Microwave Binder Removal for Porous Composite Electrodes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for manufacturing porous composite electrodes, such as heat treatment, often lead to chemical modification of carbon materials and substrate deformation, reducing porosity and electrical conductivity, while also being time-consuming.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the selective removal of a binder from a composite electrode using microwave irradiation, which avoids high-temperature heat treatment, maintaining the substrate's structure and enhancing capacitance, specific surface area, and electrical conductivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If heat treatment is used to remove binder, then binder removal is achieved, but chemical modification of carbon materials and substrate deformation occur, reducing porosity and electrical conductivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebinder removal effectivenessVSAvoidsubstrate structure integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the removal process by using microwave irradiation instead of conventional heat treatment. This allows selective removal of the binder through dielectric heating at lower temperatures, avoiding the high-temperature damage to carbon materials and substrate that occurs with traditional heat treatment methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the thermal field-based heat treatment with an electromagnetic field-based microwave irradiation system. This substitution enables more precise and selective heating of the binder material without uniformly heating the entire electrode structure, thereby preserving the porous structure and electrical conductivity of the carbon materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If conventional heat treatment is used, then binder removal is achieved, but manufacturing time is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebinder removal effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the heating mechanism from conventional thermal conduction to microwave dielectric heating, which provides faster and more direct energy transfer to the binder material. This parameter change reduces the time required for binder removal while maintaining effective decomposition and removal of the organic binder.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The microwave irradiation process can be applied in periodic or pulsed manner, allowing efficient energy delivery to the binder material for rapid decomposition and removal, thereby reducing overall manufacturing time compared to continuous conventional heat treatment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If high-temperature heat treatment is used, then binder removal is achieved, but porosity and electrical conductivity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebinder removal effectivenessVSAvoidporosity and electrical conductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature heat treatment to low-temperature microwave irradiation. This allows the binder to be removed through dielectric heating at lower temperatures that do not damage the porous structure or degrade the electrical conductivity of the carbon nanomaterials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the uniform thermal field of conventional heat treatment with the selective electromagnetic field of microwave irradiation. This substitution enables preferential heating and removal of the binder while preserving the delicate porous structure and electrical properties of the carbon materials that would be damaged by high-temperature treatment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

This approach significantly improves capacitance, specific surface area, and electrical conductivity, shortens manufacturing time, and maintains the porous structure without substrate deformation, making it suitable for high-performance supercapacitors and gas sensors.

Implementation Method 1

irradiating the composite electrode with microwave to selectively remove the binder

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMicrowave irradiation: Microwave Radiation

Implementation Method 2

the microwaves may be irradiated at an irradiation intensity of 600 to 1,000 W

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDielectric heating: Dielectric Heating

Data Source

PatentUS11043338B2Manufacturing method of porous composite electrode and organic removal method of porous composite electrode

Publication Date: 2021.06.22 KOREA RES INST OF CHEM TECH

AI summary

A method of manufacturing a porous composite electrode including: preparing an ink including a carbon material and a binder; coating a substrate with the ink to manufacture a composite electrode; and irradiating the composite electrode with microwave to remove the binder and an organic material, and a method of removing an organic material of a porous composite electrode.