Battery Separators With Inorganic Particles for Side Reaction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Energy storage devices face performance and safety issues due to undesirable side reactions in complex electrochemical environments, which existing separators and electrode compositions fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating functional inorganic particles, such as those with specific elemental compositions and porosities, into separators and electrodes to promote favorable electrochemical reactions, reduce side reactions, and enhance ionic conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional separators and electrode compositions are used in energy storage devices, then the device structure is simple and manufacturing is easier, but undesirable side reactions occur that reduce battery performance and safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining inorganic particles (such as metal oxides, hydroxides, or salts) with organic binders to create enhanced separators and electrode compositions. This composite structure provides both the mechanical integrity needed for device simplicity and the chemical functionality to suppress side reactions, thereby improving battery performance and safety without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The inorganic particles act as intermediaries between the electrolyte and the electrode materials, forming protective interfaces that prevent direct harmful interactions. These intermediary layers promote favorable electrochemical reactions while blocking undesirable side reactions, thus improving reliability without requiring complete redesign of the entire system
2Reliability
If functional inorganic particles are incorporated into separators and electrodes to reduce side reactions, then battery performance and safety improve, but manufacturing complexity and processing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by carefully controlling the size, concentration, and distribution of inorganic particles within the separators and electrodes. By optimizing these parameters, the patent achieves effective suppression of side reactions while maintaining manufacturability through standard battery fabrication processes
Solution Approach 2:
The use of porous inorganic particle structures provides high surface area for promoting favorable electrochemical reactions while maintaining open pathways for ion transport. This porous architecture allows the functional particles to be effectively incorporated without significantly complicating the manufacturing process, as the porous structure can be formed through conventional sintering or coating techniques
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 use of functional inorganic particles in separators and electrodes effectively reduces or eliminates side reactions, improves battery performance, and enhances safety by mitigating electrochemical cycling effects during charge and discharge.
Implementation Method 1
functional inorganic particles that promote battery performance and/or safety. For example, the functional inorganic particles may act to reduce or eliminate side reactions or mitigate the effects of side reactions during electrochemical cycling of an energy storage device
Implementation Method 2
the functional inorganic particles may additionally or alternatively promote ionic conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
Separators and additives (e.g., electrode additives) for use in energy storage devices are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a separator includes inorganic particles. In certain embodiments, an additive includes inorganic particles. The additive may be used in an electrode, such as a cathode or anode in a battery. The inorganic particles (whether included in a separator or used in (e.g., as) an additive, for example for an electrode) may be functional inorganic particles that promote battery performance and/or safety. For example, the functional inorganic particles may act to reduce or eliminate side reactions or mitigate the effects of side reactions during electrochemical cycling of an energy storage device in which they are included (e.g., discharge and/or charge of a battery). As another example, the functional inorganic particles may additionally or alternatively promote ionic conductivity.