Foam Metal Current Collector with Metallurgical Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foam-metal current collectors in secondary batteries suffer from poor mechanical performance, leading to issues such as low strength and ease of tearing during tab formation or welding.
Innovation Solution
A battery current collector is designed with a foam metal layer and a strength enhancement layer that are metallurgically bonded, ensuring structural strength and conductivity while allowing for adjustable performance parameters through controlled composition and sintering or welding processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a foam-metal current collector is used, then conductivity and energy conversion are improved, but mechanical strength and resistance to tearing deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining foam metal (providing conductivity) with a strength enhancement layer (providing mechanical strength). This creates a composite current collector structure where the foam metal layer maintains electrochemical functionality while the strength enhancement layer prevents tearing and improves tab formation reliability.
2Weight of moving object
If the foam metal layer is made thinner to reduce weight, then energy density is improved, but mechanical strength and resistance to deformation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure allows the foam metal layer to be thin (reducing weight) while the strength enhancement layer provides the necessary mechanical support. This resolves the contradiction by distributing functions across layers: the foam metal layer handles conductivity with minimal thickness, while the strength enhancement layer handles mechanical loads.
3Ease of operation
If tab formation is performed on foam metal current collector, then electrical connection is achieved, but structural integrity and resistance to tearing deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The strength enhancement layer is positioned at regions where tabs are formed, providing local reinforcement during the tab formation process. This allows tab welding and formation operations to proceed easily while the composite structure maintains structural integrity and prevents tearing at critical stress points.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional connection methods are used for foam metal current collector, then assembly is simplified, but mechanical strength and conductivity at connection points deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The strength enhancement layer provides a robust surface for conventional connection methods (welding, tab formation) while the foam metal layer maintains conductivity. The composite structure ensures that connection points have both mechanical strength from the enhancement layer and electrical conductivity from the foam metal, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and connection quality.
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 solution enhances mechanical performance, improves conductivity, and reduces production costs, while simplifying processing and preventing cracking during winding, thus improving the reliability and efficiency of the current collector.
Implementation Method 1
The strength enhancement layer and the foam metal layer are connected by metallurgical bonding, and atoms on an interface between the strength enhancement layer and the foam metal layer mutually diffuse to bond
Implementation Method 2
the foam metal layer and the strength enhancement layer are welded together, with advantages of simple processing technology and high production efficiency
Implementation Method 3
the foam metal layer and the strength enhancement layer are sintered as a whole, and a material and parameters of the current collector can be controlled by controlling compositions of metal powder
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a battery current collector and a preparation method thereof, a secondary battery, a battery module, a battery pack, and an electric apparatus. The battery current collector includes a foam metal layer (1) and a strength enhancement layer (2), where the strength enhancement layer (2) is a sheet-shaped metal layer, and the strength enhancement layer (2) and the foam metal layer (1) are stacked and metallurgically bonded, alleviating a problem of poor mechanical performance of current collectors in the related art. The strength enhancement layer (2) and the foam metal layer (1) are connected by metallurgical bonding, which helps ensure not only structural strength of the strength enhancement layer (2) and the foam metal layer (1), but also good conductivity between the strength enhancement layer (2) and the foam metal layer (1). Further, the manner of metallurgical bonding helps reduce production costs.