Intermittently coated dry electrode for energy storage device and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11367864-B2
Application number	US-201916675012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Nov 8, 2018
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

Methods for manufacturing intermittently coated dry electrodes for energy storage devices and energy storage devices including the intermittently coated dry electrodes are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a metal layer and providing an electrochemically active free-standing film formed of a dry active material. The method also includes combining the electrochemically active free-standing film and the metal layer to form a combined layer. The method further includes removing a portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film from the combined layer so that the electrochemically active free-standing film is intermittently formed on the metal layer in a longitudinal direction of the metal layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a dry electrode for an energy storage device, comprising:
providing a metal layer;
providing an electrochemically active free-standing film formed of a dry active material;
combining the electrochemically active free-standing film and the metal layer to form a combined layer; and
removing a portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film from the combined layer so that the electrochemically active free-standing film is intermittently formed on the metal layer in a longitudinal direction of the metal layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film is removed to expose a portion of the metal layer disposed directly therebelow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film to be removed extends in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer comprises at least one coated portion coated with an adhesive and at least one uncoated portion not coated with an adhesive so that the metal layer is intermittently coated with the adhesive, and wherein the adhesive is disposed on a surface of the metal layer facing the electrochemically active free-standing film so as to be adhered to the electrochemically active free-standing film.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the intermittently coated metal layer is formed via gravure roll coating or slot die coating.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combining comprises laminating the electrochemically active free-standing film onto the metal layer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the laminating comprises applying heat and/or pressure to at least one of the electrochemically active free-standing film and the metal layer.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film to be removed vertically overlaps the uncoated portion of the metal layer.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the adhesive comprises a conductive adhesive layer, and wherein a coating weight for the conductive adhesive layer is about 1 gram per square meter per side to about 5 grams per square meter per side with a dry coating density of about 0.2 grams per square centimeter per side to about 1.1 grams per square centimeter per side.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing comprises peeling the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film with an air knife and/or vacuum.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer is entirely uncoated with an adhesive.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the combining comprises intermittently pressing the electrochemically active free-standing film and the metal layer with respect to each other with a laminator roll assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the laminator roll assembly comprises a pair of rollers at least one of which includes an opening having a length.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the length of each opening is the same as a width of the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film to be removed, and wherein the width is measured in the longitudinal direction.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the combining comprises aligning the at least one opening of the rollers with the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film to be removed such that the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film is not pressed by the rollers during rotation of the rollers.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the laminator roll assembly comprises a pair of rollers adjacent to each other, and wherein the combining comprises moving at least one of the rollers with respect to each other such that a gap between the two rollers is periodically closed and opened during rotation of the rollers.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a duration of the gap being opened is controlled to be proportional to a width of the portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film to be removed, and wherein the width is measured in the longitudinal direction.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active free-standing film comprises sulfur.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active free-standing film is formed on only one surface of the metal layer.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active free-standing film comprises first and second electrochemically active free-standing films respectively formed on opposing surfaces of the metal layer.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein intermittent patterns of the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films are symmetric with respect to each other on the opposing surfaces of the metal layer.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein intermittent patterns of the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films are asymmetric with respect to each other on the opposing surfaces of the metal layer.

23. A method of manufacturing a dry electrode for an energy storage device, comprising:
providing a metal layer having first and second surfaces opposing each other;
providing a first electrochemically active free-standing film formed of a dry active material;
providing a second electrochemically active free-standing film formed of a dry active material;
combining the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films with the metal layer to form a combined layer such that the metal layer is interposed between the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films; and
removing a first portion of the first electrochemically active free-standing film and a second portion of the second electrochemically active free-standing film from the combined layer so that the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films are intermittently formed respectively on the first and second surfaces of the metal layer in a longitudinal direction of the metal layer.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first and second portions of the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films have the same length.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first and second portions of the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films have different lengths.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first portion of the first electrochemically active free-standing film comprises a plurality of first film portions having the same length, wherein the second portion of the second electrochemically active free-standing film comprises a plurality of second film portions having the same length and respectively facing the plurality of first film portions, wherein each of the plurality of first film portions has a first length, and wherein each of the plurality of second film portions has a second length different from the first length.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein each of the plurality of first film portions at least partially vertically overlaps a corresponding one of the plurality of second film portions.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the combining is performed with a laminator roll assembly comprising first and second rollers adjacent to each other, and wherein the combining comprises:
inserting the first and second electrochemically active free-standing films, and the metal layer between the first and second rollers such tha

Assignees

• Maxwell Lab
• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Duong Hieu Minh
• Yudi Yudi
• Wang Ziying
• Shin Joon Ho

Classifications

• B05C1/0826

  the work being a web or sheets (B05C1/0804, B05C1/0808, B05C1/0813, B05C1/0817, B05C1/0821, B05C1/10, B05C1/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05C1/0808

  Details thereof, e.g. surface characteristics · CPC title

• B32B37/12

  characterised by using adhesives · CPC title

• B32B37/10

  characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure · CPC title

• B32B37/0053

  Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers · CPC title