Solid-State Battery Electrode Slurry for Longer Pot Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in mass-producing bulk-type solid-state batteries lies in the short pot life of slurry used in the wet process, which leads to difficulty in reproducing homogeneous slurry after the solid content settles, and the long processing time required for hard-kneaded materials, affecting productivity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a dispersion promotion component, such as a styrene-butadiene rubber-based binder or an imidazoline compound, into the hard-kneaded electrode material to facilitate the dispersion of the solid electrolyte in the solvent, enabling easy formation of homogeneous slurry even after storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If slurry is stored for later use, then productivity is improved by allowing batch production, but the slurry settles quickly and becomes difficult to reproduce homogeneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing hard-kneading in advance to create a stable intermediate product (hard-kneaded material) that can be stored without settling. This pre-processing step transforms the slurry into a form that maintains composition stability during storage, allowing later conversion back to slurry form when needed without losing homogeneity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and composition parameters of the electrode material by introducing a specific binder and adjusting the liquid content to create a hard-kneaded material with controlled flowability and stability. These parameter changes enable the material to maintain homogeneity during storage while still being convertible to slurry form for electrode fabrication.
2Stability of the object's composition
If hard-kneading is used to mix materials, then dispersion of solid electrolyte is improved, but processing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the mixing process into two stages: preliminary hard-kneading to achieve good dispersion, followed by later conversion to slurry form only when needed. This allows the time-consuming dispersion step to be performed once on a larger batch rather than repeatedly for each electrode, reducing total processing time while maintaining dispersion quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the electrode production process into distinct stages: hard-kneading to create dispersed intermediate material, storage of this intermediate form, and then conversion to slurry for electrode fabrication. This segmentation allows optimization of each stage independently, reducing overall processing time while maintaining material quality.
3Productivity
If hard-kneaded material is stored, then productivity is improved by enabling batch production, but liquid and solid separate over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding a specific binder during hard-kneading that prevents liquid-solid separation during storage. This pre-added binder maintains the integrity of the hard-kneaded material, allowing it to be stored as a stable intermediate product that can be converted to slurry later without compositional changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite hard-kneaded material by combining active material, solid electrolyte, binder, and liquid in specific proportions. This composite structure maintains stability during storage, preventing separation of components while allowing later conversion to slurry form for electrode fabrication.
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 extends the storage period of the electrode material, reduces processing time, and enhances productivity by allowing for quick reformation of slurry, thereby improving the efficiency of the electrode production process.
Implementation Method 1
a composite body is formed by the solid electrolyte adhering to a surface of the active material
Implementation Method 2
the dispersion promotion component promotes dispersion of the solid electrolyte in the solvent
Data Source
AI summary
An active material, a solid electrolyte, and a solvent are hard-kneaded to prepare a first electrode material. A dispersion promotion component is added to the first electrode material to prepare a second electrode material. Slurry containing the second electrode material is prepared. An electrode is produced by applying the slurry to a surface of a base material. A composite body is formed by the solid electrolyte adhering to a surface of the active material. The dispersion promotion component promotes dispersion of the solid electrolyte in the solvent.