Solid-State Polymer Electrodes With Fibrous Mats for Uniform Lithium Plating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lithium-ion batteries face safety hazards due to flammable electrolytes, and solid-state lithium batteries struggle with uneven lithium plating, low conductivity, and manufacturing inconsistencies, limiting their performance and safety.
Innovation Solution
The development of solid-state lithium-ion batteries using advanced electrospinning and electrospraying techniques to create fibrous mats with high surface area and porosity, incorporating lithium conductive polymers and ceramic composites, and interface coatings to enhance lithium ion transport and prevent dendritic growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If liquid electrolyte is used in lithium-ion batteries, then high energy density and fast charging are achieved, but safety hazards increase due to flammable electrolytes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the electrolyte from liquid to solid, fundamentally altering the safety profile while maintaining ionic conductivity. Solid electrolytes eliminate flammability risks associated with liquid electrolytes while enabling high energy density through lithium metal anodes and stable cathode materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite solid electrolyte structures combining multiple materials (e.g., sulfide-based electrolytes with oxide coatings, or polymer-electrolyte composites) to achieve both high ionic conductivity and enhanced safety. These composite structures provide pathways for lithium ion transport while maintaining structural integrity and thermal stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If solid-state battery components are manufactured using conventional methods, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision and consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical mixing and casting methods with electrospinning technology. This electrical field-based approach enables precise control over fiber diameter, porosity, and material distribution, achieving uniform solid electrolyte membranes with controlled nanostructures that conventional mechanical methods cannot produce consistently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous solid electrolyte structures created through electrospinning, where controlled porosity enables efficient lithium ion transport while maintaining mechanical strength. The porous fibrous network provides high surface area and interconnected pathways for ion conduction, achieving manufacturing precision in porosity control that benefits both performance and consistency.
3Power
If solid-state batteries are designed for high current operations, then power density increases, but uneven lithium plating and dendritic growth occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality modifications through interface coatings on solid electrolyte surfaces and engineered fibrous structures with varying pore sizes. These local modifications create favorable conditions for uniform lithium deposition at high current densities by providing nucleation sites and preventing localized stress concentration that leads to dendrite formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin film solid electrolyte structures with controlled thickness and flexible fibrous networks that can accommodate lithium volume changes during cycling. These thin film structures reduce lithium transport distances and provide mechanical flexibility that prevents brittle fracture and dendrite penetration, enabling high current operations without compromising reliability.
4Reliability
If electrospinning and electrospraying techniques are used to create fibrous mats, then surface area and porosity increase improving lithium ion transport, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex multi-step mechanical processing (mixing, pressing, sintering) with electrospinning and electrospraying techniques that create porous fibrous structures in a single continuous process. The electrical field-driven approach naturally forms interconnected porous networks with high surface area, achieving superior lithium ion transport efficiency while simplifying the manufacturing workflow compared to conventional solid-state battery production.
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 increases energy density, safety, and charging speed while maintaining conductivity, enabling high current operations and wide temperature ranges, making solid-state batteries suitable for electric vehicles and other applications.
Implementation Method 1
advanced electrospinning and electrospraying techniques to create fibrous mats
Implementation Method 2
advanced electrospinning and electrospraying techniques to create fibrous mats
Implementation Method 3
solid-state lithium-ion batteries... incorporate lithium conductive polymers... to enhance lithium ion transport
Implementation Method 4
interface coatings to enhance lithium ion transport and prevent dendritic growth
Data Source
AI summary
A highly conductive solid-state polymer-based electrode lithium-ion batteries and other battery components thereof. The electrode may be deployed in a battery which lacks solvent and allows lithium ions to pass through channels via the polymerized structure. The electrode is formed from a fibrous mat comprising a plurality of lithium-conductive fibers and inter-fiber spaces, wherein the fibrous mat is produced by electrospinning, electrospraying, and hybrid variations thereof of an aged slurry containing a lithium salt, a polymer binder, and a ceramic material. The battery further incorporates a solid-state polymer separator, wherein the lithium conductive polymers are formed through free radical polymerization and comprise a polymerized carbonate solvent between iterative spacers, a lithium conductive material, and a reinforcing additive, with an optional interface coating applied to one or more sides to ensure long-term operation. Various methods for manufacturing the electrodes and separator for solid-state lithium-ion batteries.