Boehmite detection and warning system, and concentration indicator for LiB separator sheet manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584869-B2
Application number	US-202217651501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2022
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A method includes receiving an x-ray signal transmitted from an x-ray transmitter through a coated separator membrane. The method also includes obtaining infrared (IR) signals from the coated separator membrane. The IR signals include two or more spectral components including peaks that include a first peak from the separator membrane. The method also includes the processor determining whether a second peak is present, and determining if at least one contaminant/additive exists in the coating present within the coated separator membrane. The method also includes calculating, by the processor, a concentration/area weight of the at least one contaminant/additive and a weight, density, or thickness of the coating.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving an x-ray signal transmitted from an x-ray transmitter through a coated separator membrane; obtaining infrared (IR) signals from the coated separator membrane, wherein the IR signals include two or more spectral components including peaks that include a first peak; determining, by a processor, whether a second peak among the peaks is present, and determining, by the processor, based on the presence of the second peak, if at least one contaminant or additive exists in a coating present within the coated separator membrane; and calculating, by the processor, a concentration or area weight of the at least one contaminant or additive, and a weight, density, or thickness of the coating based on the x-ray signal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one contaminant or additive is boehmite.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one contaminant or additive is binder material such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and boehmite.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, whether boehmite is present in the coated separator membrane.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is present in the coating.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a concentration of ceramic coating from the x-ray signal.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a weight and density of ceramic coating such as aluminum oxide or silicon oxide within the coated separator membrane.

8 . A method, comprising:
receiving one or more x-rays signals that are transmitted through a coated separator membrane that includes ceramic coating; obtaining, by a processor, infrared (IR) signals from the coated separator membrane with a first peak for the coated separator membrane and a second peak from a contaminant or additive; determining, by the processor, whether the second peak is present from the IR signals, wherein the processor determines a type of the contaminant or additive that is present in the ceramic coating within the coated separator membrane; and calculating, by the processor, a concentration of the contaminant or additive from the second peak and a concentration of the ceramic coating from the one or more x-ray signals.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a weight, density, or thickness of the ceramic coating.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining that the contaminant or additive is a binder material.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining that the contaminant or additive is polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and boehmite.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining the concentration of boehmite that is present as the contaminant or additive in the second peak.

13 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining the concentration of a binder present as the contaminant or additive in the second peak.

14 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
outputting an indicator warning of the concentration of the contaminant or additive.

15 . A system, comprising:
an x-ray transmitter configured to generate an x-ray signal; an infrared transmitter configured to generate infrared (IR) signals; an x-ray sensor configured to receive the x-ray signal transmitted from the x-ray transmitter through a coated separator membrane; a top scanner head and a bottom scanner head configured to: receive the infrared (IR) signals from the infrared transmitter through the coated separator membrane, wherein the IR signals include two or more spectral components including peaks that include a first peak; a processor configured to: determine whether a second peak among the peaks is present, and determine, based on the presence of the second peak, a presence of a contaminant or additive in a coating present within the coated separator membrane; and a memory configured to store a calculated concentration or area weight of the contaminant or additive and a weight, density, or thickness of the coating based on the x-ray signal.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the memory is further configured to store a calculated concentration of boehmite.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the contaminant or additive in the second peak is a binder.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the calculated concentration of boehmite as the contaminant or additive.

19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the calculated concentration of a binder as the contaminant or additive.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the coating corresponds to an aluminum compound coating, and wherein the processor is further configured to output an indicator warning that the aluminum compound coating contains polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

Assignees

• Honeywell Ltd

Inventors

• Nebel Tobias
• Lee Hyuong Sun
• Tixier Sebastien

Classifications

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• G01N2223/633

  thickness, density, surface weight (unit area) · CPC title

• G01N2223/04

  and measuring absorption · CPC title

• G01N21/3563

  for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor · CPC title