Aluminum-based alloy for manufacturing an angular battery case, angular battery case manufactured thereby, and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an aluminum alloy for manufacturing an angular battery case, an angular battery case manufactured thereby, and a manufacturing method thereof, in more detail, an aluminum alloy for manufacturing an angular battery case, which not only has good mechanical strength but also has good weldability, suitable for manufacturing an angular battery case by an extrusion process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an aluminum alloy for manufacturing angular battery cases, angular battery cases manufactured therefrom, and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, it is an aluminum alloy for manufacturing angular battery cases that not only has good mechanical strength but also good weldability and is suitable for manufacturing angular battery case materials by extrusion process. Background Technology

[0002] Lithium-ion secondary batteries are widely used as power sources for mobile phones and laptops, but due to their excellent properties, they have recently begun to be used as power sources for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. In order to meet the requirements of battery miniaturization and weight reduction, as well as the formability of forming the angular battery casing (mainly the angular battery casing body), aluminum alloy sheets are being used for the outer casing of these secondary batteries.

[0003] Angular battery casings are typically manufactured by deep drawing and electrolytic machining on aluminum alloy plates. After adding electrode agents (electrodes and electrolyte), they are laser welded to the cover.

[0004] In reality, apart from its main advantage in forming seamless thin sheet materials, depth drawing forming technology offers almost no advantages in battery cell casings. The limitations of depth drawing methods lead to limitations in the overall design of battery systems. The need for flexible solutions to the requirements of products using angled batteries hinders the overall development of the battery market, thus urgently necessitating the development of alternative technologies.

[0005] On the other hand, manufacturing angular battery cases via extrusion is not only easy to achieve the desired shape but also offers high production efficiency. However, for materials used in the extrusion process to manufacture angular battery cases, they must possess not only good extrusion formability but also good weldability. Furthermore, the materials for each type of battery case must possess certain or higher levels of mechanical properties; therefore, it is necessary to develop battery case materials that meet these requirements.

[0006] Existing technical documents

[0007] Patent documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1761026 (Publication Date: June 20, 2016) Summary of the Invention

[0009] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0010] This invention was made in consideration of the aforementioned circumstances, possessing not only excellent mechanical strength but also excellent weldability, and aims to provide a material suitable for manufacturing angular battery cases by extrusion process, an aluminum alloy for manufacturing angular battery cases, angular battery cases thus manufactured, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0011] means for solving problems

[0012] To address the aforementioned issues, the aluminum alloy used in the manufacture of the angular battery casing of the present invention may include silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al).

[0013] In a preferred example of the invention, the aluminum alloy of the invention for manufacturing the angular battery casing may, by weight percent, comprise 0.20 to 0.50 wt% iron (Fe), 0.05 to 0.25 wt% copper (Cu), and 0.10 to 0.30 wt% manganese (Mn).

[0014] In a preferred example of the invention, the aluminum alloy of the invention for manufacturing the angular battery casing may, by weight percent, comprise 0.50 to 0.90 wt% silicon (Si), 0.20 to 0.50 wt% iron (Fe), 0.05 to 0.25 wt% copper (Cu), and 0.10 to 0.30 wt% manganese (Mn).

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aluminum alloy of the invention for manufacturing the angular battery casing may, by weight percent, comprise 0.50 to 0.90 wt% silicon (Si), 0.20 to 0.50 wt% iron (Fe), 0.05 to 0.25 wt% copper (Cu), 0.10 to 0.30 wt% manganese (Mn), 0.10 to 0.20 wt% magnesium (Mg), and the remainder aluminum (Al).

[0016] In a preferred example of the invention, the aluminum alloy of the invention for manufacturing the angular battery casing may, for a total weight percentage, comprise 0.73 to 0.77 wt% silicon (Si), 0.38 to 0.42 wt% iron (Fe), 0.11 to 0.14 wt% copper (Cu), 0.16 to 0.19 wt% manganese (Mn), 0.155 to 0.15% magnesium (Mg), and the remainder aluminum (Al).

[0017] In an ideal example of the present invention, the aluminum alloy of the present invention for manufacturing the angular battery casing may have an average grain size of 100 to 150 micrometers.

[0018] In addition, the angular battery casing of the present invention can be manufactured from an aluminum alloy used in the manufacture of the angular battery casing of the present invention.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the angular battery casing of the present invention can be manufactured by extrusion of an aluminum alloy for the angular battery casing.

[0020] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the various types of battery casings of the present invention includes, for the first stage of preparing aluminum alloys for various types of battery casings and the second stage of preparing aluminum alloys for various types of battery casings, the second stage of performing an extrusion process to prepare various types of battery casings, and preparing aluminum-based silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), magnesium (MG) and aluminum-based (Al) alloys for various types of battery casings prepared in the first stage.

[0021] In an ideal embodiment of the present invention, the second step is to melt the aluminum alloy used to manufacture the angular battery case, perform an extrusion process to produce an extruded material, harden and cool the extruded material to produce a angular hollow body with an open top and bottom, and form a seal corresponding to the bottom of the hollow body by forming pins of the aluminum alloy used to manufacture the angular battery case, and combine the hollow body and the seal together to manufacture a stage containing the angular battery case.

[0022] In a preferred example of the invention, the aluminum alloy prepared in the first stage for manufacturing the angular battery casing may, for a total weight percentage, include 0.50 to 0.90 wt% silicon (Si), 0.20 to 0.50 wt% iron (Fe), 0.05 to 0.25 wt% copper (Cu), 0.10 to 0.30 wt% manganese (Mn), 0.10 to 0.20 wt% magnesium (Mg), and the remaining aluminum content.

[0023] In an ideal example of the present invention, the aluminum alloy prepared in the first stage for manufacturing the angular battery casing may, for a total weight percentage, include 0.73 to 0.77 wt% silicon (Si), 0.38 to 0.42 wt% iron (Fe), 0.11 to 0.14 wt% copper (Cu), 0.16 to 0.19 wt% manganese (Mn), 55 to 0.165% magnesium (mg), and the remaining aluminum content.

[0024] In an ideal example of the invention, the aluminum alloy prepared in the first stage for manufacturing the angular battery casing is produced by dissolving and molten pooling aluminum (Al) phosphate paste to create an aluminum molten pool, dissolving and molten pooling silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and magnesium (MG) phosphate pastes in the aluminum molten pool, and molten pooling the aluminum alloy to manufacture the aluminum alloy molten pool and the cast battery casing. This may include a second stage of manufacturing.

[0025] Invention Effects

[0026] The aluminum alloy used in manufacturing the angular battery case of the present invention, the angular battery case manufactured therefrom, and the manufacturing method thereof not only have excellent mechanical strength but also excellent weldability, making them suitable as materials for manufacturing angular battery cases by extrusion process. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 The image shows the grain size of the aluminum alloys used to manufacture the various types of battery casings produced in Example 1, confirmed using an image analyzer.

[0028] Figure 2 The figures illustrate four views of various types of battery boxes according to an ideal embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so as to facilitate implementation by those skilled in the art. The present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. For clarity of illustration in the drawings, parts unrelated to the description have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used throughout the description for the same or similar components.

[0030] Reference Figure 2 The present invention describes a angular battery casing with an open upper and lower angular hollow body. The battery cell is placed inside the hollow body, and the upper and lower covers with terminals are used to seal the casing.

[0031] The angular battery casing of the present invention can be manufactured from an aluminum alloy used in the manufacture of angular battery casings of the present invention.

[0032] The top of the angled battery casing of the present invention is the portion in which the electrode agent (electrode and electrolyte) is added. After the electrode agent (electrode and electrolyte) is added, it can be welded to the sealing component of the angled battery. Therefore, the material used to manufacture the angled battery casing should have good weldability. The aluminum alloy used in the present invention for manufacturing the angled battery casing has good weldability and can meet the above requirements.

[0033] Furthermore, the angular battery casing of the present invention can be manufactured by extrusion of the aluminum alloy used for the angular battery casing of the present invention. Therefore, the material used to manufacture the angular battery casing should have good extrusion molding properties. The aluminum alloy used in the present invention for manufacturing the angular battery casing has good extrusion molding properties and can meet the above requirements.

[0034] In addition, the aluminum alloy used in the manufacture of the angular battery casing of the present invention may include silicon (Si), iron (FE), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al).

[0035] Specifically, the aluminum alloy of the present invention for manufacturing the corner battery case may include 0.10 to 0.30% manganese (Mn) by weight, preferably 0.15 to 0.20% by weight, more preferably 0.16 to 0.19% by weight, and even more preferably 0.17 to 0.18% by weight, for a total weight percentage. If it exceeds this weight range, at least one of the technical characteristics of extrudability, weldability, and mechanical strength may cause manufacturing problems of the corner battery case through the extrusion process.

[0036] Furthermore, the aluminum alloy of the present invention for manufacturing the corner battery case may include 0.10 to 0.20% by weight of magnesium (Mg), preferably 0.15 to 0.17% by weight, and more preferably 0.155 to 0.165% by weight, for a total weight percentage. If the weight percentage is exceeded, at least one of the technical characteristics of extrusion formability, weldability and mechanical strength will be reduced. Therefore, there may be problems with the extrusion process being unsuitable for manufacturing corner battery case materials.

[0037] Furthermore, the aluminum alloy of the present invention for manufacturing angular battery casings may include 0.50 to 0.90% silicon (Si) by weight, with a desired weight of 0.70 to 0.80% by weight, more preferably 0.72 to 0.78% by weight, and more preferably 0.73 to 0.77% by weight, for a total weight percentage. If the weight percentage is exceeded, at least one of the technical characteristics of extrusion forming, weldability, and mechanical strength may cause manufacturing problems of the angular battery casings through the extrusion process.

[0038] Furthermore, the aluminum alloy used in this invention for manufacturing the corner battery casing may, for a total weight percentage, contain 0.20 to 0.50% iron (Fe), with a desired weight percentage of 0.35 to 0.45%, more preferably 0.37 to 0.43%, more preferably 0.38 to 0.42%, and more preferably 0.39 to 0.41%. If this weight range is exceeded, one of the characteristics of extrudability, weldability, and mechanical strength may be formed, which can be reduced at least by the manufacturing process of the corner battery casing.

[0039] Furthermore, the aluminum alloy used in this invention for manufacturing angular battery casings may include 0.05 to 0.25% copper (Cu) by weight, with a required weight of 0.10 to 0.15% by weight, more preferably 0.11 to 0.14% by weight, and even more preferably 0.12 to 0.13% by weight. If the weight exceeds this range, at least one technical feature in extrusion forming, weldability, and mechanical strength may cause manufacturing problems in the angular battery casings through the extrusion process.

[0040] Furthermore, the aluminum alloy used in this invention for manufacturing angular battery casings may contain residual aluminum (Al).

[0041] Furthermore, the aluminum alloy of the present invention used for manufacturing the angular battery casing can have an average grain size of 100 to 150 micrometers.

[0042] In addition, the manufacturing method of the aluminum alloy for manufacturing the angular battery casing of the present invention may include a first stage and a second stage.

[0043] First, the first step of the manufacturing method of the aluminum alloy for manufacturing the angular battery casing of the present invention is to dissolve and melt aluminum (Al) phosphate paste to create an aluminum molten pool, and to dissolve and melt silicon (Si) phosphate paste, iron (Fe) phosphate paste, copper (Cu) phosphate paste, manganese (Mn) phosphate paste and magnesium (Mg) phosphate paste in the aluminum molten pool to create an aluminum alloy molten pool.

[0044] Secondly, in the second stage of the manufacturing method of the aluminum alloy for manufacturing the angular battery casing of the present invention, the aluminum alloy for manufacturing the angular battery casing can be manufactured by casting the molten pool for manufacturing the aluminum alloy created in the first stage. At this time, the casting can be performed using the direct chill casting method.

[0045] In addition, for the aluminum alloys used in the manufacturing of various battery casings in the second phase, the following percentages of total weight are required: silicon (Si) 0.50–0.90 wt%, ideally 0.70–0.80 wt%, more ideally 0.72–0.78 wt%, even more ideally 0.73–0.77 wt%; iron (Fe) 0.20–0.50 wt%, ideally 0.35–0.45 wt%; and copper (Cu) 0.05–0.25 wt%, even more ideally 0.10–0.15 wt%. The preferred percentage is 0.11–0.14% by weight, even more preferably 0.12–0.13% by weight; for manganese (Mn), 0.10–0.30% by weight, even more preferably 0.15–0.20% by weight, even more preferably 0.16–0.19% by weight, even more preferably 0.17–0.18% by weight; for magnesium (Mg), the ideal percentage is 0.10–0.20% by weight, most preferably 0.15–0.17% by weight, even more preferably 0.155%–0.165%.

[0046] Furthermore, the manufacturing methods of various types of battery casings of the present invention include a first stage and a second stage.

[0047] Firstly, the first step in the method for manufacturing the angular battery casing of the present invention is to prepare an aluminum alloy for manufacturing the angular battery casing. At this time, the aluminum alloy for manufacturing the angular battery casing is as described above.

[0048] Secondly, in the second stage of the manufacturing method of the angular battery case of the present invention, the aluminum alloy prepared in the first stage for manufacturing the angular battery case can be manufactured by an extrusion process to produce the angular battery case.

[0049] Specifically, the second stage of the manufacturing method of the angular battery case of the present invention involves melting the aluminum alloy prepared in the first stage for manufacturing the angular battery case, then performing an extrusion process using an extrusion die to produce an extruded material. The extruded material is then hardened and cooled to produce a hollow angular body with open top and bottom. Furthermore, by drawing the aluminum alloy prepared in the first stage for manufacturing the angular battery case, a rectangular sealing element corresponding to the bottom of the hollow body is manufactured. The hollow body and the sealing element are then joined together to produce the angular battery case.

[0050] The present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, but this is merely an example and does not limit the embodiments of the present invention. With ordinary knowledge in the art to which the embodiments of the present invention pertain, various modifications and applications not foreseen above can be seen without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. For example, the various components specifically appearing in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in other ways. Moreover, differences related to these modifications and applications should be interpreted as including within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0051] Example 1: Manufacturing of aluminum alloys for producing angular battery casings

[0052] (1) Aluminum (Al) was dissolved and subjected to molten pool treatment to prepare an aluminum molten pool. Silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and magnesium (Mg) were dissolved in the prepared aluminum molten pool and then subjected to molten pool treatment (electronic molten pool stirring) to prepare a solid solution pool for manufacturing aluminum alloy system.

[0053] (2) The molten pool used for manufacturing the aluminum alloy was subjected to direct chill casting to produce cylindrical (diameter: 80 mm, height: 200 mm) aluminum alloy for use in angular battery casings. The manufactured aluminum alloy for angular battery casings consisted of aluminum (Al), silicon (Si) 0.75 wt%, iron (Fe) 0.4 wt%, copper (Cu) 0.125 wt%, manganese (Mn) 0.175 wt%, magnesium (Mg) 0.16 wt%, and residual components.

[0054] Examples 2-12: Manufacturing of aluminum alloys for manufacturing angular battery casings

[0055] Aluminum alloys for angular battery casings were manufactured using the same method as in Example 1. However, unlike in Example 1, the contents of silicon (Si) got, iron (Fe) got, copper (Cu) got, manganese (Mn) got, and magnesium (Mg) got added to the aluminum molten pool were different. The contents listed in Table 1 are for various types of battery casings containing silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al).

[0056] Experimental Example 1: Measuring Yield Strength, Tensile Strength, and Elongation

[0057] Tensile tests (yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation) were performed on the aluminum alloys used for manufacturing angular battery casings in Examples 1 to 12, and the results are shown in Table 1. The tensile tests were conducted using a universal testing machine (DTU-900MHN, DAEKYUNG TECH, maximum load 10t), and specimens machined into KS B0801 13B size were used for the tensile tests.

[0058] Experimental Example 2: Measuring Weldability

[0059] Weldability evaluations were performed on the aluminum alloys used for manufacturing battery casings of various types manufactured in Examples 1 to 12, and are shown in Table 1 below.

[0060] Specifically, 30mm × 100mm test pieces were cut from the aluminum alloys used for manufacturing various types of battery casings produced in Examples 1 to 12. Bevel welding was performed using a welding machine with a CW (continuous oscillating) fiber laser as the heat source and a 90mm welding field. The welding conditions were: laser power 2.5–3.0 kW, welding speed 6.0 m / min, and advance angle 5°. The laser output power was adjusted to achieve a weld penetration of 0.4–0.5 mm. Weldability was assessed to determine the quality of the weld beads; excellent quality was marked "00", average quality "△", and poor quality "×".

[0061] Table 1

[0062]

[0063] As shown in Table 1 above, the aluminum alloys for manufacturing various types of battery casings prepared in Example 1 not only have excellent weldability, but also excellent bending strength, tensile strength and elongation.

[0064] Furthermore, compared with the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casings manufactured in Example 1, the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casing manufacturing manufactured in Example 1 with different magnesium contents not only have lower yield strength but also lower elongation.

[0065] Furthermore, compared to the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casings manufactured in Example 1, the weldability of the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casings manufactured in Example 3, which have different magnesium contents, is reduced.

[0066] Furthermore, compared with the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casings manufactured in Example 1, the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casings manufactured in Example 4, which have different magnesium and silicon contents, not only have lower yield strength and elongation, but also lower tensile strength.

[0067] Furthermore, compared with the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casings manufactured in Example 1, the weldability of the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casings manufactured in Example 5, which have different magnesium and silicon contents, is significantly reduced.

[0068] Furthermore, compared with the various types of aluminum alloys for manufacturing battery casings manufactured in Example 1, the various types of aluminum alloys for manufacturing battery casings manufactured in Example 6, which have different contents of magnesium, silicon, and iron, not only have significantly reduced yield strength and tensile strength, but also reduced elongation.

[0069] Furthermore, compared with the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casing manufacturing manufactured in Example 1, the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casing manufacturing manufactured in Example 7, which have different contents of magnesium, silicon, iron and manganese, not only have significantly reduced yield strength and tensile strength, but also reduced elongation. The various types of aluminum alloys for battery casing manufacturing manufactured in Example 8 have significantly reduced yield strength and tensile strength.

[0070] Furthermore, compared with the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casing manufacturing manufactured in Example 1, the various types of aluminum alloys for battery casing manufacturing manufactured in Examples 9 to 12, which have different contents of magnesium, silicon, iron, manganese, and copper, not only have significantly reduced drop strength and tensile strength, but also reduced elongation.

[0071] Experimental Example 3: Particle Analysis

[0072] The grain size of the aluminum alloy used in manufacturing the angular battery casing in Example 1 was confirmed using an image analyzer and displayed on the image. Figure 1 middle.

[0073] like Figure 1 As shown, in Example 1, it can be confirmed that the aluminum alloy used to manufacture the angular battery casing has a crystal size of 100 to 150 hectares.

[0074] Manufacturing Example 1: Manufacturing of a Angular Battery Casing

[0075] (1) After melting the aluminum alloys for manufacturing various types of battery casings manufactured in Example 1 into an extrusion die, an extrusion process of extrusion die insertion and extrusion was performed to produce an extruded product.

[0076] (2) The manufactured extrudate was cured and cooled to prepare a hollow angular fuselage with a width of 110mm x height of 40mm x thickness of 0.8mm and an open top and bottom.

[0077] (3) The aluminum alloys used for manufacturing various types of battery cases manufactured in Example 1 are drawn and formed to produce rectangular sealing parts corresponding to the lower end of the hollow body. The hollow body and the sealing parts are combined to form a junction box to manufacture various types of battery cases.

[0078] Simple variations or modifications of the present invention can be readily implemented by a person with ordinary knowledge in the art, and such variations or modifications can be considered to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aluminum-based alloy for manufacturing angular battery casings, wherein, The aluminum alloys used to manufacture the angular battery casings include silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al).

2. The aluminum alloy for manufacturing a angular battery casing according to claim 1, wherein, The aluminum alloy used to manufacture the angular battery casing contains, relative to the total weight%, 0.20 to 0.50 wt% iron (Fe), 0.05 to 0.25 wt% copper (Cu), and 0.10 to 0.30 wt% manganese (Mn).

3. The aluminum alloy for manufacturing angular battery casings according to claim 2, wherein, The aluminum alloy used to manufacture the angular battery casing contains, relative to the total weight%, 0.50 to 0.90 wt% silicon (Si), 0.20 to 0.50 wt% iron (Fe), 0.05 to 0.25 wt% copper (Cu) and 0.10 to 0.30 wt% manganese (Mn).

4. The aluminum alloy for manufacturing a angular battery casing according to claim 3, wherein, The aluminum alloy used to manufacture the angular battery casing comprises, relative to the total weight%, 0.50 to 0.90 wt% silicon (Si), 0.20 to 0.50 wt% iron (Fe), 0.05 to 0.25 wt% copper (Cu), 0.10 to 0.30 wt% manganese (Mn), 0.10 to 0.20 wt% magnesium (Mg), and the balance aluminum (Al).

5. The aluminum alloy for manufacturing a angular battery casing according to claim 4, wherein, The aluminum alloy used to manufacture the angular battery casing comprises, relative to the total weight%, 0.73 to 0.77 wt% silicon (Si), 0.38 to 0.42 wt% iron (Fe), 0.11 to 0.14 wt% copper (Cu), 0.16 to 0.19 wt% manganese (Mn), 0.155 to 0.165 wt% magnesium (Mg), and the balance aluminum (Al).

6. The aluminum alloy for manufacturing a angular battery casing according to claim 5, wherein, The aluminum alloy used for manufacturing the angular battery casing has an average grain size of 100–150 μm.

7. A angular battery casing, wherein, The angular battery casing is made of the aluminum alloy used for manufacturing angular battery casings as described in claim 1.

8. The angular battery casing according to claim 7, wherein, The angular battery casing is manufactured by extruding an aluminum alloy used for manufacturing angular battery casings.

9. A method for manufacturing a angular battery casing, wherein, The manufacturing method of the angular battery casing includes: The first phase involves preparing aluminum alloys for manufacturing the angular battery casing; and In the second stage, for the aluminum alloys used in the manufacture of the various types of battery casings, an extrusion process is performed to manufacture the various types of battery casings. The aluminum alloys prepared in the first stage for manufacturing the angular battery casing include silicon (Si), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), and aluminum (Al).

10. The method for manufacturing the angular battery casing according to claim 9, wherein, The second phase includes: After melting the aluminum alloys used for manufacturing the various types of battery casings, an extrusion process is performed to produce extruded materials. These extruded materials are then hardened and cooled to create various types of hollow bodies with open tops and bottoms; and The process involves drawing out aluminum alloys for manufacturing various types of battery cases, manufacturing a seal corresponding to the lower end of the hollow body, and then joining the hollow body and the seal together to manufacture various types of battery cases.

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