Apparatus and method for manufacturing electrode assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11355818-B2
Application number	US-201816466144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2017
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing an electrode assembly. The method for manufacturing the electrode assembly comprises a melting induction process of inducing melting on an outer surface of a separator by a melting induction solvent to increase an adhesion force of an interface between an electrode and the separator and a lamination process of alternately combining and laminating the electrode and the separator, wherein the melting induction process comprises a vaporization process of vaporizing the melting induction solvent to form a space that is humidified by vapor, and the electrode and the separator are disposed in the space that is humidified by the vapor to induce the uniform melting on the outer surface of the separator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, the method comprising:
a melting induction process of inducing melting on an outer surface of each of separators by a melting induction solvent to increase an adhesion force of an interface between each of electrodes and the separators; and
a lamination process of alternately combining and laminating the electrodes and the separators,
wherein the melting induction process comprises a vaporization process of vaporizing the melting induction solvent to form a space that is humidified by vapor,
wherein the electrodes and the separators are disposed in the space that is humidified by, the vapor to induce a uniform melting on the outer surface of the separators,
wherein in the lamination process, the electrodes and the separators are pressed while passing between a pair of rolls to combine and laminate the electrodes and the separators,
wherein the pair of rolls have a temperature maintained at less than 100° C.,
wherein the separators include a base material and a melting layer comprising an organic material formed on an outer surface of the base material, and in the melting induction process, the melting layer is melted by the melting induction solvent to soften the melting layer,
wherein the melting layer further comprises an inorganic material, and the organic material comprises a binder and a dispersing agent,
wherein the melting layer comprises 80 wt % to 90 wt % of the inorganic material, 9 wt % to 18 wt % of the binder, and 1 wt % to 2 wt % of the dispersing agent,
wherein the base material comprises a resin film made of a high molecular polymer, and each of the binder and the dispersing agent is made of a monomolecular organic material,
wherein the inorganic material includes aluminum oxide,
wherein the binder includes a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) polymer, and
wherein the dispersing agent includes cyanoethyl polyvinyl (PVA) alcohol.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the melting induction process, the space that is humidified by the vapor is formed in an accommodation part formed in a chamber, and the electrodes and the separators are disposed in the accommodation part of the chamber to induce the melting on the separators.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, in the vaporization process, the melting induction solvent is accommodated in the accommodation part of the chamber and heated by a heater to be vaporized.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the melting induction process further comprises a vacuum process of allowing the accommodation part of the chamber to be in a vacuum state prior to the vaporization process.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the lamination process is performed in the accommodation part of the chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the melting induction process, a di-methyl carbonate (DMC) solvent is used as the melting induction solvent to induce the melting of the organic material contained in the melting layer of the separators.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, in the vaporization process, the DMC solvent is heated at a temperature of 80° C. to 90° C. and vaporized.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein, in the melting induction process, the outer surface of the separators is melted while the electrodes and the separators pass through an accommodation part of a chamber, and
a vacuum hood is disposed on each of both sides of the chamber in a traveling direction of the electrodes and the separators to allow the DMC solvent that leaks to the outside of the chamber to be suctioned into the vacuum hood.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is maintained at 45° C. to 90° C.

10. An apparatus for manufacturing an electrode assembly, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber comprising an accommodation part that accommodates an electrode assembly, in which electrodes and separators are alternately disposed, and a melting induction solvent that induces melting on an outer surface of each of the separators to increase an adhesion force of an interface between each of the electrodes and the separators;
a heater that vaporizes the melting induction solvent accommodated in the chamber to induce uniform melting on the outer surface of the separators disposed in the accommodation part of the chamber; and
a lamination part that presses the separators on which the melting is induced on the outer surface and the electrodes after being alternately combined to laminate the separators and the electrodes,
wherein the lamination part comprises a pair of rolls, and the electrodes and the separators are pressed while passing between the pair of rolls, and
wherein the pair of rolls have a temperature maintained at less than 100° C.,
wherein the separators include a base material and a melting layer comprising an organic material formed on an outer surface of the base material, and in the melting induction process, the melting layer is melted by the melting induction solvent to soften the melting layer,
wherein the melting layer further comprises an inorganic material, and the organic material comprises a binder and a dispersing agent,
wherein the melting layer comprises 80 wt % to 90 wt % of the inorganic material, 9 wt % to 18 wt % of the binder, and 1 wt % to 2 wt % of the dispersing agent,
wherein the base material comprises a resin film made of a high molecular polymer, and each of the binder and the dispersing agent is made of a monomolecular organic material,
wherein the inorganic material includes aluminum oxide,
wherein the hinder includes a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) polymer, and
wherein the dispersing agent includes cyanoethyl polyvinyl (PVA) alcohol.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a vacuum part connected to the accommodation part of the chamber, and the chamber is provided as a sealing-type chamber to allow the accommodation part of the chamber to become a vacuum state by the vacuum part.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a vacuum hood disposed on each of both sides of the chamber in a traveling direction of the electrodes and the separators to suction the melting induction solvent to prevent the melting induction solvent from leaking to the outside of the chamber when the electrodes and the separators pass through the accommodation part of the chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the temperature is maintained at 45° C. to 90° C.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd
• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Tae Kyu
• Ku Cha Hun
• Pyo Jung Kwan

Classifications

• H01M4/0435

  Rolling or calendering · CPC title

• H01M10/0413

  Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/621

  Binders · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/0404

  Machines for assembling batteries · CPC title