Gas diffusion layer for metal-air battery, method of manufacturing the same, and metal-air battery including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021336277-A1
Application number	US-202117366407-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2021
Priority date	May 15, 2017
Publication date	Oct 28, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas diffusion layer for a metal-air battery, the gas diffusion layer including: a porous layer including non-conductive fiber structures, a conductive carbon layer including a carbon material that is disposed on a surface of a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas diffusion layer for a metal-air battery, the gas diffusion layer comprising:
a porous layer comprising
a plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and
a plurality of adhesive layers and a plurality of conductive carbon layers, wherein each of the plurality of adhesive layers and each of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed on a surface of each non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures,
wherein each conductive carbon layer of the plurality of conductive carbon layers comprises a carbon material, wherein an adhesive layer of the plurality of adhesive layers is disposed on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure and a conductive carbon layer of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed directly on a surface of the adhesive layer, and wherein the adhesive layer bonds the conductive carbon layer to the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure, wherein a thickness of the conductive carbon layer is equal to or greater than about 1% and less than or equal to about 10% of an average thickness of the non-conductive fiber structure and
wherein the plurality of adhesive layers and the plurality of conductive carbon layers are alternately arranged three or more times on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure.

2 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , wherein a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures has a shape comprising a curvilinear shape, a rectilinear shape, or a combination thereof, and
wherein an air gap is defined by the shape of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures.

3 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , wherein a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures comprises a polymer fiber, cellulose, a glass fiber, or a combination thereof.

4 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , wherein the porous layer is in a form of a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, a mesh, or a combination thereof comprising the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures.

5 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , wherein the carbon material comprises a carbon fiber, a carbon nanotube, a carbon-polymer complex, or graphene nano plate (GNP).

6 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , wherein the carbon material comprised in the conductive carbon layer is uniformly disposed along a surface of a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures.

7 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 6 , wherein the conductive carbon layer further comprises a dispersant configured to disperse the carbon material.

8 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 7 , wherein the dispersant comprises polystyrene sulfonate, poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid), polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol), polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene glycol), polyoxyethylene isooctylcyclohexyl ether, octylphenol ethoxylate, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, or a combination thereof.

9 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , further comprising a metal layer disposed along a surface of the conductive carbon layer.

10 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , further comprising a conductive polymer layer disposed along a surface of the conductive carbon layer.

11 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyaniline, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(ethylene imine), poly(allylamine hydrochloride), poly(acrylic acid), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonic acid copolymer, or a combination thereof.

12 . The gas diffusion layer of claim 1 , wherein the carbon material comprises a carbon nanotube or a graphene nano plate, the plurality of adhesive layers and the plurality of conductive carbon layers are alternately disposed from 5 to 20 times each, and the gas diffusion layer has a resistivity of less than 6,000 ohms per square.

13 . A method of manufacturing the gas diffusion layer for a metal-air battery of claim 1 , the method comprising:
disposing an adhesive layer on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and contacting the adhesive layer with the carbon material to form the conductive carbon layer comprising the carbon material on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure to manufacture the gas diffusion layer.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising combining the carbon material, a dispersant, and a solvent to uniformly disperse the carbon material.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, poly(vinylpyrrolidone), polyaniline, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(ethylene imine), poly(allylamine hydrochloride), poly(acrylic acid), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonic acid copolymer, or a combination thereof.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the dispersant comprises polystyrene sulfonate, poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid), polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol), polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene glycol), polyoxyethylene isooctylcyclohexyl ether, octylphenol ethoxylate, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, or a combination thereof.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the disposing of the adhesive layer and the contacting of adhesive layer with the carbon material are repeatedly performed to provide plurality of adhesive layers and a plurality of conductive carbon layers that are alternately arranged.

18 . A metal-air battery comprising:
a negative electrode comprising a metal; a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode layer comprising a catalyst and a gas diffusion layer for the metal-air battery; and an electrolyte between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises: a porous layer comprising
a plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and
a plurality of adhesive layers a plurality of conductive carbon layers, wherein each of the plurality of adhesive layers and each of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed directly on a surface of each non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and
a plurality of conductive carbon layers,
wherein each of the plurality of conductive carbon layers comprises a carbon material, and
wherein an adhesive layer of the plurality of adhesive layers is disposed on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure and a conductive carbon layer of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed on the adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer bonds the conductive carbon layer to the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure, wherein a thickness of the conductive carbon layer is equal to or greater than about 1% and l

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Mokwon
• Kim Joonhee
• Park Jungock
• Im Dongmin

Classifications

• H01M50/417

  Polyolefins · CPC title

• H01M50/403

  Manufacturing processes of separators, membranes or diaphragms · CPC title

• H01M50/44

  Fibrous material · CPC title

• H01M4/667

  in the form of layers, e.g. coatings · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title