Low-Solubility Flame-Retardant Electrode Slurry for Thermal Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium secondary batteries are vulnerable to external impacts and prone to internal deterioration, leading to thermal runaway, ignition, and chain-like exothermic reactions, which can cause significant damage and spread fire throughout the battery pack.
Innovation Solution
An electrode slurry containing a flame-retardant material with low solubility in a carbonate-based solvent, composed of straight-chain or branched-chain type polyphosphate-based compounds, is used to prevent thermal runaway and electrolyte leakage, maintaining lithium-ion migration rates during charging and discharging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flame-retardant material with high solubility in carbonate-based solvent is used, then the flame-retardant effect is enhanced, but the material leaks into the electrolyte increasing viscosity and limiting lithium-ion migration rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the solubility parameter of the flame-retardant material by selecting compounds with specific molecular structures (straight-chain or branched-chain polyphosphates) that have low solubility in carbonate-based solvents (≤10 mg/cc), preventing leakage into the electrolyte while maintaining flame-retardant effectiveness in the electrode slurry
2Object-affected harmful factors
If flame-retardant materials are added to electrode slurry, then thermal runaway is suppressed, but the complexity of electrode formulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flame-retardant properties locally within the electrode slurry formulation rather than requiring system-wide changes, by incorporating specific polyphosphate compounds directly into the electrode coating mixture at controlled concentrations (0.1-5 wt%) to suppress thermal runaway at the electrode level
3Reliability
If flame-retardant material is incorporated into electrode slurry, then additional thermal runaway is prevented, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the flame-retardant function with the existing electrode slurry preparation process by incorporating polyphosphate compounds during the standard slurry mixing stage, eliminating the need for separate flame-retardant application steps and maintaining compatibility with existing manufacturing workflows
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 electrode slurry effectively prevents additional thermal runaway, delays the onset of thermal runaway, and maintains electrolyte viscosity, while being cost-effective and easier to apply, suppressing side reactions.
Implementation Method 1
blocking or suppress, at an early stage, the occurrence of undesirable continuous or chain-like exothermic reactions
Implementation Method 2
the flame-retardant material has a solubility of less than 10 mg/cc in a carbonate-based solvent at 20°C
Data Source
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AI summary
The present specification relates to an electrode slurry including an electrode active material, a conductive material, a binder, a solvent for forming a slurry, and a flame-retardant material, in which the flame-retardant material has a solubility of less than 10 mg/cc in a carbonate-based solvent at 20°C and includes a specific type of compound, an electrode including the same, a lithium secondary battery, and a battery pack. The electrode according to the exemplary embodiment can ensure battery characteristics while preventing thermal runaway.