Electrode Production via Temperature-Responsive Polymer Compression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrode production methods result in a surface layer with fewer voids, leading to poor electrolyte penetration and reduced battery capacity and cycle durability, as they require multiple coating materials and sequential application processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving temperature-responsive polymers, where wet granules are molded into an active material film with distinct surface properties by controlling temperature, allowing for the formation of electrodes with more voids in the surface layer than in the lower part using a single coating material, enhancing electrolyte penetration and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If compression ratio during compression processing becomes higher, then density of the active material film is improved, but the surface layer part is likely to be locally crushed and voids are reduced, causing electrolyte penetration to deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different compression ratios to different regions of the active material film. The surface layer part is compressed at a lower compression ratio to preserve voids for electrolyte penetration, while the lower part is compressed at a higher compression ratio to achieve high density. This local differentiation of compression conditions resolves the contradiction between overall density improvement and surface layer integrity.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single coating material is used to form the active material film, then the production process is simplified, but it becomes difficult to create different particle size distributions in the surface layer and lower part
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses parameter changes during the compression process to achieve different particle size distributions from a single coating material. By applying different compression ratios to different regions (lower compression ratio for the surface layer, higher compression ratio for the lower part), the same coating material undergoes different mechanical transformations, resulting in the desired particle size differentiation without requiring multiple coating materials.
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 method effectively increases battery capacity and cycle durability by ensuring better electrolyte penetration and maintaining high density in the active material film, while simplifying the production process with a single coating material.
Implementation Method 1
The temperature responsive polymer swells when the temperature responsive polymer absorbs a solvent at a temperature that is lower than a lower critical solution temperature of the temperature responsive polymer, and contracts when the temperature responsive polymer releases the solvent at a temperature that is equal to or higher than the lower critical solution temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing an electrode includes preparing a temperature responsive polymer, preparing wet granules by mixing the temperature responsive polymer, a solvent, and active material particles, molding an active material film by sandwiching the wet granules between a first molding tool and a second molding tool, compressing the active material film by sandwiching the active material film between a third molding tool and a fourth molding tool, and disposing the active material film on a surface of a current collector.