Electrode Forming Mold for Uniform Density and Low Solvent Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing electrodes, particularly for batteries, face challenges such as non-uniform density distribution and reduced formability due to solvent retention and increased components, leading to poor battery performance in both solid and liquid electrolyte systems.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a forming mold with a frame-shaped side wall and supports to constrain and shape the electrode material, ensuring uniform distribution and low solvent content, thereby improving formability and reducing defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a coating liquid containing solvent is used to form an electrode, then the electrode material can be easily applied and formed, but the solvent may remain in the electrode after drying, reducing battery performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the solvent from the electrode material before electrode formation. By using a solvent removal device that applies vacuum and heat, the solvent is completely removed from the electrode material, eliminating the harmful effect of residual solvent on battery performance while maintaining the ease of using liquid electrode material for formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs solvent removal as a preliminary action before electrode formation. The electrode material undergoes complete drying in advance through vacuum heating, ensuring no solvent remains when the electrode is subsequently formed. This preliminary treatment prevents solvent-related performance issues while preserving the manufacturing advantages of liquid materials.
2Productivity
If electrode material is formed without sufficient drying, then the manufacturing process is simpler and faster, but the solvent remains in the electrode reducing discharge capacity and output characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces conventional mechanical drying methods with a vacuum heating system. By applying vacuum to reduce atmospheric pressure and simultaneously heating the electrode material, solvent removal is dramatically accelerated. This allows complete drying to be achieved rapidly, maintaining high productivity while precisely controlling solvent content to near-zero levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transition of the solvent from liquid to vapor under vacuum conditions. By creating a vacuum environment, the boiling point of the solvent is lowered, enabling rapid evaporation and complete removal. This phase transition mechanism ensures precise control over solvent content while maintaining fast processing speed.
3Reliability
If dry electrode material is used without coating liquid, then solvent retention is eliminated, but the electrode tends to have non-uniform density distribution reducing formability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a binder as an intermediary substance that holds the dry electrode material particles together. The binder creates a matrix that distributes the active material, conductive agent, and other components uniformly throughout the electrode structure, achieving homogeneous density distribution while maintaining the advantages of solvent-free dry material formulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a composite electrode material composition consisting of active material, conductive agent, and binder in specific ratios. This composite structure ensures uniform distribution of all components and achieves homogeneous density throughout the electrode, eliminating the non-uniformity problem associated with simple dry powder compression while maintaining solvent-free formulation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a formed body for an electrode comprising in order: a step of preparing an electrode material containing an electrode active material; a step of supplying the electrode material to a forming mold which has a frame-shaped side wall portion defining a space portion accommodating the electrode material and has a first support placed on a bottom surface of the forming mold; a step of forming the electrode material along an internal shape of the forming mold; and a step of taking out the electrode material from the forming mold.