Apparatus for preparing specimens for testing adhesion of electrode active material layers and method for preparing specimens for testing adhesion of electrode active material layers using the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for preparing a specimen for testing adhesion between an electrode active material layer and a current collector, the apparatus including: a lower guide panel having a guide groove on an upper surface thereof for guiding and accommodating a fixed substrate to which an electrode active material layer is to be adhered; and an upper guide panel having a guide hole for guiding an adhesion position of an electrode active material layer with respect to the fixed substrate accommodated in the guide groove, the upper guide panel being provided with a coupling means for coupling to an upper portion of the lower guide panel; and a method for preparing a specimen using the apparatus.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0075353 dated June 21, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer and a method for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer using the same. [Background technology]

[0003] Demand for secondary batteries is increasing rapidly with the increasing demand for mobile devices, electric vehicles, etc. In particular, lithium secondary batteries, which have high energy density and voltage, have been commercialized and are widely used.

[0004] Such a lithium secondary battery is constructed by mounting a chargeable and dischargeable electrode assembly having a positive electrode / separator / negative electrode structure in a battery case.

[0005] The positive and negative electrodes are manufactured by coating or adhering an active material to a current collector to form an active material layer. For example, the active material, a binder, and a conductive material are mixed in a solvent to prepare a slurry, which is then applied to a current collector, dried, and rolled, or the active material, which is pre-prepared in the form of a free-standing film by a dry or wet method, is attached to the current collector using an adhesive or the like.

[0006] If the active material layer is not firmly attached to the current collector, the active material layer may peel off due to stress caused by volume expansion and contraction of the electrode during charging and discharging, and the active material may easily peel off due to momentary pressure when cutting the electrode. Therefore, the adhesion state of the active material layer to the current collector plays an important role in the performance of the battery, and tests are conducted to evaluate the adhesion strength of the active material layer to confirm this.

[0007] The adhesion strength of the active material layer to the current collector is measured by adhering the active material layer of the electrode to a fixed substrate (e.g., a glass substrate) and measuring the adhesion strength while pulling the current collector in the opposite direction to remove it. At this time, if the active material layer of the test electrode is not attached to the correct position of the fixed substrate, accurate measurement results cannot be obtained.

[0008] However, the process of attaching the active material layer of the test electrode to the fixed substrate is performed manually, which often results in the active material layer being attached obliquely to the fixed substrate, resulting in defective test electrodes and also in problems with the accuracy of adhesive strength measurements. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean published utility model no. 2011-0000143 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and aims to provide an apparatus for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer, which can easily and quickly prepare a highly reliable specimen by accurately guiding the bonding position between an active material layer and a fixed substrate when preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for simply, quickly and highly reliable manufacturing of a test specimen for adhesive strength testing of an electrode active material layer using the test specimen manufacturing apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides An apparatus used to prepare a specimen for testing adhesion between an active material layer of an electrode and a current collector, comprising: a lower guide panel having a guide groove on an upper surface thereof for guiding and accommodating a fixed substrate to which an active material layer of an electrode is attached; and an upper guide panel having a guide hole for guiding a bonding position of an electrode active material layer with respect to a fixed substrate accommodated in the guide groove; The present invention provides an apparatus for preparing a specimen for adhesive strength testing of an electrode active material layer, the apparatus including a connecting means between the upper guide panel and the lower guide panel, at least one of the upper guide panel and the lower guide panel.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper guide panel is separated from the lower guide panel, When guiding the electrode active material layer, the electrode active material layer is provided in a form that is combined with the lower guide panel, or The lower guide panel may be provided with a part or the whole of the lower guide panel fixed thereto.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the upper guide panel may be hinged to one side of the lower guide panel.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper guide panel may be connected to the upper surface of the lower guide panel in a structure that slides laterally, a guide rail may be provided on one of the upper guide panel or the lower guide panel, and a drive unit that slides on the guide rail may be provided on the other of the upper guide panel or the lower guide panel.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the length or width of the guide hole may be formed smaller than the length or width of the corresponding guide groove so as to hold the fixed substrate accommodated in the guide groove.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide groove may be in the form of a rectangular prism having an open top surface or an open top surface and one side wall.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide hole may be in the form of a rectangular prism with an open upper and lower surface, or in the form of a rectangular prism with an open upper and lower surface and one side wall.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide groove and the open side wall of the guide hole may be formed in the same direction.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper guide panel may be a transparent panel.

[0021] The present invention also provides a method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: A method for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer using the apparatus for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer, (a) positioning a fixed substrate in a guide groove provided in a lower guide panel; (b) adhering an active material layer of an electrode to an upper surface of the fixed substrate through a guide hole provided in an upper guide panel; and (c) separating the electrode active material layer adhesion test specimen from the preparation apparatus;

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, after step (a), the method may further include the step of coupling the upper guide panel to an upper portion of the lower guide panel such that the guide hole and the guide groove overlap each other.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the step (c) may further include releasing the bonding of the upper guide panel to an upper portion of the lower guide panel before separating the electrode active material layer adhesion test specimen.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, when adhering the active material layer of the electrode in step (b), a step of attaching a double-sided tape to the fixed substrate or the active material layer may be further included. Effect of the Invention

[0025] The device for preparing specimens for adhesive strength tests of electrode active material layers according to the present invention can accurately guide the bonding position between the active material layer and the fixed substrate during preparation of the specimens, thereby enabling highly reliable specimens to be prepared easily and quickly.

[0026] In addition, the method for producing a specimen for testing the adhesive strength of an electrode active material layer makes it possible to produce a highly reliable specimen simply and quickly by using the above-mentioned production device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an apparatus for preparing a test piece for testing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an apparatus for preparing a test piece for testing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a specimen for testing the adhesion of an electrode and an electrode active material layer including the electrode; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for preparing a test piece for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for preparing a test piece for testing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Like reference numerals are used throughout the specification to refer to like parts.

[0029] When a component is said to be "connected, provided, or installed" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or installed to the other component, but there may also be other components in between. Conversely, when a component is said to be "directly connected, provided, or installed" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. And other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "on" and "directly on," or "between" and "immediately between," or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to," should be interpreted similarly.

[0030] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus (100) for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer as one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded diagram of the apparatus (100) for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer as one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an electrode (10) and an embodiment of a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer (20) including the electrode (10). The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0031] The apparatus (100) for preparing an adhesion test specimen for an electrode active material layer of the present invention is an apparatus used for preparing an adhesion test specimen (20) for testing the adhesion between an active material layer (12) of an electrode (10) and a current collector (14) (see FIG. 3(a) ), a lower guide panel (30) having a guide groove (32) on its upper surface for guiding and accommodating a fixed substrate (22) to which an active material layer (12) of an electrode is attached; and an upper guide panel (40) having a guide hole (42) for guiding the bonding position of the electrode active material layer (12) to the fixed substrate (22) received in the guide groove (32); At least one of the upper guide panel (40) and the lower guide panel (30) is provided with a connecting means between the upper guide panel (40) and the lower guide panel (30).

[0032] In a lithium secondary battery, if the active material layer is not firmly attached to the current collector, the active material layer may peel off due to stress caused by volume expansion and contraction of the electrode during charging and discharging, and the active material may easily peel off due to momentary pressure during the cutting process of the electrode. Therefore, the adhesion state of the active material layer to the current collector plays an important role in the performance of the battery, and tests are conducted to evaluate the adhesion strength of the active material layer in order to confirm this.

[0033] The adhesion strength of the active material layer to the current collector is measured by adhering the active material layer of the electrode to a fixed substrate (e.g., a glass substrate) and measuring the adhesion strength while pulling the current collector in the opposite direction to remove it. At this time, if the active material layer of the test electrode is not attached to the correct position of the fixed substrate, accurate measurement results cannot be obtained.

[0034] However, the process of attaching the active material layer of the test electrode to the fixed substrate is performed manually, which often results in the active material layer being attached obliquely to the fixed substrate, resulting in defective test electrodes and also in problems with the accuracy of adhesive strength measurements.

[0035] That is, the adhesion measurement is carried out using a UTM device after preparing an adhesion test specimen (20) of the electrode active material layer as shown in Fig. 3(c). However, if the active material layer (12) of the electrode is not accurately attached to the fixed substrate (22) constituting the adhesion test specimen (20) of the electrode active material layer at a predetermined position by adjusting the straightness and parallelism, the measured tensile force value will vary due to the inaccurate attachment. Therefore, accurate preparation of the adhesion test specimen (20) of the electrode active material layer is essential for accurate measurement of the adhesion of the active material layer to the current collector.

[0036] The apparatus (100) for preparing a specimen for testing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer according to the present invention provides the effect of simply and easily satisfying the conditions required for the specimen as described above. Therefore, according to the present invention, the occurrence of erroneously prepared specimens is fundamentally prevented, and specimens of accurate and uniform shape can be prepared in a simple manner, thereby allowing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer to a current collector to be simply and accurately measured.

[0037] The above-mentioned bonding means is not particularly limited, and any bonding means known in this field can be used.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper guide panel (40) may be provided in any form in the device (100) for preparing specimens for adhesive strength tests of electrode active material layers, as long as it is capable of being coupled to the lower guide panel (30) when guiding the electrode active material layer (12). For example, the upper guide panel (40) may be provided in a form separate from the lower guide panel (30) and coupled to the lower guide panel (30) when guiding the electrode active material layer (12); or the upper guide panel (40) may be provided in a form partially or entirely fixed to the lower guide panel (30).

[0039] When the lower guide panel 30 is provided separately, the upper guide panel 30 may have a detachable structure when guiding the electrode active material layer 12. In this case, the detachable structure may be any structure known in the art without limitation. For example, the upper surface of the lower guide panel 30 may have a coupling fence for coupling the upper guide panel 40 at the outer periphery, or the lower surface of the upper guide panel 40 may have a coupling fence for coupling the lower guide panel 30 at the outer periphery. In addition, a coupling protrusion may be provided on one of the upper guide panel 40 or the lower guide panel 30, and a coupling groove for receiving the coupling protrusion may be provided on the other of the upper guide panel 40 or the lower guide panel 30.

[0040] In the case where the upper guide panel (40) is provided in a form in which it is partially or entirely fixed to the lower guide panel (30), in the case where it is entirely fixed, the guide groove (32) of the lower guide panel (30) may be formed in a form in which the fixed substrate (22) can be inserted even in a state in which the upper guide panel (40) is entirely fixed, as shown in Fig. 5. For example, in the case where one side wall of the guide groove (32) is open, the fixed substrate (22) may be inserted through the open one side wall of the guide groove (32).

[0041] In addition, an example of the partially fixed form is a form in which the upper guide panel 40 is fixed to one side of the lower guide panel 30 by a hinge, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the upper guide panel 40 can be operated as shown in Fig. 4 to prepare a specimen for testing the adhesion of the electrode active material layer.

[0042] Also, for example, the upper guide panel 40 may be connected to the lower guide panel 30 in a structure that slides laterally from the upper surface of the lower guide panel 30. In this case, a guide rail may be provided on one of the upper guide panel 40 or the lower guide panel 30, and a drive unit that slides on the guide rail may be provided on the other of the upper guide panel 40 or the lower guide panel 30.

[0043] In consideration of the convenience of preparing a specimen for testing the adhesion of the electrode active material layer, it may be preferable to have the upper guide panel (40) fixed to one side of the lower guide panel (30) by a hinge.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the length or width of the guide hole (42) may be formed smaller than the corresponding length or width of the guide groove (32) so as to hold the fixed board (22) received in the guide groove (32).

[0045] In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide groove (32) may be in the form of a rectangular prism with an open upper surface, and the guide hole (42) may be in the form of a rectangular prism with open upper and lower surfaces.

[0046] In addition, the guide groove (32) may be in the form of a rectangular prism with an open upper surface and one side wall, and the guide hole (42) may be in the form of a rectangular prism with an open upper and lower surfaces and one side wall.

[0047] Furthermore, the open side walls of the guide groove (32) and the guide hole (42) may be formed in the same direction as shown in Fig. 1. The open side wall may be in the same direction as a side wall in the length direction of an apparatus for preparing a specimen for testing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer. When the upper guide panel (40) is fixed to one side of the lower guide panel (30) by a hinge, the side wall in the length direction may be the side wall opposite to the side to which the hinge is fixed.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper guide panel 40 may be a transparent panel. When the upper guide panel 40 is made of a transparent panel as described above, it may be desirable since it improves the visibility of the fixed substrate 22 located below.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, the material of the upper guide panel 40 may be, but is not limited to, an acrylic resin, and in this case, as described above, the upper guide panel 40 may be a transparent panel.

[0050] The lower guide panel 30 is preferably made of a material that is resistant to heat and humidity, such as, but not limited to, bakelite.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode (10) may have a form in which a current collector (14) and an active material layer (12) are laminated on one or more surfaces of the current collector. For example, the electrode (10) may have a form in which an active material layer (12) is formed on both surfaces of a current collector (14), as shown in (a) of Figure 3.

[0052] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a specimen for testing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer.

[0053] The method for preparing the specimen is a method for preparing a specimen for adhesive strength test of an electrode active material layer (20) using the apparatus for preparing a specimen for adhesive strength test of an electrode active material layer (100), (a) Positioning the fixed substrate (22) in the guide groove (32) formed in the lower guide panel (30) (FIGS. 4(a) and (b)); (b) adhering an active material layer (12) of an electrode to an upper surface of the fixed substrate (22) through a guide hole (42) formed in an upper guide panel (40) (FIG. 4(c) and (d)); and (c) Separating the electrode active material layer adhesion test specimen (20) from the specimen preparation device (100) (FIGS. 4(e) and (f));

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, after step (a), the method may further include a step of attaching the upper guide panel (40) to the upper part of the lower guide panel (30) so that the guide hole (42) and the guide groove (32) overlap (FIGS. 4(a) and (b)).

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, step (c) may further include a step of releasing the bond between the upper guide panel (40) and the upper part of the lower guide panel (30) (FIG. 4(e)) before separating the electrode active material layer adhesion test specimen (20).

[0056] In one embodiment of the present invention, in the step (b) of bonding the active material layer (12) of the electrode, the bonding can be performed by a method known in the art, for example, by applying an adhesive to the fixed substrate (22) or the active material layer (12) and bonding them, or by attaching a double-sided tape to the fixed substrate (22) or the active material layer (12).

[0057] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the above-mentioned preferred embodiment, various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations as long as they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10: Electrode 12: Active material layer 14: Current collector 20: Test piece for testing the adhesion of the electrode active material layer 22: Fixed board 30: Lower guide panel 32: Guide groove 40: Upper guide panel 42: Guide hole 100: Apparatus for preparing test specimens for adhesive strength test of electrode active material layer

Claims

1. An apparatus used to prepare a specimen for testing adhesion between an active material layer of an electrode and a current collector, comprising: a lower guide panel having a guide groove on an upper surface thereof for guiding and accommodating a fixed substrate to which an active material layer of an electrode is attached; and an upper guide panel having a guide hole for guiding a bonding position of an electrode active material layer with respect to a fixed substrate accommodated in the guide groove; The apparatus for preparing a specimen for adhesive strength testing of an electrode active material layer includes a connecting means between the upper guide panel and the lower guide panel, at least one of the upper guide panel and the lower guide panel.

2. The upper guide panel is separated from the lower guide panel, When guiding the electrode active material layer, the electrode active material layer is provided in a form that is combined with the lower guide panel, or 2. The apparatus for preparing a specimen for testing the adhesion of an electrode active material layer according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is provided in a form in which a part or a whole of the specimen is fixed to the lower guide panel.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the upper guide panel is fixed to one side of the lower guide panel by a hinge.

4. 3. The apparatus for preparing a specimen for testing the adhesion strength of an electrode active material layer according to claim 2, wherein the upper guide panel is connected to an upper surface of the lower guide panel in a structure that slides laterally, a guide rail is provided on one of the upper guide panel or the lower guide panel, and a driving unit that slides on the guide rail is provided on the other of the upper guide panel or the lower guide panel.

5. 2. The apparatus for preparing a specimen for testing the adhesion strength of an electrode active material layer according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the length or width of the guide hole is smaller than the length or width of the corresponding guide groove so that the fixed substrate accommodated in the guide groove can be held.

6. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide groove is in the form of a rectangular prism having an open top surface or an open top surface and one side wall.

7. 7. The apparatus for preparing a specimen for testing adhesion strength of an electrode active material layer according to claim 6, wherein the guide hole is in the form of a rectangular prism with an open upper and lower surface or an open upper, lower and one side wall.

8. 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the guide groove and the open side wall of the guide hole are formed in the same direction.

9. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper guide panel is a transparent panel.

10. A method for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer using the apparatus for preparing a specimen for an adhesion test of an electrode active material layer according to claim 1, (a) positioning a fixed substrate in a guide groove provided in a lower guide panel; (b) adhering an active material layer of an electrode to an upper surface of the fixed substrate through a guide hole provided in an upper guide panel; and (c) separating the electrode active material layer adhesion test specimen from the preparation apparatus.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, after step (a), attaching the upper guide panel to an upper portion of the lower guide panel such that the guide hole and the guide groove overlap.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of releasing the upper guide panel from the upper portion of the lower guide panel before separating the electrode active material layer adhesion test specimen in step (c).

13. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of attaching a double-sided tape to the fixed substrate or the active material layer when adhering the active material layer of the electrode in step (b).

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