Azo-Linked Porous Polymer for Secondary Battery Gas Absorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium secondary batteries face safety issues due to gas generation during abnormal conditions, leading to potential deformation, cycle-life reduction, ignition, or explosion, which conventional safety measures like PTCs and additives fail to adequately address without compromising performance.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating an azo-linked porous organic polymer (ALP) with a hollow structure and azo group into the battery cell to absorb and remove gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, preventing swelling and ignition by enhancing gas absorption properties without reacting with the separator or electrodes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional safety measures (PTC, fuse, protective circuit, additives) are used to improve battery safety, then safety is improved, but gas generation still occurs due to abnormal reactions and performance deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery safetyVSAvoidgas generation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the harmful gas from the battery system by introducing a gas-absorbing polymer that selectively captures and retains gas molecules generated during abnormal conditions, effectively taking the harmful factor out of the system before it can cause damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The gas-absorbing polymer acts as an intermediary substance between the gas generation source and the battery environment, mediating the harmful effects by absorbing gas molecules through its porous structure and preventing them from causing swelling or ignition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If gas-absorbing materials are added to absorb gas, then gas absorption is improved, but side-reactions with electrolyte occur and performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas absorptionVSAvoidperformance stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by designing the gas-absorbing polymer with specific local characteristics - the porous structure provides gas absorption capability in certain regions while the chemical composition ensures non-reactivity with electrolyte in contact regions, allowing different parts of the material to fulfill different functional requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes porous materials by employing a gas-absorbing polymer with a porous structure that provides high surface area and volume for gas absorption while maintaining chemical inertness toward the electrolyte, enabling effective gas capture without side-reactions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The azo-linked porous organic polymer effectively reduces gas-related swelling and ignition risks, significantly improving battery safety while maintaining performance by selectively absorbing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, thus preventing side-reactions and maintaining ion conductivity.

Implementation Method 1

an azo-linked porous organic polymer (ALP) as a gas-absorbing polymer having the azo group is included in a battery cell to absorb and remove gas generated within the battery

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP3352286B1Secondary battery comprising gas-absorbing polymer
Publication Date: 2020.09.09 LG CHEM LTD
  • EP3352286B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1D
  • EP3352286B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3352286B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides a secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is sealed within a battery case together with an electrolyte, wherein a gas-absorbing polymer having an azo group is included in the battery cell so as to absorb gas generated within the battery.