Lithium-Ion Battery Active Material Coating for Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Nonaqueous secondary batteries, such as lithium secondary batteries, face challenges in cyclability and safety, particularly in preventing exterior and interior short circuits, and existing methods for producing active materials do not adequately address these issues.

Innovation Solution

A method involving adhering a compound containing specific metallic elements like Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, or transition metals to the surface of lithium-ion doped materials, followed by retention in a water-containing atmosphere and firing, to enhance the active material's properties for improved cyclability and safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the surface of lithium-containing complex oxide is coated with a compound containing Mg, Si, Ti, Al, V, Co, K, Ca, Na and B, then the electric capacity is increased, but the cyclability and safety are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectric capacityVSAvoidcyclability and safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a coating layer with specific local composition (containing Mg, Si, Ti, Al, V, Co, K, Ca, Na and B elements) on the surface of lithium-containing complex oxide particles. This local quality modification enhances electric capacity while the specific composition ratio and surface treatment conditions ensure improved cyclability and safety by creating a protective interface that prevents harmful reactions during charge-discharge cycles

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite material structure by combining lithium-containing complex oxide core material with a coating layer containing multiple metallic elements. This composite structure integrates the high capacity characteristics of the lithium-containing oxide with the protective and stabilizing properties of the multi-element coating, achieving both high electric capacity and excellent cyclability与安全性能

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Quantity of substance

If a coating treatment is applied to increase electric capacity, then the battery size can be reduced, but exterior and interior short circuit risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectric capacityVSAvoidexterior and interior short circuit risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The coating layer containing multiple metallic elements acts as an intermediary between the lithium-containing complex oxide and the electrolyte environment. This intermediary layer prevents direct harmful interactions that could lead to short circuits, while still allowing ionic transport for high capacity. The specific composition creates a stable interface that eliminates dendrite formation and prevents external shorting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the surface composition parameters by incorporating specific ratios of Mg, Si, Ti, Al, V, Co, K, Ca, Na and B elements in the coating layer. These parameter changes create a surface with optimized electrical and chemical properties that enhance capacity while simultaneously reducing short circuit risks through improved surface stability and reduced reactivity with electrolyte components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 approach results in active materials that significantly enhance the cyclability and safety of nonaqueous secondary batteries, maintaining capacity while reducing the risk of short circuits and improving overall battery performance.

Implementation Method 1

retaining an adherend, in which a compound containing at least one element (element A) selected from among B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, Mg and transition metal elements is adhered to the particle surface of a material capable of being doped and dedoped with lithium ions, under a water-containing atmosphere so that a weight increasing rate of the adherend is in a range of 0.1% by weight ormore and 5.0% by weight or less

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbsorption: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9240593B2Active material for nonaqueous secondary battery and method for producing same
Publication Date: 2016.01.19 SUMITOMO CHEM CO LTD

AI summary

There is provided a method for producing an active material for a nonaqueous secondary battery, including firing an adherend in which a compound containing an element A (at least one element selected from among B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, Mg and transition metal elements) is adhered to a particle surface of a material capable of being doped and dedoped with lithium ions, in a water-containing atmosphere so that weight increasing rate of the adherend is in a range of 0.1% by weight or more and 5.0% by weight or less, and firing the adherend.