Lithiated Oxide Ceramic Coatings for Battery Separators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ceramic-coated separators for lithium-ion batteries increase internal resistance, leading to capacity fade and reduced high-rate capability, especially at high temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing ceramic-coated separators using a slurry with lithiated oxides like Li2SiO3, LiAlO2, and Li2TiO3, applied to a porous substrate, which forms a ceramic coating that enhances mechanical strength and high-temperature performance while minimizing charge capacity loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ceramic material is coated on separator to improve mechanical strength and high temperature performance, then thermal stability is improved, but internal resistance increases leading to capacity fade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the ceramic coating by incorporating specific lithiated oxides (Li2SiO3, LiAlO2, Li2TiO3) in controlled ratios. This compositional parameter change allows the coating to maintain high temperature stability while preserving ionic conductivity, thus avoiding capacity fade. The specific parameter ranges (e.g., Li2SiO3: 1-50 wt%, LiAlO2: 1-50 wt%, Li2TiO3: 1-50 wt%) are optimized to balance thermal stability and electrochemical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ceramic coating material by combining multiple lithiated oxides (Li2SiO3, LiAlO2, Li2TiO3) with complementary properties. Li2SiO3 provides thermal stability, LiAlO2 contributes to ionic conductivity, and Li2TiO3 enhances mechanical strength. This composite approach allows the coating to simultaneously achieve high temperature performance and low internal resistance, resolving the contradiction between thermal stability and capacity retention.
2Temperature
If ceramic coating is applied to separator, then high temperature performance is improved, but high rate capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous ceramic coating structure that allows efficient lithium ion transport while maintaining high temperature stability. The porous morphology provides ion conduction pathways that reduce resistance to ion flow, thereby preserving high rate capability. The pore structure enables the coating to facilitate rapid ion transport even at elevated temperatures, resolving the contradiction between thermal performance and rate capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite of multiple lithiated oxides creates a material with synergistic properties where the combination provides both thermal stability and high ionic conductivity. The specific composite formulation enables the coating to maintain low resistance to ion flow while withstanding high temperatures, thus preserving high rate capability alongside improved thermal performance.
3Strength
If conventional ceramic coating is used on separator, then mechanical strength is improved, but charge capacity loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the ceramic coating by incorporating lithiated oxides that form ionically conductive phases. This parameter change transforms the coating from an insulating conventional ceramic to an ionically conductive composite that enhances mechanical strength while minimizing charge capacity loss. The specific composition ratios are optimized to ensure the coating provides structural reinforcement without creating barriers to ion transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite material combines the mechanical strengthening effect of ceramic particles with the ionic conductivity of lithiated oxides. This composite structure provides mechanical reinforcement to the separator while maintaining low resistance to lithium ion transport, thus improving mechanical strength without increasing charge capacity loss.
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 ceramic-coated separators exhibit improved high-temperature performance with less than 25% charge capacity loss after 25 cycles of lithiation and delithiation, maintaining capacity retention and Coulombic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The slurry may be disposed onto one or more surfaces of a porous substrate to form an inorganic surface layer
Implementation Method 2
liquid may be removed from the inorganic surface layer by exposing the inorganic surface layer to a temperature greater than or equal to about 50° C. to less than or equal to about 100° C.
Implementation Method 3
The ceramic coatings comprise one or more ionically conductive lithiated oxides
Data Source
AI summary
A ceramic-coated separator for a lithium-containing electrochemical cell and methods of preparing the ceramic-coated separator are provided. The ceramic-coated separator may be manufactured by preparing a slurry that includes one or more lithiated oxides and a binder and disposing the slurry onto one or more surfaces of a porous substrate. The slurry may be dried to from a ceramic coating on the one or more surfaces of the porous substrate so as to create the ceramic-coated separator. The ceramic coating may include one or more lithiated oxides selected from Li2SiO3, LiAlO2, Li2TiO3, LiNbO3, Li3PO4, Li2CrO4, and Li2Cr2O7.