Lithium-Ion Battery Electrolyte for Thick Electrode Wettability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithium-ion batteries face challenges with poor wettability of high surface-density and highly compressed electrode sheets, leading to reduced production efficiency, inconsistent liquid absorption, and safety issues such as lithium precipitation, which are not adequately addressed by prior high-wettability electrolytes designed for lithium metal batteries.
Innovation Solution
A novel electrolyte incorporating a nonionic fluorocarbon surfactant with an amide group and carbon-fluorine bond, which reduces surface tension and improves contact with thick electrodes, combined with specific additives and lithium salts, enhances wettability and stability, thereby increasing battery performance and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If coating surface density and compaction density are increased to improve energy density, then energy density is improved, but wettability of electrode sheets deteriorates and liquid absorption time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the electrolyte by introducing a fluorocarbon-containing additive with specific molecular structure (CF3 group and ether oxygen), which fundamentally alters the electrolyte's surface tension and wettability characteristics, enabling high-wettability performance in high-density electrode configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite electrolyte system by combining traditional lithium salt (LiPF6) with a novel fluorocarbon-containing ether compound, leveraging the complementary properties of both components to achieve simultaneous improvement in ionic conductivity and wettability
2Quantity of substance
If coating surface density and compaction density are increased to improve energy density, then energy density is improved, but liquid absorption consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the electrolyte's surface tension parameter through the introduction of fluorocarbon groups, which have low surface energy, thereby improving the electrolyte's ability to uniformly wet dense electrode structures and achieve consistent liquid absorption
3Productivity
If traditional electrolyte is used in high surface-density electrode sheets, then production efficiency is maintained, but lithium precipitation occurs and safety issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorocarbon-containing ether compound acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between the electrolyte and the dense electrode structure, facilitating uniform electrolyte distribution and preventing lithium precipitation by improving wetting of pore spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dielectric constant and viscosity parameters of the electrolyte through the fluorocarbon additive, improving ion transport efficiency in high-density electrodes and preventing lithium precipitation while maintaining production efficiency
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 new electrolyte significantly improves wettability and cycling performance, reduces internal resistance, and enhances rate performance, even at low concentrations, while maintaining thermal and chemical stability, addressing the limitations of prior technologies.
Implementation Method 1
the additive shows a stronger tendency to detach from the solution than other surface-active molecules, which is directed to aggregate and arrange into a molecular film at the liquid/gas interface. Therefore, even under an extremely low concentration of the electrolyte, the additive may significantly reduce the surface tension of the electrolyte, improve the wettability of the electrolyte
Implementation Method 2
The structure of carbon-fluorine bond is stable and difficult to be polarized, which enables the fluorocarbon chain to be hydrophobic and oleophobic simultaneously
Implementation Method 3
increase the contact between the electrolyte and the solid phase in the deep pore spaces of the thick electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
Provided in the present application is an electrolyte and lithium-ion battery. The electrolyte includes a compound as shown in formula 1, in which R1 is selected from any one of C1-C6 fully or partially substituted fluoroalkyl, and R2 and R3 are independently selected from any one of a hydrogen atom, an alkane, a phenyl, an alkylbenzene, or a methoxysilane respectively.