Composite Copper Current Collector for Lightweight Anode Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current negative electrode current collectors in electrochemical devices face challenges in achieving a balance between mechanical properties, weight, electrical conductivity, and current collection performance, which affects the overall performance and safety of the electrochemical devices.
Innovation Solution
A negative electrode current collector is designed with an organic support layer and a copper-based conductive layer, where the copper-based crystal grain size is between 10 nm to 500 nm, enhancing interface bonding and mechanical properties while maintaining good electrical conductivity and current collection performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a copper-based conductive layer is used on the negative electrode current collector, then electrical conductivity and current collection performance are improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the crystal grain size parameter of the copper-based conductive layer to 10-500 nm, which optimizes the balance between electrical conductivity and weight. This nanoscale grain size improvement enhances electrical conductivity and current collection performance while minimizing the amount of copper material needed, thereby reducing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining an organic support layer with a copper-based conductive layer. This composite material approach allows the organic support to provide mechanical strength and flexibility while the thin copper layer provides electrical conductivity, reducing overall weight compared to using thick copper foil alone.
2Weight of moving object
If the copper-based conductive layer is made thinner to reduce weight, then weight decreases, but mechanical strength and fracture resistance worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the crystal grain size parameter to 10-500 nm, which significantly improves mechanical strength through grain boundary strengthening effects. This allows the use of thinner copper layers that are both lightweight and mechanically robust, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and strength maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the local microstructure of the copper-based conductive layer by controlling crystal grain size distribution. The nanoscale grain structure provides enhanced mechanical properties at the micro-level, allowing thin layers to achieve the strength of thicker layers while maintaining weight advantages.
3Weight of moving object
If the copper-based conductive layer is made thinner to reduce weight, then weight decreases, but electrical conductivity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the crystal grain size to 10-500 nm, which enhances electrical conductivity through improved electron transport properties at the nanoscale. This allows thinner copper layers to maintain or even improve electrical conductivity compared to conventional thicker layers, simultaneously achieving weight reduction and conductivity enhancement.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional current collectors are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but mechanical properties and safety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure of organic support layer plus copper-based conductive layer, which can be manufactured using conventional coating and drying processes. The organic support layer can be applied by standard coating methods, and the copper layer can be deposited by conventional techniques, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while dramatically improving mechanical properties and safety through the composite architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode plate and an electrochemical device. The negative electrode current collector includes an organic support layer and a copper-based conductive layer disposed on at least one surface of the organic support layer; and a copper-based crystal grain size in the copper-based conductive layer is from 10 nm to 500 nm. The negative electrode current collector provided by the present application has good mechanics properties while having less weight and good electrical conductivity and current collection performance, which can improve preparation yields of the negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode plate and the electrochemical device and their safety and reliability during use, and enables the electrochemical device to have relatively high gravimetric energy density and good electrochemical performance.