Composite Electrode Plate With Thin Conductive Layer for Higher Energy Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithium-ion batteries face challenges in achieving high mass energy density and volumetric energy density, and they often experience performance degradation due to the use of plastic current collectors with metal coating layers.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electrode plate with a composite current collector consisting of a support layer made of polymer material or polymer composite material and a conductive layer with a thickness of 30 nm to 3 μm, along with an electrode active material layer having three zones of varying compacted density, to enhance energy density and safety performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a plastic current collector with a metal coating layer is used, then energy density is increased, but processing performance and electrochemical performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite current collector structure consisting of a polymer support layer and a metal coating layer. The support layer provides mechanical strength and processability, while the thin metal coating layer (30nm-3μm) provides electrochemical conductivity. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties to achieve both high energy density and good performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the thickness parameter of the metal coating layer to a specific range (30nm-3μm). This parameter control ensures that the metal layer is thin enough to reduce weight and increase energy density, while still thick enough to maintain adequate electrochemical performance and processing characteristics.
2Quantity of substance
If the conductive layer thickness is reduced to increase energy density, then mass energy density improves, but conductivity and mechanical strength may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a precise thickness range for the conductive layer (30nm-3μm) to optimize the balance between energy density and performance. This parameter control ensures the layer is thin enough to maximize energy density while maintaining sufficient conductivity and mechanical integrity for practical application.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines a polymer support layer with a thin metal conductive layer. The support layer compensates for the reduced mechanical strength of the thin metal layer, while the metal layer provides the necessary conductivity. This composite approach allows the conductive layer to be made very thin without sacrificing overall structural performance.
3Reliability
If a conventional metal current collector is used, then electrochemical performance is good, but weight and volume increase reducing energy density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional thick metal current collectors with a composite structure featuring a thin metal coating layer (30nm-3μm) on a polymer support layer. This dramatically reduces the weight and volume of the current collector while maintaining adequate electrochemical performance through the preserved metal conductive layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thin polymer support layer as the base structure, replacing the traditional thick metal foil. This thin-film approach significantly reduces the mass and volume of the current collector, thereby increasing the proportion of active materials and improving overall energy density while the thin metal coating maintains necessary electrochemical functions.
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to the battery field, and specifically, to an electrode plate, an electrochemical device, and an apparatus. The electrode plate of this application includes a current collector and an electrode active material layer disposed on at least one surface of the current collector, where the current collector includes a support layer and a conductive layer disposed on at least one surface of the support layer, a single-sided thickness D2 of the conductive layer satisfies 30 nm≤D2≤3 μm, the support layer is made of a polymer material or a polymer composite material, and a thickness D1 of the support layer satisfies 1 μm≤D1≤30 μm; and the electrode active material layer includes an electrode active material, a binder, and a conductive agent.