Aerogel composition, method for manufacturing aerogel composition, battery insulating sheet including aerogel composition, and method for manufacturing battery insulating sheet

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerogel composition, a method for manufacturing the aerogel composition, a battery insulating sheet including the aerogel composition, and a method for manufacturing the battery insulating sheet. The aerogel composition for a battery insulation sheet includes: a reinforcement material including two or more fibrous supports; an aerogel; a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof; and a solvent, in which the two or more fibrous supports have an aspect ratio AR represented by Formula 1 different from each other: Formula 1 AR = L / D, where in Formula 1, L indicates an average length of the two or more fibrous supports, and D indicates an average diameter of the two or more fibrous supports.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0098058 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on July 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] One or more aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an aerogel composition for a battery insulating sheet, a method of manufacturing the aerogel composition, a battery insulating sheet formed using the aerogel composition, and a method of manufacturing the battery insulating sheet. Background Art

[0004] Secondary batteries are power storage systems that convert electrical energy into chemical energy, store chemical energy, and provide a suitable high energy density. Compared with non-rechargeable primary batteries, secondary batteries are rechargeable and are widely used in information technology (IT) (e.g., electronic) devices such as smart phones, mobile phones, laptop computers, and / or tablet computers. Recently, due to efforts to prevent or reduce environmental pollution, people have become more and more interested in electric vehicles, and high-capacity secondary batteries are used in such electric vehicles. Secondary batteries require (or should have) characteristics such as suitable high density, suitable high output, and / or stability.

[0005] If multiple high-capacity battery cells are included (such as in a lithium secondary battery), one battery cell may overheat for one or more reasons and may thermally runaway, which may adversely affect other adjacent battery cells, so it is desirable to thermally separate adjacent battery cells from each other.

[0006] In comparable batteries, plates and / or insulating resin sheets may be disposed between battery cells to separate and insulate adjacent battery cells from each other.

[0007] The information disclosed in this section is provided only to enhance understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0008] One or more aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an aerogel composition having excellent or appropriate thermal insulation, fire resistance, mechanical properties and / or dust formation, a method for making an aerogel composition, a battery insulation sheet formed using the aerogel composition, and a method for making a battery insulation sheet. Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the following description, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments of the present disclosure presented.

[0009] One or more embodiments provide an aerogel composition (e.g., an aerogel composition for a battery insulating sheet), the aerogel composition comprising: a reinforcing material including two or more fiber supports; an aerogel; a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof; and a solvent, wherein the two or more fiber supports have different aspect ratios AR represented by Formula 1:

[0010] Formula 1

[0011] AR=L / D.

[0012] In Formula 1, L indicates an average length of each of two or more fibrous supports, and D indicates an average diameter of each of two or more fibrous supports.

[0013] The difference in aspect ratio between two or more types of fibrous supports may be 1 to 5,000.

[0014] The reinforcing material may include two or more selected from the group consisting of: a first fiber support, a second fiber support, and a third fiber support.

[0015] The aspect ratio of the first fibrous support may be 1 to 500, the average diameter of the first fibrous support may be 8 μm to 12 μm, and the average length of the first fibrous support may be 100 μm to 3,000 μm.

[0016] The aspect ratio of the second fibrous support may be 2.5 to 2,500, the average diameter of the second fibrous support may be 8 μm to 20 μm, and the average length of the second fibrous support may be 50 μm to 20,000 μm.

[0017] The aspect ratio of the third fibrous support body may be 300 to 5,000, the average diameter of the third fibrous support body may be 8 μm to 12 μm, and the average length of the third fibrous support body may be 3,000 μm to 50,000 μm.

[0018] Based on 100 parts by weight of the reinforcing material, the first fiber support may be included in an amount of 10 to 60 parts by weight, the second fiber support may be included in an amount of 30 to 60 parts by weight, and the third fiber support may be included in an amount of 10 to 60 parts by weight.

[0019] Aerogel can have 500m 2 / g~1,000m 2 / g BET (Brunauer, Emmet and Teller) specific surface area.

[0020] The aerogel may have an average particle size D50 of 5 μm to 200 μm.

[0021] The ratio of the average particle size of the aerogel to the average length of each of the two or more fibrous supports may be 1:1 to 1:10,000.

[0022] The binder may include an aqueous polymer binder, and the aqueous polymer binder may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a water-based polymer, an anionic water-soluble polymer, a cationic water-soluble polymer, and a water-dispersible polymer.

[0023] The binder may be included in an amount of 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition.

[0024] The dispersant may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a surfactant and a phosphate-based salt.

[0025] The dispersant may be included in an amount of 0.1 wt% to 6 wt% based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition.

[0026] The solvent may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a polar solvent and a non-polar solvent.

[0027] Based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition, the reinforcing material may be included in an amount of 5 wt % to 70 wt %, the aerogel may be included in an amount of 10 wt % to 90 wt %, and the functional material may be included in an amount of 0.5 wt % to 20 wt %.

[0028] One or more embodiments provide a method for manufacturing an aerogel composition for a battery insulating sheet, the method comprising: mixing a solvent with a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof to manufacture a solvent mixture; mixing the solvent mixture with an aerogel to manufacture an aerogel mixture; and mixing the aerogel mixture with a reinforcing material to manufacture the aerogel composition, wherein the reinforcing material comprises two or more fiber supports, and the two or more fiber supports have different aspect ratios AR represented by Formula 1 from each other:

[0029] Formula 1

[0030] AR=L / D.

[0031] In Formula 1, L indicates an average length of each of two or more fibrous supports, and D indicates an average diameter of each of two or more fibrous supports.

[0032] One or more embodiments provide a battery insulating sheet including: a first substrate, a second substrate, and an aerogel layer formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the aerogel layer is formed using an aerogel composition.

[0033] One or more embodiments provide a method of manufacturing a battery insulating sheet, the method including: applying an aerogel composition to a first substrate; and laminating a second substrate on the applied aerogel composition to form a laminate.

[0034] The method may further include pressing and drying the laminate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The attached drawings incorporated in this specification illustrate example embodiments and are used to further illustrate the technical concept of the present disclosure in conjunction with the detailed description of the following example embodiments, and the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited to the contents shown in these drawings. In the drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments;

[0037] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a battery insulation sheet formed between a plurality of battery cells according to one or more embodiments;

[0038] Figure 3 is a SEM (scanning electron microscope) image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulation sheet according to Example 1;

[0039] Figure 4 is a SEM image of an aerogel layer of a battery insulating sheet according to Comparative Example 1;

[0040] Figure 5 is a SEM image of an aerogel layer of a battery insulating sheet according to Comparative Example 2;

[0041] Figure 6 is a SEM image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulation sheet according to Comparative Example 3; and

[0042] Figure 7 is a SEM image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulating sheet according to Comparative Example 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in more detail so that the embodiments can be easily implemented by those of ordinary skill in the art. However, the embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and are not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0044] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present invention, the first element may be referred to as the second element. Similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element.

[0045] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0046] It will be further understood that when used in this specification, the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and / or “comprising” indicate the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0047] As used herein, the terms "use," "using," and "used" may be considered synonymous with the terms "utilize," "utilizing," and "utilized," respectively.

[0048] As used herein, expressions such as "at least one of," "one of," and "selected from," when preceding / following a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. For example, "at least one selected from a, b, and c" may indicate only a, only b, only c, both a and b (e.g., a and b simultaneously), both a and c (e.g., a and c simultaneously), both b and c (e.g., b and c simultaneously), all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof.

[0049] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0050] Further, when describing embodiments of the present disclosure, the use of “may” refers to “one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.”

[0051] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element, or one or more intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0052] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "below," "below," "below," "above," "on," "bottom," and "top," etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature illustrated in the figures to another element or feature. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, an element described as being "below" or "below" other elements or features will then be oriented "above" or "on" the other elements or features. Thus, the term "below" may encompass both orientations above and below. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0053] As used herein, the terms "substantially," "about," and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to take into account the inherent deviations in measured or calculated values ​​that one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize. As used herein, "about" or "approximately" includes the recited value and means within an acceptable range of deviation for the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" may mean within one or more standard deviations of the recited value, or within ±30%, ±20%, ±10%, or ±5% of the recited value.

[0054] Any numerical range set forth in this article is intended to include all sub-ranges of the same numerical precision falling within the range set forth. For example, the range of "1.0-10.0" is intended to be included between the minimum value of 1.0 set forth and the maximum value of 10.0 set forth (and including 1.0 and 10.0), that is, all sub-ranges with a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as, for example, 2.4-7.6. Any maximum numerical limit set forth in this article is intended to include all lower numerical limits falling therein and any minimum numerical limit set forth in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limits falling therein. Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to modify this specification, including the claims, to explicitly set forth any sub-range falling within the range explicitly set forth in this article.

[0055] As materials that prevent or reduce the flow of heat (e.g., energy) from a higher temperature to a lower temperature, insulating materials (e.g., insulators or thermal insulators) can be used not only in refrigerators, cold storages and / or buildings, but also in various other industries, including the aviation industry, the electronics industry and / or the automotive industry.

[0056] The insulating material needs to have (e.g., it is expected that the insulating material has) excellent or appropriate thermal insulation properties (i.e., thermal insulation) through appropriate thermal conductivity (e.g., relatively low thermal conductivity) and mechanical strength (to maintain (or substantially maintain) the thermal insulation properties over time).

[0057] As a transparent and / or translucent advanced material with a nanoporous structure, aerogel can exhibit very (or significantly) low density and moderately low thermal conductivity, so aerogel may have considerable potential as an insulating material and is considered as a highly efficient super insulating material that can be used in various industrial applications.

[0058] One of the biggest advantages of aerogels is that they are comparable to comparable organic insulating materials such as Styrofoam TM In comparison, aerogels have lower thermal conductivity, and aerogels can (eg, potentially can) address some key weaknesses of organic insulating materials, such as being susceptible to fire and / or generating harmful gases when ignited.

[0059] However, aerogels have been found to be very brittle, easily break under slight impact, and difficult to process into very small thicknesses and shapes, making it difficult to manufacture insulating materials using only aerogels, despite their excellent or moderate thermal insulation.

[0060] The aerogel composition according to one or more embodiments may include: a reinforcing material including two or more fiber supports; an aerogel: a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof; and a solvent, wherein the two or more fiber supports may have different aspect ratios AR represented by Formula 1 from each other:

[0061] Formula 1

[0062] AR=L / D.

[0063] In Formula 1, L indicates an average length of each of two or more fibrous supports, and D indicates an average diameter of each of two or more fibrous supports.

[0064] The battery insulating sheet manufactured using the aerogel composition including the above components can have excellent or appropriate thermal insulation, fire resistance and / or mechanical properties, a suitably low manufacturing process cost, and at the same time (e.g., simultaneously or together) can prevent or reduce the generation of dust from the aerogel during the manufacturing process and during actual use, thereby improving the safety of the battery.

[0065] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcement material may include two or more fiber supports having different aspect ratios from each other, thereby improving mechanical properties of a battery insulation sheet formed using the reinforcement material.

[0066] The difference in aspect ratio between two or more fiber supports may be 1 to 5,000, 200 to 4,900, or 200 to 1,000. The difference in aspect ratio may be applied to two or more fiber supports. As an example, if the two or more fiber supports include a first fiber support and a second fiber support, the difference in aspect ratio may refer to the difference in aspect ratio between the first fiber support and the second fiber support. As another example, if the two or more fiber supports include a first fiber support, a second fiber support, and a third fiber support, the difference in aspect ratio may refer to the difference in aspect ratio between the first fiber support and the second fiber support, the difference in aspect ratio between the second fiber support and the third fiber support, and the difference in aspect ratio between the first fiber support and the third fiber support. By controlling the difference in aspect ratio between two or more fiber supports within any of the above ranges, the thermal insulation, fire resistance, and / or compressibility (i.e., compression characteristics) of the battery insulating sheet can be improved.

[0067] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcing material may include two or more selected from (eg, selected from the group consisting of): a first fibrous support, a second fibrous support, and a third fibrous support.

[0068] The aspect ratio of the first fibrous support may be 1 to 500, 10 to 500, or 200 to 400. The average diameter of the first fibrous support may be 8 μm to 12 μm. The average length of the first fibrous support may be 100 μm to 3,000 μm.

[0069] The aspect ratio of the second fibrous support may be 2 to 2,500, 50 to 300, or 70 to 150. The average diameter of the second fibrous support may be 8 μm to 20 μm. The average length of the second fibrous support may be 50 μm to 20,000 μm.

[0070] The aspect ratio of the third fibrous support may be 3 to 5,000, 1,000 to 5,000, or 800 to 1,200. The average diameter of the third fibrous support may be 8 μm to 12 μm. The average length of the third fibrous support may be 3,000 μm to 50,000 μm.

[0071] As used herein, when the cross-section of the material is circular, the term "average diameter" refers to the average circular diameter, and when the cross-section of the material is non-circular, the term "average diameter" refers to the average major axis length.

[0072] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcement material may include a first fiber support and a second fiber support. In this case, based on 100 parts by weight of the reinforcement material, the first fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 1 to 99 parts by weight, 20 to 80 parts by weight, or 40 to 60 parts by weight, and the second fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 1 to 99 parts by weight, 20 to 80 parts by weight, or 40 to 60 parts by weight. In this case, by including the first fiber support and the second fiber support in a content (e.g., amount) ratio within any of the above ranges, the compressibility of the battery insulating sheet can be improved.

[0073] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcing material may include a first fiber support and a third fiber support. In this case, based on 100 parts by weight of the reinforcing material, the first fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 1 to 99 parts by weight, 20 to 80 parts by weight, or 40 to 60 parts by weight, and the third fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 1 to 99 parts by weight, 20 to 80 parts by weight, or 40 to 60 parts by weight. In this case, by including the first fiber support and the third fiber support in a content (e.g., amount) ratio within any of the above ranges, the compressibility of the battery insulating sheet can be improved.

[0074] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcing material may include a second fiber support and a third fiber support. In this case, based on 100 parts by weight of the reinforcing material, the second fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 10 to 90 parts by weight, 20 to 80 parts by weight, or 40 to 60 parts by weight, and the third fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 10 to 90 parts by weight, 20 to 80 parts by weight, or 40 to 60 parts by weight. In this case, by including the second fiber support and the third fiber support in a content (e.g., amount) ratio within any of the above ranges, the compressibility of the battery insulating sheet can be improved.

[0075] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcement material may include a first fiber support, a second fiber support, and a third fiber support. In this case, based on 100 parts by weight of the reinforcement material, the first fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 10 to 60 parts by weight or 20 to 60 parts by weight, the second fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 30 to 60 parts by weight or 40 to 60 parts by weight, and the third fiber support may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 10 to 60 parts by weight, 10 to 40 parts by weight, or 10 to 30 parts by weight. In this case, by including the first fiber support, the second fiber support, and the third fiber support in a content (e.g., amount) ratio within any of the above ranges, the compressibility of the battery insulating sheet can be further improved.

[0076] Each of the two or more fibrous supports may include fibers that serve as a support for a comparable (or appropriate) insulating material.

[0077] Each of the two or more fiber supports may be at least one selected from the group consisting of natural fibers, silica fibers, glass fibers, ceramic fibers, carbon fibers, graphite fibers, mineral fibers, and polymer fibers.

[0078] The natural fiber may be, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of hemp, jute, flax, coir, kenaf, and cellulose.

[0079] The ceramic fiber may be at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron nitride, and aluminum silicon carbide.

[0080] The mineral fiber may be, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of basalt, diatomaceous earth, alumina, boron, quartz, silica, slag, and rock.

[0081] The polymer fiber may be, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyimide, polyamide, polybenzimidazole, polybenzoxazole, polyamideimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyester, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). For example, the polymer fiber may include, but is not limited to, at least one selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide and polybenzimidazole.

[0082] Each of the two or more fibrous supports may be in the form of, for example, but not limited to, at least one selected from the group consisting of powder, wool, chops, felt, batting, and fluffy batting.

[0083] Based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition (100wt%), the content (e.g., amount) of the reinforcing material may be 5wt% to 70wt%, 25wt% to 60wt%, or 30wt% to 50wt%. If a battery insulating sheet is manufactured using the aerogel composition of the present embodiment including two or more fiber supports within any of the above ranges, the mechanical properties of the battery insulating sheet may be improved.

[0084] In one or more embodiments, the aerogel may have a 500 m 2 / g~1,000m 2 / g BET specific surface area. For example, the aerogel may have 500m 2 / g~950m 2 / g, 550m 2 / g~950m 2 / g or 600m 2 / g~900m 2 Because the aerogel having a BET specific surface area within any of the above ranges is included, it is possible to provide a battery insulating sheet capable of effectively or appropriately preventing or reducing heat transfer and / or heat propagation between a plurality of battery cells.

[0085] The average particle size D50 of the aerogel may be 5 to 200 μm, 10 to 100 μm, or 20 to 50 μm. By including the aerogel having an average particle size in any of the above ranges, thermal insulation of the battery insulating sheet may be improved, thereby delaying heat transfer between a plurality of battery cells.

[0086] The average particle size D50 of the particles can be defined as the particle size at 50% of the particle size distribution (the particle size corresponding to the cumulative 50% volume of the particle size distribution). For example, the average particle size D50 can be measured using any appropriate method such as a laser diffraction method and / or a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Another method can be performed by using a measuring device with dynamic light scattering, analyzing data to count the number of particles for each particle size, and then calculating to obtain the average particle size D50. In this specification, when the particles are spherical, "particle size" indicates the particle diameter, and when the particles are non-spherical, "particle size" indicates the major axis length.

[0087] The ratio of the average particle size of the aerogel to the average length of each fiber support (e.g., the average length of each of the two or more fiber supports) may be 1:1 to 1:10,000, 1:70 to 1:10,000, 1:6 to 1:17, or 1:1.5 to 1:2.5. By controlling the ratio of the average particle size of the aerogel to the average length of the two or more fiber supports within any of the above ranges, the thermal insulation, heat resistance, compressibility, and / or dust formation of the battery insulation sheet may be improved.

[0088] Based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition (100wt%), the content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel may be 10wt% to 90wt%, 30wt% to 70wt%, or 40wt% to 60wt%. If an aerogel composition including an amount of aerogel within any of the above ranges is used to manufacture a battery insulating sheet, the thermal insulation of the battery insulating sheet may be improved.

[0089] In one or more embodiments, the binder may include an aqueous polymer binder. For example, the aqueous polymer binder may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a water-based polymer, an anionic water-soluble polymer, a cationic water-soluble polymer, and a water-dispersible polymer.

[0090] The water-based polymer may be, for example, but not limited to, at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamide, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone.

[0091] The anionic water-soluble polymer may include a polymer having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid, carboxylate, sulfonic acid, sulfonic acid ester, sulfate, phosphate and salts thereof. For example, the anionic water-soluble polymer may be a polymer having a carboxylic acid group, and may include but is not limited to polymaleic acid as a specific example.

[0092] The cationic water-soluble polymer may include a polymer having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of: amine, ammonium, phosphonium, sulfonium and salts thereof. For example, the cationic water-soluble polymer may be a polymer having an amine group, and may be, but is not limited to, at least one selected from the group consisting of: polyvinylamine and polyamine.

[0093] The water-dispersible polymer may be, but is not limited to, at least one selected from the group consisting of water-dispersible polyurethane and water-dispersible polyester.

[0094] The binder may include a water-based polymer and a water-dispersible polymer. For example, the binder may include a water-based polymer having a bonding property and a dispersible property and a water-dispersible polymer having fire resistance. For example, the binder may include polyvinyl alcohol and a water-dispersible polyurethane.

[0095] The weight ratio of the water-based polymer to the water-dispersible polymer may be 1:1 to 1:5, 1:1 to 1:4, or 1:2 to 1:3. If the weight ratio of the water-based polymer to the water-dispersible polymer is within any of the above ranges, the fire resistance and mechanical properties of the battery insulating sheet may be further improved in addition to the thermal insulation, dust formation, and compressibility of the battery insulating sheet.

[0096] Based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition (100 wt%), the content (e.g., amount) of the binder may be 0.5 wt% to 20 wt%, 2 wt% to 15 wt%, or 8 wt% to 15 wt%. If a battery insulating sheet is manufactured using an aerogel composition including a binder in an amount within any of the above ranges, the dusting property of the battery insulating sheet may be improved.

[0097] In one or more embodiments, the dispersant may be at least one selected from the group consisting of: a surfactant and a phosphate salt. For example, the dispersant may include, but is not limited to, at least one selected from the group consisting of: a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, a natural surfactant (such as lecithin), and a phosphate ester.

[0098] Further including a dispersant can further improve the dispersion of the aerogel in the aerogel composition, thereby allowing the two or more fibrous supports and the aerogel to be uniformly (eg, substantially uniformly) dispersed.

[0099] The content (e.g., amount) of the dispersant may be 0.1 wt% to 6 wt%, 0.1 wt% to 5 wt%, or 0.1 wt% to 3 wt%, based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition (100 wt%). If the dispersant within any of the above ranges is included, it is possible to manufacture the aerogel composition at a moderately low cost using the aerogel composition, and to manufacture a battery insulating sheet having excellent or moderate thermal insulation, fire resistance, mechanical properties, and dust formation.

[0100] In one or more embodiments, the binder and the dispersant may be included in a weight ratio of 1:0.001 to 1:0.67, 1:0.001 to 1:0.5, or 1:0.001 to 1:0.3. Mixing the binder and the dispersant in a weight ratio within any of the above ranges may allow the aerogel to be more uniformly dispersed in the aerogel layer.

[0101] In one or more embodiments, based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition (100 wt %), a reinforcing material may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 25 wt % to 60 wt %, aerogel may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 30 wt % to 70 wt %, and a binder may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 2 wt % to 15 wt %.

[0102] In one or more embodiments, based on the total amount (100 wt %) of solids in the aerogel composition, a reinforcing material may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 30 wt % to 50 wt %, an aerogel may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 40 wt % to 60 wt %, and a binder may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 8 wt % to 15 wt %. If the aerogel composition is formed within any of the above ranges, it is possible to achieve excellent or appropriate thermal insulation and fire resistance while improving the mechanical properties of the battery insulation sheet, and improve the bonding between the reinforcing material and the aerogel, thereby preventing or reducing dust generation.

[0103] In one or more embodiments, based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition (100 wt %), a reinforcing material may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 25 wt % to 60 wt %, an aerogel may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 30 wt % to 70 wt %, a binder may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 2 wt % to 15 wt %, and a dispersant may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 0.1 wt % to 5 wt %.

[0104] In some embodiments, based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition (100 wt%), a reinforcing material may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 30 wt% to 50 wt%, an aerogel may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 40 wt% to 60 wt%, a binder may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 5 wt% to 10 wt%, and a dispersant may be included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 0.1 wt% to 3 wt%. If the aerogel composition is formed within any of the above ranges, the dispersibility of the aerogel may be improved, and thus it may be possible to achieve excellent or appropriate thermal insulation and fire resistance while improving the mechanical properties of the battery insulating sheet, and improve the bonding between the reinforcing material and the aerogel, thereby preventing or reducing dust generation.

[0105] In one or more embodiments, the solvent may be at least one selected from the group consisting of a polar solvent and a non-polar solvent.

[0106] The polar solvent may include water, an alcohol solvent, or a combination thereof.

[0107] The water can include, for example, purified water, deionized water, or a combination thereof.

[0108] The alcohol solvent may be, for example, but not limited to, at least one selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, pentanol, butanol, hexanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and glycerol.

[0109] The non-polar solvent may include a hydrocarbon solvent. For example, the hydrocarbon solvent may be at least one selected from the group consisting of hexane, pentane, heptane, toluene and benzene, and may be, but is not limited to, an alkane solvent (such as hexane) and / or a mixture (e.g., any suitable mixture or combination) including an alkane solvent.

[0110] The solvent may include water. Using water as a solvent can effectively or appropriately reduce the cost of raw materials and post-processing costs. However, if water is used as a solvent, water may not be well or properly mixed with the hydrophobic aerogel. In one or more embodiments, the aerogel can be uniformly (or substantially uniformly) dispersed by controlling the design of the mixing step (e.g., action or task), the mixing conditions, the addition of a binder and a dispersant, and / or the amount of the binder and the dispersant. This uniform (or substantially uniform) dispersion of the aerogel in the aerogel composition can ensure that a battery insulation sheet with excellent or suitable thermal insulation, fire resistance, mechanical properties and dust formation is formed with a suitably thin thickness without using a large amount (e.g., an inappropriately large amount) of a binder.

[0111] The solvent may be included so that the weight ratio of the solvent to the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition is 1:1 to 1:90. For example, the weight ratio of the solvent to the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition may be 1:50 to 1:70, 1:20 to 1:30, or 1:2 to 1:10. By controlling the weight ratio of the solvent to the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition within any of the above ranges, the viscosity may be controlled or selected to appropriately coat the aerogel layer.

[0112] In one or more embodiments, the aerogel composition may further include a silane compound. The silane compound may be, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, methyltriethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrimethoxysilane, ethyltriethoxysilane, and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane. Further including a silane compound may further improve the dispersibility of the aerogel.

[0113] In one or more embodiments, additives such as wetting agents, emulsifiers, compatibilizers, viscosity modifiers, pH modifiers, stabilizers, antioxidants, acid or base scavengers, metal inhibitors, defoamers, antistatic agents, tackifiers, adhesion promoters, coupling agents, flame retardants, impact modifiers, pigments, dyes, colorants and / or deodorants may optionally be further included.

[0114] The method of manufacturing an aerogel composition according to one or more embodiments may include a step (e.g., an action or task) of mixing a solvent with a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof to manufacture a solvent mixture; a step (e.g., an action or task) of mixing the solvent mixture with an aerogel to manufacture an aerogel mixture; and a step (e.g., an action or task) of mixing the aerogel mixture with a reinforcing material to manufacture an aerogel composition, wherein the reinforcing material may include two or more fiber supports, and the two or more fiber supports may have different aspect ratios AR represented by Formula 1 from each other.

[0115] In the step (eg, action or task) of mixing the solvent with the functional material to produce the solvent mixture, the solvent may be mixed with the binder or may be mixed with the binder and the dispersant. A more detailed description of the solvent, the binder and the dispersant may be the same as above.

[0116] In the step (eg, action or task) of mixing the solvent mixture with the aerogel to produce the aerogel mixture, the aerogel may be added in a powder form, and a more detailed description of the aerogel may be the same as described above.

[0117] In the step (eg, action or task) of mixing the aerogel mixture with the reinforcing material to produce the aerogel composition, a more detailed description of the reinforcing material may be the same as described above.

[0118] In each of the steps (e.g., actions or tasks) of mixing a solvent with a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof to produce a solvent mixture, mixing a solvent mixture with an aerogel to produce an aerogel mixture, and mixing an aerogel mixture with a reinforcing material to produce an aerogel composition, a mixer may be used for mixing. For example, the mixer may include, but is not limited to, a planetary mixer and a Thinky mixer (e.g., THINKYMIXER).

[0119] For example, a planetary mixer can be used to mix the solvent mixture with the aerogel. Using a planetary mixer to mix the solvent mixture with the aerogel can allow the aerogel to be uniformly (eg, substantially uniformly) dispersed in the solvent mixture.

[0120] A planetary mixer may be a device that can be used to mix and / or agitate different substances in order to produce a homogenous (or substantially homogenous) mixture. A planetary mixer may include blades that are capable of planetary motion.

[0121] In one or more embodiments, the planetary mixer may include at least one selected from one or more planetary blades and one or more high-speed dispersing blades. For example, the planetary mixer may include at least one planetary blade and at least one high-speed dispersing blade.

[0122] Each of the planetary blades and the high-speed dispersion blades can be continuously rotated about its axis. The rotation speed can be expressed in revolutions per minute (rpm).

[0123] In one or more embodiments, the planetary mixer may include a first blade and a second blade having different rotation axes. For example, the first blade may be a low-speed blade, and the second blade may be a high-speed blade. Low speed and high speed refer to the relative rotation speed between the first blade and the second blade. For example, the first blade may be an open blade, and the second blade may be a Despa blade.

[0124] The rotation speed of the first blade may be, for example, 10 rpm to 100 rpm, 10 rpm to 60 rpm, or 30 rpm to 70 rpm. The rotation speed of the second blade may be, for example, 100 rpm to 2000 rpm, 100 rpm to 1000 rpm, 300 rpm to 1700 rpm, or 500 rpm to 1700 rpm.

[0125] If the functional material is added to the solvent and mixed with the solvent, the rotation speed of the first blade of the mixer may be 10 rpm to 60 rpm, 20 rpm to 50 rpm, or 30 rpm to 40 rpm, and the rotation speed of the second blade may be 300 rpm to 1700 rpm, 600 rpm to 1000 rpm, or 700 rpm to 800 rpm. As described above, if the solvent and the functional material are mixed with each other, a solvent mixture in which a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof is uniformly (e.g., substantially uniformly) dispersed can be manufactured to facilitate mixing of the aerogel in a subsequent step (e.g., action or task).

[0126] If the solvent mixture and the aerogel are mixed with each other, the rotation speed of the first blade of the mixer may be 30 rpm to 70 rpm, 40 rpm to 70 rpm, or 60 rpm to 70 rpm, and the rotation speed of the second blade may be 500 rpm to 1700 rpm, 600 rpm to 1600 rpm, or 800 rpm to 1500 rpm. As described above, if the aerogel is added to the solvent mixture and mixed with the solvent mixture, the aerogel can be prevented from agglomerating together to induce (or achieve) substantially uniform dispersion.

[0127] If the aerogel mixture and the reinforcement material are mixed with each other, the rotation speed of the first blade of the mixer may be 10 rpm to 60 rpm, 20 rpm to 50 rpm, or 30 rpm to 40 rpm, and the rotation speed of the second blade may be 300 rpm to 1700 rpm, 400 rpm to 1500 rpm, or 800 rpm to 1200 rpm. Mixing the aerogel mixture with the reinforcement material as described above can remove air bubbles in the aerogel composition, control viscosity, and / or facilitate the dispersion of the reinforcement material in the uniformly (or properly) dispersed aerogel, so that the aerogel can surround the reinforcement material in the aerogel composition. A binder may be present between the aerogel and the reinforcement material to improve the bonding of the aerogel and the reinforcement material.

[0128] A battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments may include a first substrate, a second substrate, and an aerogel layer formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the aerogel layer may be formed using the aerogel composition according to the present embodiment.

[0129] Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing the structure of a battery insulating sheet according to one or more embodiments. An embodiment including three kinds of fiber supports is shown as a representative example, but other embodiments such as an embodiment including two kinds of fiber supports or four or more kinds of fiber supports are not excluded.

[0130] refer to Figure 1 In one or more embodiments, the battery insulating sheet 100 may have a structure including a first substrate 110, an aerogel layer 120 formed on the first substrate 110, and a second substrate 130 formed on the aerogel layer 120. Although the first fiber support, the second fiber support, and the third fiber support having different aspect ratios from each other in the aerogel layer 120 are shown as lines having different average lengths and shapes, the fiber support does not have to have the structure shown, and the thickness may vary. Components other than the first fiber support, the second fiber support, and the third fiber support are not shown in order to more clearly illustrate the structure in which the first fiber support, the second fiber support, and the third fiber support are distributed, and should not be construed as the aerogel layer 120 not including components other than the reinforcing material. For example, in addition to the fiber support, the aerogel layer 120 may include one or more appropriate components. In Figure 1 In the embodiment, the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 may be made of the same material or different materials.

[0131] As an aerogel layer including an aerogel composition according to one or more embodiments is formed between a first substrate and a second substrate, thermal insulation, fire resistance, and mechanical properties of a battery insulating sheet may be improved, thereby preventing or reducing the risk of aerogel falling off and generating dust when manufacturing the battery insulating sheet and / or installing the battery insulating sheet in a device.

[0132] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery insulation sheet formed between a plurality of battery cells according to one or more embodiments.

[0133] refer to Figure 2 , the battery insulating sheet 100 according to the embodiment may be formed between a plurality of battery cells 200 included in the battery module. The upper surface and the lower surface of the battery insulating sheet 100, that is, the first substrate and the second substrate of the battery insulating sheet 100 may be arranged to face the respective adjacent corresponding battery cells, respectively. If the battery insulating sheet 100 according to the embodiment is formed between the plurality of battery cells 200, it is possible to provide a battery module capable of pre-blocking or reducing a flame (e.g., ignition or ignition) in one battery cell so as to maximally or appropriately suppress or reduce the spread of the flame to other battery cells, thereby obtaining a battery module having a higher or improved safety level and a battery pack including the battery module.

[0134] In the battery insulating sheet 100 , a more detailed description of the aerogel composition constituting the aerogel layer may be the same as described above.

[0135] One or more suitable materials, such as, but not limited to, resin, metal, inorganic material other than metal and / or composite thereof can be used to form each of the first substrate and the second substrate. The substrate can be in the form of, but not limited to, a film, a membrane, a sheet, etc.

[0136] The resin may be, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyamide.

[0137] The metal may be, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium, vanadium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, molybdenum, tungsten, iridium, silver, gold, and platinum. If a substrate made of any of the above metals is used, the substrate may be subjected to anti-corrosion treatment and / or insulation treatment as needed.

[0138] The inorganic material other than the metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), talc, and mica.

[0139] For example, each of the first substrate and the second substrate may include an inorganic material other than metal, and in some embodiments, each of the first substrate and the second substrate may include mica. In this case, thermal insulation, durability, etc. of the battery insulating sheet may be improved.

[0140] In one or more embodiments, each of the two or more fiber supports in the aerogel layer may have a vertical orientation, a horizontal orientation, or a combination thereof. For example, each of the two or more fiber supports in the aerogel layer may have a substantially uniform vertical orientation and a substantially uniform horizontal orientation. In this case, the compressibility of the aerogel layer may be further improved to absorb the pressure applied from one battery cell to an adjacent battery cell during degradation and expansion of the battery cell, thereby improving the safety of the battery.

[0141] In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may be formed to have a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure. If the aerogel layer is formed to have a multi-layer structure, the aerogel layer may be formed to have 2 to 10 layers, 2 to 7 layers, or 2 to 5 layers.

[0142] The method of manufacturing a battery insulating sheet according to one or more embodiments may include a step (e.g., an action or task) of applying the aerogel composition according to the present embodiment to a first substrate and a step (e.g., an action or task) of laminating a second substrate on the applied aerogel composition to form a laminate.

[0143] In the method of manufacturing a battery insulating sheet, more detailed descriptions of the substrate and the aerogel composition may be the same as described above.

[0144] The step (eg, action or task) of applying the aerogel composition to the first substrate and the step (eg, action or task) of laminating the second substrate onto the applied aerogel composition may be performed using any suitable method.

[0145] The step (eg, action or task) of applying the aerogel composition to the first substrate may be performed once or repeatedly performed two or more times.

[0146] In one or more embodiments, the method may further include the step (eg, action or task) of pressing and drying the laminate after manufacturing the laminate.

[0147] The drying step (e.g., action or task) may be performed at a temperature of, for example, 25° C. to 100° C., 45° C. to 90° C., or 60° C. to 85° C. If drying is performed under the above temperature conditions, a solid aerogel layer may be formed on a substrate without a separate adhesive member and / or adhesive, while preventing or reducing the risk of falling off between the substrate and the aerogel layer, and an aerogel layer may be formed around two or more dispersed fiber supports.

[0148] Using the method of applying the aerogel composition according to one or more embodiments to a first substrate, laminating a second substrate on the aerogel composition to manufacture a laminate, and pressing and drying the laminate, it is possible to manufacture a battery insulating sheet without using a separate adhesive or forming an adhesive layer, thereby achieving excellent or appropriate thermal insulation, fire resistance, mechanical properties and / or dust formation even with a relatively small thickness due to substantially uniform dispersion of the aerogel.

[0149] Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described. However, the following embodiments are only intended to illustrate and / or describe the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can fully infer technically what is not described in this article, so description thereof will not be provided.

[0150] Manufacturing of battery insulation sheets

[0151] Example 1

[0152] 1. Manufacture of aerogel compositions

[0153] A solvent mixture was prepared by adding polyvinyl alcohol (Sigma Aldrich) as a binder to deionized water as a solvent and mixing using an open blade at 30 rpm and a Despa blade (e.g., a planetary Despa mixer) at 700 rpm. 2 / g and an average particle size D50 of 60 microns (μm) were added to the solvent mixture and mixed using an open blade at 70 rpm and a Despa blade at 1500 rpm to produce an aerogel mixture. An aerogel composition was produced by adding a first fiber support having an aspect ratio of 1, a second fiber support having an aspect ratio of 2, and a third fiber support having an aspect ratio of 3 as reinforcement materials to the aerogel mixture in a weight ratio of 1:3:6 and mixing using an open blade at 30 rpm and a Despa blade at 1200 rpm. A planetary mixer (DNTEK, PT-005) was used for mixing.

[0154] The solid content (eg, amount) of the produced aerogel composition was found to be 50 wt% aerogel, 40 wt% reinforcement material, and 10 wt% polyvinyl alcohol.

[0155] 2. Manufacturing of battery insulation sheets

[0156] The slurry of the manufactured aerogel composition was applied to a 0.1 mm thick mica sheet (Pamica, Muscovite), another 0.1 mm thick mica sheet was laminated thereon in a sandwich manner, and a roll-rolling method was used for coating. Subsequently, an aerogel layer was formed by drying the obtained sheet at 60° C. for 24 hours to manufacture a battery insulating sheet. It was found that the total thickness of the manufactured battery insulating sheet was 1.38 millimeters (mm).

[0157] Example 2

[0158] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that a first fibrous support, a second fibrous support, and a third fibrous support were added as reinforcement materials in a weight ratio of 3:4:3.

[0159] Example 3

[0160] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that a first fibrous support, a second fibrous support, and a third fibrous support were added as reinforcement materials at a weight ratio of 6:3:1.

[0161] Example 4

[0162] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that a first fibrous support, a second fibrous support, and a third fibrous support were added as reinforcement materials at a weight ratio of 2:6:2.

[0163] Example 5

[0164] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that a first fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 10, a second fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 300, and a third fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 5,000 were used as reinforcing materials.

[0165] Example 6

[0166] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that a first fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 300, a second fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 100, and a third fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 1,000 were used as reinforcing materials.

[0167] Example 7

[0168] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that a first fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 500, a second fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 50, and a third fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 1,000 were used as reinforcing materials.

[0169] Example 8

[0170] 1. Manufacture of aerogel compositions

[0171] A solvent mixture was prepared by adding polyvinyl alcohol (Sigma Aldrich) as a binder and a surfactant (Triton-X100, Sigma Aldrich) as a dispersant to deionized water as a solvent and mixing using an open blade at 30 rpm and a Despa blade at 700 rpm. 2 / g and an aerogel having an average particle size D50 of 60 μm was added to the solvent mixture and mixed using an open blade at 70 rpm and a Despa blade at 1500 rpm to produce an aerogel mixture. An aerogel composition was produced by adding a first fiber support having an aspect ratio of 1, a second fiber support having an aspect ratio of 2, and a third fiber support having an aspect ratio of 3 as reinforcement materials to the aerogel mixture in a weight ratio of 6:3:1 and mixing using an open blade at 30 rpm and a Despa blade at 1200 rpm. A planetary mixer (DNTEK, PT-005) was used for mixing.

[0172] The solid content (eg, amount) of the produced aerogel composition was found to be 50 wt% aerogel, 40 wt% reinforcement material, 9.9 wt% polyvinyl alcohol, and 0.1 wt% dispersant.

[0173] 2. Manufacturing of battery insulation sheets

[0174] The slurry of the manufactured aerogel composition was applied to a 0.1 mm thick mica sheet (Pamica, Muscovite), another 0.1 mm thick mica sheet was laminated thereon in a sandwich manner, and a roll-rolling method was used for coating. Subsequently, an aerogel layer was formed by drying the obtained sheet at 60° C. for 24 hours to manufacture a battery insulating sheet. It was found that the total thickness of the manufactured battery insulating sheet was 1.38 mm.

[0175] Comparative Example 1

[0176] 1. Manufacture of aerogel compositions

[0177] A solvent mixture was prepared by adding polyvinyl alcohol (Sigma Aldrich) as a binder to deionized water as a solvent and mixing using an open blade at 30 rpm and a Despa blade (e.g., a planetary Despa mixer) at 700 rpm. 2Aerogel having an average particle size D50 of 60 micrometers (μm) and an average particle size D50 of 60 μm was added to the solvent mixture and mixed using an open blade at 70 rpm and a Despa blade at 1500 rpm to produce an aerogel mixture as an aerogel composition. A planetary mixer (DNTEK, PT-005) was used for mixing.

[0178] The solid content (eg, amount) of the produced aerogel composition was found to be 50 wt% aerogel and 50 wt% polyvinyl alcohol.

[0179] 2. Manufacturing of battery insulation sheets

[0180] The slurry of the manufactured aerogel composition was applied to a 0.1 mm thick mica sheet (Pamica, Muscovite), another 0.1 mm thick mica sheet was laminated thereon in a sandwich manner, and a roll-rolling method was used for coating. Subsequently, an aerogel layer was formed by drying the obtained sheet at 60° C. for 24 hours to manufacture a battery insulating sheet. It was found that the total thickness of the manufactured battery insulating sheet was 1.38 mm.

[0181] Comparative Example 2

[0182] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that only the first fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 1 was used as a reinforcing material (eg, the second fibrous support and the third fibrous support were not used).

[0183] Comparative Example 3

[0184] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that only the second fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 2 was used as a reinforcing material (eg, the first fibrous support and the third fibrous support were not used).

[0185] Comparative Example 4

[0186] A battery insulating sheet was manufactured using substantially the same method as in Example 1, except that only the third fibrous support having an aspect ratio of 3 was used as a reinforcing material (eg, the first fibrous support and the second fibrous support were not used).

[0187] (Experimental Example)

[0188] Experimental Example 1: SEM analysis

[0189] The cross section of the aerogel layer of each of the battery insulating sheets of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 was observed using Hitachi S-4800SEM, and the results are shown in FIG. Figure 3 to Figure 7 middle. Figure 3 is a SEM image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulation sheet according to Example 1, Figure 4is a SEM image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulating sheet according to Comparative Example 1, Figure 5 is a SEM image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulating sheet according to Comparative Example 2, Figure 6 is a SEM image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulating sheet according to Comparative Example 3, and Figure 7 is a SEM image of the aerogel layer of the battery insulating sheet according to Comparative Example 4.

[0190] From Comparative Example 1 ( Figure 4 ) it can be seen that there is no reinforcing material, and from Comparative Example 2 ( Figure 5 ) It can be seen that the first fiber support includes fibers having a relatively small (e.g., inappropriate) average diameter. From Comparative Example 3 ( Figure 6 ) It can be seen that the second fiber support includes fibers with a larger aspect ratio than that of Comparative Example 2. From Comparative Example 4 ( Figure 7 ) It can be seen that the third fiber support includes fibers with a larger aspect ratio than that of Comparative Example 3. From Example 1 ( Figure 3 ) It can be seen that the fiber support has different average diameters and average lengths.

[0191] Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of compressibility

[0192] The compressibility of each of the battery insulating sheets manufactured in Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 was evaluated.

[0193] After adjusting the zero point, each battery insulating sheet was inserted between aluminum plates each having a thickness of 1 mm, and was compressed from 0 kN to 80 kN at a compression speed of 0.02 mm / sec using a UTM (universal testing machine) to measure the change in thickness of the battery insulating sheet. In this way, a compression test was performed, and the ratio of the thickness at 5 kN to the thickness at 40 kN was expressed as a compression rate. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0194] Experimental Example 3: Evaluation of Thermal Insulation

[0195] The thermal insulation of each of the battery insulating sheets manufactured in Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 was evaluated.

[0196] Each battery insulating sheet was placed between a pair of opposing 1 mm thick aluminum plates and placed on a hot press. The upper plate of the hot press was heated to 350°C, and the lower plate of the hot press was not heated and maintained at a starting temperature of 40°C. Subsequently, a pressure of 20 kN was applied to the lower plate of the hot press, and the lower plate temperature of the hot press was measured at 11 minutes. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0197] Table 1

[0198] Compression rate (%) Lower plate temperature (℃) Example 1 51.5 80.1 Example 2 56.1 79.5 Example 3 58.6 75.5 Example 4 60.1 76.4 Example 5 55.4 79.5 Example 6 58.5 78.9 Example 7 53.4 78.5 Example 8 57.8 75.6 Comparative Example 1 51.2 73.2 Comparative Example 2 48.8 79.5 Comparative Example 3 43.8 78.4 Comparative Example 4 44.2 80.1

[0199] Referring to Table 1, it can be seen that the Examples exhibit excellent or moderate compression properties, and without being bound by any particular theory, it is believed that this is due to improved porosity and orientation.

[0200] Referring to the data of Examples 1 to 4 in Table 1, the results of the evaluation of the compression properties depending on the content (e.g., amount) ratio of the first fiber support, the second fiber support, and the third fiber support are shown, and it can be seen that if the first fiber support is included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 10 to 60 parts by weight, the second fiber support is included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 30 to 60 parts by weight, and the third fiber support is included so as to account for (e.g., an amount of) 10 to 60 parts by weight as reinforcing materials, excellent or appropriate physical properties are achieved.

[0201] Referring to the data of Example 1 and Examples 5 to 7 in Table 1, the results of the evaluation of the compression characteristics depending on the aspect ratio of each of the first fiber support, the second fiber support, and the third fiber support are shown, and it can be seen that if the aspect ratio of the first fiber support is 10 to 500, the aspect ratio of the second fiber support is 50 to 300, and the aspect ratio of the third fiber support is 1,000 to 5,000, excellent or appropriate compression characteristics are achieved, and if the aspect ratio of the first fiber support is 200 to 400, the aspect ratio of the second fiber support is 70 to 150, and the aspect ratio of the third fiber support is 800 to 1,200, better compression characteristics are achieved.

[0202] It can be seen from the data of Comparative Example 1 in Table 1 that because no reinforcing material is included, the compression characteristics are very (e.g., inappropriately) low, and it can be seen from the data of Comparative Examples 2 to 4 in Table 1 that if a reinforcing material including only one fiber support is used, the compression characteristics are less than the embodiment.

[0203] In the battery insulating sheet of the example, although a combination of a fibrous support having relatively low thermal insulation and fibrous supports each having a relatively large aspect ratio is used, there is no significant difference in thermal insulation compared to Comparative Example 1.

[0204] Therefore, it can be seen that the battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments has structurally enhanced mechanical properties while maintaining thermal insulation.

[0205] As is apparent from the above description, a battery insulating sheet manufactured using an aerogel composition according to one or more embodiments may have excellent or appropriate thermal insulation, fire resistance, and mechanical properties, while having excellent or appropriate mechanical properties such as durability and / or compressibility, a suitably low manufacturing process cost, and at the same time may prevent or reduce the generation of dust from the aerogel during the manufacturing process and during actual use.

[0206] The battery or battery manufacturing device and / or any other related device or component according to the embodiments of the present invention described herein may be implemented using any appropriate hardware, firmware (e.g., a dedicated integrated circuit), software, or a combination of software, firmware, and hardware. For example, the various components of the device may be formed on an integrated circuit (IC) chip or on separate IC chips. Further, the various components of the device may be implemented on a flexible printed circuit film, a tape carrier package (TCP), or a printed circuit board (PCB), or formed on a substrate. Further, the various components of the device may be processes or threads that run on one or more processors in one or more computing devices, execute computer program instructions, and interact with other system components for performing various functions described herein. The computer program instructions are stored in a memory that may be implemented in a computing device using a standard storage device, such as, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The computer program instructions may also be stored in other non-temporary computer-readable media, such as, for example, a CD-ROM, a flash drive, etc. Moreover, it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that the functions of various computing devices may be combined or integrated into a single computing device, or the functions of a particular computing device may be distributed on one or more other computing devices without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0207] Although example embodiments are described above, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it is contemplated that one or more appropriate modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the detailed description of example embodiments, and the accompanying drawings, and that these modifications also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An aerogel composition comprising: A reinforcement material comprising two or more fibrous supports; Aerogel; Functional materials including binders, dispersants or combinations thereof; as well as Solvents, in The two or more fibrous supports have different aspect ratios AR represented by Formula 1: Formula 1 AR=L / D, In Formula 1, L indicates an average length of each of the two or more fibrous supports, and D indicates an average diameter of each of the two or more fibrous supports. 2 . The aerogel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the difference in aspect ratio between the two or more fiber supports is 1 to 5,000. 3 . The aerogel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material comprises two or more selected from the group consisting of: a first fiber support, a second fiber support, and a third fiber support. The aerogel composition according to claim 3 , wherein the aspect ratio of the first fiber support is 1 to 500. 5 . The aerogel composition according to claim 3 , wherein the aspect ratio of the second fibrous support is 2 to 2,500. 6 . The aerogel composition according to claim 3 , wherein the aspect ratio of the third fiber support is 3 to 5,000.

7. The aerogel composition according to claim 3, wherein Based on 100 parts by weight of the reinforcing material, the amount of the first fiber support is 10 to 60 parts by weight, the amount of the second fiber support is 30 to 60 parts by weight, and the amount of the third fiber support is 10 to 60 parts by weight.

8. The aerogel composition according to claim 1, wherein the aerogel has a 2 / g~1,000m 2 / g BET specific surface area. 9 . The aerogel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has an average particle size D50 of 5 μm to 200 μm. 10 . The aerogel composition according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an average particle size of the aerogel to an average length of each of the two or more fibrous supports is 1:1 to 1:10,000.

11. The aerogel composition according to claim 1, wherein The binder comprises an aqueous polymer binder, and The aqueous polymer binder is at least one selected from the group consisting of a water-based polymer, an anionic water-soluble polymer, a cationic water-soluble polymer, and a water-dispersible polymer. 12 . The aerogel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the binder is 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition.

13. The aerogel composition according to claim 1, wherein the dispersant is at least one selected from the group consisting of a surfactant and a phosphate salt.

14. The aerogel composition according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the dispersant is 0.1 wt% to 6 wt% based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition.

15. The aerogel composition according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of a polar solvent and a non-polar solvent.

16. The aerogel composition according to claim 1, wherein Based on the total amount of solids in the aerogel composition, the amount of the reinforcing material is 5 wt% to 70 wt%, the amount of the aerogel is 10 wt% to 90 wt%, and the amount of the functional material is 0.5 wt% to 20 wt%.

17. A method for producing an aerogel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 16, the method comprising: mixing a solvent with a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof to produce a solvent mixture; mixing the solvent mixture with an aerogel to produce an aerogel mixture; and The aerogel mixture is mixed with a reinforcement material to produce the aerogel composition.

18. A battery insulating sheet, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; as well as an aerogel layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, The aerogel layer comprises the aerogel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 16 or the aerogel composition prepared by the method according to claim 17.

19. A method for manufacturing a battery insulating sheet, the method comprising: applying the aerogel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 16 or the aerogel composition prepared by the method of claim 17 to a first substrate; as well as A second substrate is laminated onto the applied aerogel composition to form a laminate.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising pressing and drying the laminate.

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