pen Set, Applied Plasma Inc.), when a dyne pen test is performed on the surface of a sample using 14 dyne pens with surface energy values ranging from 30 dynes / cm to 56 dynes / cm included in the kit, the surface energy value of the dyne pen can be represented by the surface energy value of the sample, where when the surface energy of the sample matches the surface energy of the dyne pen ink, the surface energy value of the dyne pen shows uniform diffusion of the ink without observing boundary shrinkage.

[0051] The active material application unit 140 is a component for applying an active material slurry to the surface of the electrode current collector 110 to form an active material layer. Specifically, the electrode current collector 110 plasma-treated in the plasma treatment unit 130 is conveyed to the active material application unit 140, and the active material slurry can be applied in the active material application unit 140.

[0052] The active material slurry may include an active material and a solvent. Specifically, the active material slurry may be an aqueous active material slurry containing an aqueous solvent. According to the present invention, the oiliness on the surface of the electrode current collector 110 can be removed by the plasma treatment unit 130 to improve the surface energy, the aqueous active material slurry can be smoothly applied to the electrode current collector 110 without causing liquid curling, and the wettability of the electrode current collector 110 can be further improved. Therefore, the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is very effective in manufacturing a cathode or an anode using an aqueous cathode active material slurry or an aqueous anode active material slurry.

[0053] The active material may be an active material commonly used in the art, and specifically may be an anode active material or a cathode active material. The anode active material may include at least one material selected from the group consisting of lithium metal, a carbon material capable of reversibly inserting / extracting lithium ions, a metal or an alloy of the metal and lithium, a metal composite oxide, a material capable of doping and undoping lithium, and a transition metal oxide. The cathode active material is a compound capable of reversibly inserting and extracting lithium, and specifically, may include a lithium metal oxide containing lithium and one or more metals (such as cobalt, manganese, nickel, or aluminum). More specifically, the lithium metal oxide includes lithium manganese-based oxides, lithium cobalt-based oxides, lithium nickel-based oxides, lithium nickel manganese-based oxides, lithium nickel cobalt-based oxides, and lithium manganese cobalt-based oxides, lithium nickel manganese cobalt-based oxides, lithium nickel cobalt transition metal (M) oxides, etc., and may include any one or two or more of these compounds.

[0054] The solvent may be a solvent commonly used in the art, and specifically may be an organic solvent or an aqueous solvent. The organic solvent may include at least one material selected from the group consisting of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), isopropyl alcohol, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylformamide (DMF), and acetone. The aqueous solvent may be water (H2O). Considering the application thickness of the slurry and the preparation yield, if the solvent dissolves or disperses the active material, the binder, and the conductive material, the amount of the solvent to be used is sufficient and has a viscosity capable of exhibiting excellent thickness uniformity when applied to subsequent electrode manufacturing.

[0055] Specifically, when the solvent is an aqueous solvent, the electrode current collector generally requires a water washing process to remove oiliness therefrom before coating the aqueous active material slurry, which requires separate equipment, resulting in increased costs, and there is a problem that the water washing process is not applicable to a continuous process. However, according to the present invention, even if the water washing process is omitted, by plasma-treating the electrode current collector 110, the oiliness can be removed and the aqueous active material slurry can be applied on the electrode current collector 110, thereby improving the processing efficiency due to the simplified equipment configuration. In addition, since the plasma generator 133 removes the oiliness of the electrode current collector 110, increasing the surface energy, the bonding force between the electrode current collector 110 and the active material layer can be improved.

[0056] The active material slurry may further include at least one of a binder and a conductive material, as well as the active material and the solvent.

[0057] The binder is used to improve the adhesion between active material particles and the adhesion between the active material and the current collector. The active material can be applied to both non-aqueous binders and aqueous binders, and the type of binder is not particularly limited. As an example, the anode electrode active material in the present invention can be applied to an aqueous binder. As a specific example, the aqueous binder may include at least one of the following materials: styrene-based rubbers (such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylate-styrene butadiene copolymer rubber (acrylate-co-SBR), or acrylonitrile-styrene butadiene copolymer rubber (acrylonitrile-co-SBR)) and acrylate-based compounds (such as methyl methacrylate-lithium methacrylate copolymer (P(MMA-co-LiMA)), alkyl acrylate-acrylonitrile-acrylic acid copolymer (P(alkyl acrylate-co-acrylonitrile-acrylic acid)), polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyimide series, etc.).

[0058] The conductive material is a component for further improving the conductivity of the positive electrode active material, and the conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing chemical changes in the battery. As specific examples, graphite such as natural graphite and artificial graphite can be used; carbon black such as acetylene black, Ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and thermal black; conductive fibers such as carbon fibers and metal fibers; fluorocarbons; metal powders such as aluminum powder and nickel powder; conductive whiskers such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate; conductive metal oxides such as titanium oxide; conductive materials such as polyphenylene derivatives.

[0059] For the application of the active material layer, slurry application methods known in the art can be used without limitation. Specifically, any one of a slit die, gravure printing, doctor blade, screen printing, offset printing, spraying, and dipping method can be used.

[0060] The drying unit 150 is a component for drying the active material layer formed on the surface of the electrode current collector 110. Specifically, the electrode current collector 110 with the active material layer formed thereon can be transported to the drying unit 150 and dried. As the drying unit 150, drying devices known in the art can be applied without limitation.

[0061] The winding unit 160 is a component for winding the electrode current collector 110 on which the active material layer has been dried into a roll form. After the electrode current collector 110 is wound into a roll form in the winding unit 160, the electrode current collector 110 in roll form can be stored or transported for subsequent processes in the manufacture of electrodes or batteries (such as rolling of the active material layer, manufacture of electrode assemblies, activation, etc.).

[0062] The support roller 145 is configured to support the electrode current collector 110 to allow for a stable application of the active material layer. The auxiliary rollers 171, 173, 175, 177, 179, 181 are components for guiding the conveyance of the electrode current collector 110.

[0063] Figure 4 It is a view for describing a plasma processing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] As Figure 4 shown, the plasma processing unit 130 may further include a mask sheet 210 disposed between the electrode current collector 110 and the guide roller 131. The mask sheet 210 may include one or more openings 212.

[0065] The mask sheet 210 allows for selective plasma processing at specific positions in the electrode current collector 110. Specifically, the plasma generated from the plasma processing unit 130 may pass only through the portion of the mask sheet 210 in which the openings 212 are formed, and plasma processing is performed at the positions of the electrode current collector 110 corresponding to the openings 212. At the same time, the plasma ejected from the plasma processing unit 130 may not pass through the portion of the mask sheet 210 in which the openings 212 are not formed.

[0066] Accordingly, when the slurry for forming the active material layer is an aqueous active material slurry, the oiliness is removed from the plasma processing region on the surface of the electrode current collector 110, and the surface energy of the electrode current collector 110 increases, thereby increasing the bonding force with the active material layer, and the oiliness is not removed from the unplasma-processed region and the surface energy of the electrode current collector 110 is low, thereby reducing the bonding force with the active material layer. Accordingly, after drying the active material layer, the active material layer formed in the unplasma-processed portion of the electrode current collector 110 can be removed by air blowing or the like, and finally, an electrode with an active material layer having a specific pattern can be achieved.

[0067] The shape of the openings 212 can be freely designed in consideration of the shape of the electrode pattern, and can be, for example, circular, triangular, or quadrilateral.

[0068] One or more openings 212 may be provided, particularly two or more openings may be provided. If there are two or more openings, the two or more openings may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other.

[0069] The material of the mask sheet is not particularly limited. Specifically, the mask sheet may include at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, iron, and tungsten, but is not limited thereto.

[0070] Specifically, when the slurry for forming the active material layer is an aqueous active material slurry, the oiliness is removed from the plasma-treated area on the surface of the electrode current collector 110, thereby increasing the bonding force with the active material layer, and the oiliness is not removed from the non-plasma-treated area, thereby reducing the bonding force with the active material layer. In the non-plasma-treated area, after applying the active material layer and drying the active material layer, an electrode with a specific pattern can ultimately be achieved by air blowing.

[0071] Electrode manufacturing method

[0072] In addition, the present invention provides an electrode manufacturing method. The electrode manufacturing method can be an electrode manufacturing method using the above-mentioned electrode manufacturing equipment.

[0073] Specifically, the electrode manufacturing method according to the present invention includes: (A) preparing an electrode current collector, (B) plasma-treating the surface of the electrode current collector, and (C) applying an active material slurry to the surface of the electrode current collector to form an active material layer, wherein step (B) is performed by a plasma generator placed inside a guide roller for transporting the electrode current collector and applying tension to the electrode current collector.

[0074] According to the present invention, if the slurry formed on the active material layer is an aqueous active material slurry, the aqueous active material slurry can be applied to the electrode current collector without a water washing process, thereby improving the processing efficiency by simplifying the equipment configuration.

[0075] In the electrode manufacturing method according to the present invention, the descriptions of the electrode current collector, the active material slurry, the active material layer, the plasma generator, the guide roller, etc. are the same as those described in the above-mentioned electrode manufacturing equipment.

[0076] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0077] Example 1

[0078] The surface of the electrode current collector unfolded from the unfolding portion of the electrode current collector continuously supplying the same aluminum A1100 12 μm is plasma-treated using the plasma treatment unit according to the present invention. The plasma treatment conditions are as follows. - Injection pressure of the plasma ejected from the discharge portion: 0.3 MPa - Spacing distance between the discharge portion and the electrode current collector: 5 mm - Output: 1000 V - Nozzle size: 60Φ mm - Discharge gas: air

[0079] Comparative Example 1

[0080] Prepare the same aluminum A1100 12μm electrode current collector without plasma treatment.

[0081] Experimental Example 1: Surface energy of the electrode current collector

[0082] Measure the surface energy of the surface of Comparative Example 1 and the surface of Example 1, where the surface of Comparative Example 1 is the electrode current collector unfolded from the unfolding part, and the surface of Example 1 is the electrode current collector plasma-treated in the plasma treatment unit. The measurement results are shown in [Table 1] below.

[0083] Specifically, the contact angle measurement method is used to measure the surface energy of the electrode current collector surface. After dropping DI water or MI solution onto the surface of the electrode current collector at 25°C, the angle between the surface of the electrode current collector and the droplet can be measured in the Young's modulus contact angle mode using the MSA device of KRUSS company. This is the result obtained by cross-verifying the dyne level with a Super Marker Pen (a dyne pen product of API company). [Table 1]

[0084] Surface energy (dyne / cm) Example 1 56 Comparative Example 1 30

[0085] Experimental Example 2: Appearance of wrinkles on the electrode current collector

[0086] The occurrence of wrinkles was observed with the naked eye on the surface of Comparative Example 1 (which is the electrode current collector unfolded from the unfolding part) and the surface of Example 1 (which is the electrode current collector plasma-treated in the plasma treatment unit). The observation results are indicated by O / X in the following [Table 2]. [Table 2]

[0087] Wrinkles Example 1 X Comparative Example 1 O

Claims

1. An electrode manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a unwinding unit configured to continuously supply a wound electrode current collector in a roll form; a plasma processing unit configured to perform plasma processing on the surface of the wound electrode current collector; an active material applying unit configured to apply an active material slurry onto the surface of the electrode current collector to provide an active material layer; a drying unit configured to dry the active material layer placed on the surface of the electrode current collector; and a winding unit configured to wind the electrode current collector having the dried active material layer into a roll form, wherein the plasma processing unit includes a guide roller and at least one plasma generator inside the guide roller, the guide roller applying tension to the electrode current collector, and wherein the plasma generator performs surface treatment by ejecting a gas in a plasma state onto the surface of the electrode current collector that contacts the guide roller.

2. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, An empty space is provided inside the guide roller, and the gas in a plasma state ejected from the plasma generator is excited in the empty space.

3. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, At least a part of the empty space is exposed to the outside, and the exposed part of the empty space faces the surface of the electrode current collector.

4. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The plasma generator includes a plasma generation module and a discharge unit connected to the plasma generation module and discharging plasma, wherein the discharge unit is placed at a distance from the electrode current collector.

5. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The distance between the discharge unit and the electrode current collector is 1 mm to 20 mm.

6. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The electrode current collector includes at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, heat-treated carbon, and aluminum cadmium alloy.

7. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the electrode current collector is 3 μm to 500 μm.

8. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The plasma processing unit is placed between the unwinding unit and the active material applying unit.

9. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The plasma processing unit includes a first guide roller and a second guide roller, wherein one surface of the electrode current collector is subjected to plasma processing at the first guide roller, and the other surface of the electrode current collector is subjected to plasma processing at the second guide roller.

10. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The active material slurry is an aqueous active material slurry including an active material and an aqueous solvent.

11. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The surface energy of the plasma-processed electrode current collector is 50 dynes / cm.

12. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mask sheet placed between the electrode current collector and the guide roller, and the mask sheet includes one or more openings, wherein the plasma ejected from the plasma generator passes through the openings of the mask sheet and performs surface treatment on specific positions of the electrode current collector.

13. A method for manufacturing an electrode, the method comprising: (A) preparing an electrode current collector; (B) performing plasma processing on the surface of the electrode current collector; and (C) Apply the active material slurry to the surface of the electrode current collector to form an active material layer, wherein step (B) is performed by a plasma generator placed inside a guide roller that conveys the electrode current collector and applies tension to the electrode current collector.

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