Boron-Iron Carbon Anode Material for Fast Charging and Cycle Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secondary batteries face challenges in achieving both fast charging performance and good cycling performance, particularly in high-tech and high-intensity applications.
Innovation Solution
A negative-electrode active material comprising a carbon matrix with iron distributed in its interior and boron in its surface layer, prepared through a method involving carbon-containing raw material treatment with iron and boron sources, enhances isotropy and passivates surface defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional carbon materials are used in negative electrodes, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but fast charging performance and cycling performance cannot be achieved simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining carbon matrix with iron and boron elements to create a multi-component negative electrode material. The carbon matrix provides the base structure, iron enhances fast charging performance through electrochemical reactions, and boron improves cycling stability by passivating surface defects. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by achieving both good fast charging and cycling performance while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity through a systematic preparation method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by distributing iron and boron elements heterogeneously within the carbon matrix rather than uniformly mixing all components. Iron is dispersed as fine particles throughout the carbon structure to provide localized electrochemical activity for fast charging, while boron is concentrated at surface regions to passivate surface defects. This spatial differentiation of element distribution optimizes both fast charging and cycling performance without requiring overly complex manufacturing processes.
2Productivity
If iron is added to improve fast charging performance, then fast charging capability increases, but material structure becomes more complex and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-dispersing iron particles into the carbon matrix before final material formation, and pre-passivating surface defects with boron during the same processing sequence. The preparation method involves mixing carbon powder with iron sources and boron sources, then undergoing controlled heat treatment that simultaneously achieves iron dispersion, carbonization, and boron surface modification in one integrated process. This preliminary organization of components simplifies subsequent manufacturing steps while ensuring optimal fast charging performance.
3Reliability
If boron is added to passivate surface defects and improve cycling performance, then cycling stability increases, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the functions of iron addition (for fast charging) and boron addition (for cycling stability) into a single integrated preparation process. Both elements are introduced simultaneously during material synthesis, and the heat treatment step accomplishes multiple objectives: carbonization of the matrix, dispersion of iron particles, and surface passivation by boron. This merged approach achieves both fast charging and cycling performance improvements without requiring separate complex manufacturing steps, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture.
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 material achieves both fast charging and good cycling performance, with a delithiation platform voltage of 0.18V-0.22V at 0.33C discharge rate, and the efficacy includes a carbon matrix, boron, and iron, which improves the material's performance.
Implementation Method 1
The negative-electrode active material in this application adopts a special structure, so that a secondary battery including the negative-electrode active material can have both good fast charging performance and good cycling performance
Implementation Method 2
The negative-electrode active material includes a carbon matrix, boron and iron, where the iron is distributed in the interior of the carbon matrix
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~2
Figure 3
AI summary
This application provides a negative-electrode active material, a preparation method thereof, a secondary battery and an apparatus. The negative-electrode active material includes a carbon matrix, boron and iron, where the iron is distributed in the interior of the carbon matrix. Secondary batteries including such negative-electrode active material can have both good fast charging performance and good cycling performance.