Sulfide Solid Electrolyte In-Situ Formation for Battery Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optimizing the contact between the solid electrolyte and the active material in all-solid-state batteries remains challenging, with existing methods either resulting in excessive electrolyte coating or granulation issues that hinder effective contact and battery performance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the mixing of raw materials containing lithium, sulfur, and phosphorus with a complexing agent to form an electrolyte precursor, followed by heating to decomplex and then mixing with an electrode active material, producing a crystalline sulfide solid electrolyte with a specific surface area and particle diameter suitable for enhanced contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If sulfide solid electrolyte coarse particles are pulverized through mechanical milling to increase surface area, then the contact area between electrolyte and active material is improved, but granulation occurs and manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical milling with a chemical reaction approach. Solid electrolyte precursor particles react with lithium metal to form the final sulfide solid electrolyte in-situ, avoiding mechanical pulverization entirely. This substitution of mechanical processing with chemical transformation resolves the granulation problem while maintaining particle size control and achieving sufficient surface area for good contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary preparation of solid electrolyte precursor particles with controlled size and morphology before the final reaction. By pre-forming particles with appropriate characteristics and then growing the final electrolyte in-situ through reaction with lithium metal, the method achieves both good contact area and prevents granulation that would occur with post-formed mechanical milling.
2Ease of manufacture
If solid electrolyte is dissolved in organic solvent and mixed with active material, then the mixing process is simplified, but excessive electrolyte coating occurs and manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the organic solvent step from the manufacturing process. Instead of dissolving solid electrolyte precursor in organic solvent and then mixing with active material, the method uses a solvent-free approach where solid electrolyte precursor particles are directly mixed with lithium metal and heated to form the final electrolyte in-situ. This removes the source of excessive coating while maintaining ease of manufacture through simplified solid-state processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the liquid-phase dissolution and mixing process with a solid-state reaction approach. By heating solid electrolyte precursor particles with lithium metal to form the final sulfide electrolyte in-situ, the method achieves uniform distribution and appropriate coating thickness without the excessive coating problem associated with organic solvent-based mixing.
3Reliability
If the contact at the interface between solid electrolyte and active material is enhanced, then ionic conductivity is improved, but the complexity of optimizing particle size and surface area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical pulverization and surface treatment processes with a simple solid-state reaction. By heating solid electrolyte precursor particles with lithium metal to form the final electrolyte in-situ, the method achieves good interfacial contact and high ionic conductivity through a single straightforward thermal processing step, significantly reducing optimization complexity compared to mechanical milling approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental approach from mechanical size reduction to chemical in-situ formation. By controlling the reaction temperature and duration of the solid-state reaction between precursor particles and lithium metal, the method achieves optimal particle size, surface area, and interfacial contact for high ionic conductivity through simple parameter control rather than complex multi-step optimization.
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 results in an electrode composite material with improved battery capability by optimizing the interface between the solid electrolyte and active material, enhancing ionic conductivity and battery performance.
Implementation Method 1
heating to decomplex the electrolyte precursor
Data Source
AI summary
To provide an electrode composite material capable of exhibiting a high battery capability, containing a particular crystalline sulfide solid electrolyte and an electrode active material, and a method for producing an electrode composite material, including; firstly mixing a raw material inclusion containing at least one kind of a lithium element, a sulfur element, and a phosphorus element, with a complexing agent, so as to form an electrolyte precursor; heating to decomplex the electrolyte precursor; and secondly mixing a decomplexed material obtained through the decomplexing, with an electrode active material.