Slurry Filtration Apparatus for Battery Electrode Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of lithium ion secondary battery electrodes is often defective due to aggregates and microgels in the slurry, causing clogging of coating jigs and reducing yield, as existing filtration methods remove both defective particles and non-aggregated active material powder.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a dissolving device, viscosity adjusting device, first filtering device, and kneading device that dissolves and filters the thickener solution to remove microgels and aggregates, preventing defective coating and improving electrode quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If filtration is performed to remove microgels and aggregates from slurry, then coating quality is improved and defective electrodes are prevented, but non-aggregated active material powder is also removed reducing yield
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration process is divided into two distinct stages: first filtering the thickener solution separately to remove microgels, then filtering the complete slurry to remove aggregates. This segmentation allows each filter to be optimized for its specific particle size range, preventing the loss of active material powder that would occur with a single filtration step.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickener solution acts as an intermediary medium that is filtered separately before being combined with active material powder. By filtering the thickener solution independently through the first filter, microgels are removed without exposing the active material powder to the filtration process, thus preserving yield while still achieving coating quality.
2Productivity
If a coating jig is used to apply slurry, then electrode manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the coating jig becomes clogged with aggregates and microgels causing defective coating
Solution Approach 1:
Filtration of the thickener solution is performed in advance, before the slurry is prepared and before coating takes place. By removing microgels from the thickener solution beforehand, the slurry that is subsequently prepared contains fewer particles that could clog the coating jig, ensuring reliable and consistent coating throughout the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
Microgels and aggregates are extracted and removed from the slurry through the dual-filter system before the slurry reaches the coating jig. The first filter removes microgels from the thickener solution, and the second filter removes aggregates from the complete slurry, ensuring that only clean, particle-free slurry contacts the coating jig.
3Ease of manufacture
If thickener is dissolved in solvent to form slurry, then electrode manufacturing is enabled, but undissolved microgels remain as coarse particles causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The thickener solution serves as an intermediary that is separately filtered through the first filter to remove microgels before being combined with active material powder. This separate filtration of the intermediary thickener solution prevents microgels from being incorporated into the final slurry, eliminating the clogging problem while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The filtering of the thickener solution is performed as a preliminary action before the slurry is fully prepared. By removing microgels from the thickener solution in advance, the subsequent slurry preparation process produces a cleaner mixture that will not clog the coating jig.
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 effectively removes microgels and aggregates, preventing defective electrodes and enhancing battery performance by maintaining the yield of the active material slurry.
Implementation Method 1
a first filtering device that filters the solution having the viscosity adjusted by the viscosity adjusting device
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method for manufacturing an electricity storage material are provided which can avoid defective coating of the electricity storage material. An apparatus for manufacturing an electricity storage material includes: a dissolving device that dissolves a thickener in a solvent; a viscosity adjusting device that adjusts viscosity of a solution produced by the dissolving device; a first filtering device that filters the solution having the viscosity adjusted by the viscosity adjusting device; and a kneading device that kneads the solution filtered by the first filtering device and an active material. Since the apparatus can remove almost all microgels of the thickener by the first filtering device, defective coating can be prevented in the coating of the electricity storage material, and satisfactory electrodes can be manufactured.