Ceramic Electrode Reuse for Regenerating Lithium-Ion Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reuse of lithium-ion secondary batteries is hindered by the complexity and high cost of recycling processes, and the limited purpose of battery reuse due to degradation factors in conventional batteries with organic binders and conductive assistants, making it difficult to remove and reutilize used electrodes effectively.
Innovation Solution
A lithium-ion secondary battery with ceramic electrodes, where the electrolytic solution is replaced and the battery elements undergo cleaning and heat treatment, allowing for simple reassembly and regeneration of the battery, supported by a computer-based reuse support system for judging electrode degradation and determining regeneration processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional lithium-ion secondary batteries with organic binders and conductive assistants are reused, then battery performance can be evaluated and reused by distinguishing use purposes according to degradation degree, but the batteries have many degradation factors making it difficult to remove and reuse electrodes directly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the organic binder and conductive assistant components from the electrode structure. By taking out these problematic components that cause degradation, the remaining active material layer can be directly reused without complex recycling processes, thus reducing degradation factors while maintaining battery reuse applicability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters of the electrode by replacing organic binders with inorganic binder materials. This parameter change fundamentally alters the degradation characteristics of the electrode, enabling direct removal and reuse of the electrode structure without suffering from the limitations of organic binder-based electrodes
2Loss of substance
If battery recycling is performed to recover materials, then active materials or alloys can be recovered, but complicated processes are required resulting in high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by designing the electrode structure beforehand to be free of organic binders and conductive assistants. This preliminary design decision prevents the formation of degradation-prone components, allowing the electrode to be directly removed and reused without requiring complex recycling processes to recover materials
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the entire electrode for complex recycling, the patent enables direct recovery of the active material layer by simply removing it from the battery. The inorganic binder allows the electrode structure to maintain integrity during removal, enabling straightforward recovery without complicated processing
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional batteries are reused directly, then the process is simpler, but the organic binder and conductive assistant create many degradation factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the electrode by substituting organic binders with inorganic binder materials. This parameter change maintains the simplicity of the reuse process while fundamentally improving electrode stability by eliminating the degradation-prone organic components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials where inorganic binder materials replace organic binders in the electrode structure. This composite approach combines the structural benefits of binders with the stability of inorganic materials, enabling both simple reuse processes and high electrode reliability
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
This approach enables the efficient and cost-effective reuse of lithium-ion secondary batteries by simplifying the reassembly process and reducing degradation factors, thereby recovering battery performance and extending the battery's lifecycle.
Implementation Method 1
performing cleaning and/or heat treatment of a battery element
Data Source
AI summary
A reuse support system performs an electrode degradation judgment to judge, based on one or a plurality of kinds of first data diagnosed regarding a ceramic electrode removed from a lithium-ion secondary battery having the ceramic electrode, whether or not a degradation degree of the removed ceramic electrode satisfies a condition for enabling regeneration of the ceramic electrode.