Sulfide Solid Electrolyte Synthesis Without Impurity Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing sulfide-based solid electrolytes face challenges such as the difficulty in completely dissolving raw materials in polar organic solvents, leading to impurity formation and reduced ionic conductivity.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the mixing of raw materials like lithium sulfide, phosphorus sulfide, and a halogen compound with an organic solvent, followed by a series of heating and cooling steps with agitation, and a final heat treatment to produce a sulfide-based solid electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and minimal impurities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a dry method using ball milling is used to manufacture sulfide-based solid electrolyte, then the manufacturing process can be performed, but the process becomes very cumbersome requiring long milling time, separation of milled powder from balls, and collection to avoid contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical ball milling system with a chemical solution-based system. Raw materials are dissolved in a polar organic solvent to form a homogeneous solution, eliminating the need for mechanical grinding, ball separation, and powder collection operations. This substitution of mechanical processing with chemical dissolution directly resolves the technical contradiction by simplifying the manufacturing process while reducing time consumption.
2Productivity
If raw materials are reacted in a polar organic solvent to avoid dry method inefficiency, then the process efficiency improves, but it becomes difficult to completely dissolve raw materials due to strong bonding forces, leading to precipitation without proper crystal structure formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the solvent selection (choosing specific polar organic solvents with appropriate dielectric constants), controlling reaction temperature, and adjusting solvent-to-raw-material ratios. These parameter optimizations enable complete dissolution of raw materials with strong bonding forces while maintaining proper crystal structure formation during precipitation, thus resolving the contradiction between synthesis efficiency and manufacturing precision.
3Productivity
If the manufacturing process is simplified using solution method, then productivity increases, but impurities are generated due to incomplete dissolution of raw materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical ball milling with a chemical solution method where raw materials are completely dissolved in polar organic solvents. This substitution ensures homogeneous mixing at the molecular level and complete reaction, eliminating unreacted precursor impurities that would otherwise remain from incomplete mechanical mixing. The solution method inherently prevents impurity generation while maintaining high productivity.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional solution method is used to synthesize sulfide-based solid electrolyte, then the process is simpler, but ionic conductivity is reduced due to impurity formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes critical parameters including solvent selection (specific polar organic solvents), reaction temperature, and precipitation conditions to achieve complete dissolution and pure crystal formation. These parameter changes ensure that the simplified solution method produces high-purity sulfide-based solid electrolyte with high ionic conductivity, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
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 method effectively synthesizes sulfide-based solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity (2.8 mS/cm or more) and minimal impurities, overcoming the limitations of conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a heating step of heating and agitating the mixed solution
Implementation Method 2
a cooling step of cooling and agitating the heated mixed solution
Implementation Method 3
the synthesized raw material may be precipitated
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, includes mixing a raw material with an organic solvent to manufacture a mixed solution; a heating step of heating and agitating the mixed solution; a cooling step of cooling and agitating the heated mixed solution; a re-heating step of heating and agitating the cooled mixed solution; and a heat treatment step, effectively synthesizing a sulfide-based solid electrolyte by heating and cooling a mixed solution containing a raw material in an organic solvent to a predetermined temperature.