Patent Application
20240347814
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0048179 filed on Apr. 12, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a battery insulation sheet and a method of manufacturing the same.
Secondary batteries are power storage systems which provide high energy densities for converting electrical energy into chemical energy and for storing the chemical energy. As compared with non-rechargeable primary batteries, secondary batteries are rechargeable and thus are widely used in IT devices such as smartphones, cellular phones, laptop computers, and tablet personal computers (PCs). Recently, in order to reduce environmental pollution, interest in electric vehicles has increased, and thus high-capacity secondary batteries have been adopted in electric vehicles. Such secondary batteries are desired or required to have characteristics such as high density, high output power, and stability.
In cases including a plurality of high-capacity cells, such as lithium-ion secondary batteries, thermal runaway of one cell due to overheating may adversely affect other adjacent cells, and thus adjacent cells are desired or required to be thermally insulated from each other.
Accordingly, in the related art, a plate, an insulating resin plate, or the like is disposed between cells to electrically and thermally insulate adjacent cells from each other.
The above information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute the related art.
According to one or more embodiments, a battery insulation sheet having excellent or suitable heat insulation, compressive property, and dusting property, and a method of manufacturing the same.
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a battery insulation sheet including a substrate, and an aerogel layer on the substrate, wherein the aerogel layer includes a fibrous support; an aerogel; and a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof, and satisfies Formula 1 below.
In Formula 1, Ti denotes a thickness of the aerogel layer, and Ds denotes an average diameter of the fibrous support.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may have a thickness of 1 mm to 10 mm.
In one or more embodiments, the average diameter of the fibrous support may be 0.1 μm to 20 μm.
In one or more embodiments, A may be in a range of 200 to 10,000.
In one or more embodiments, a surface of the fibrous support may be coated with the aerogel.
In one or more embodiments, the substrate may be at least one selected from a group consisting of a resin, a metal, and an inorganic material other than metals.
In one or more embodiments, the fibrous support may be at least one selected from a group consisting of a natural fiber, a silica fiber, a glass fiber, a carbon fiber, a basalt fiber, and a polymer fiber.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel may have a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area of 500 m2/g to 1,000 m2/g.
In one or more embodiments, the binder may include an aqueous polymer binder, and the aqueous polymer binder may be at least one selected from a group consisting of an aqueous polymer, an anionic water-soluble polymer, a cationic water-soluble polymer, and a water-dispersible polymer.
In one or more embodiments, an amount of the binder may be 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % with respect to a total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer.
In one or more embodiments, the binder may include an aqueous polymer and a water-dispersible polymer, and a weight ration of the aqueous polymer to the water-dispersible polymer may be 1:1 to 1:5.
In one or more embodiments, the dispersant may be at least one selected from a group consisting of a surfactant and a phosphate-based salt.
In one or more embodiments, an amount of the dispersant may be 0.1 wt % to 6 wt % with respect to a total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer.
In one or more embodiments, a weight ration of the binder and the dispersant may be 1:0.001 to 1:0.67.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may include the fibrous support at 5 wt % to 70 wt %, the aerogel at 10 wt % to 90 wt % of, and the functional material at 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % with respect to a total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may include the fibrous support at 25 wt % to 60 wt %, the aerogel at 30 wt % to 70 wt %, and the binder at 2 wt % to 15 wt % with respect to a total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may include the fibrous support at 25 wt % to 60 wt %, the aerogel at 30 wt % to 70 wt %, the binder at 2 wt % to 15 wt %, and the dispersant at 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % with respect to a total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer.
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a battery insulation sheet, the method including coating a substrate with an aerogel composition, and drying the aerogel composition coated on the substrate to form an aerogel layer, wherein the aerogel layer includes a fibrous support; an aerogel; and a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof, and satisfies Formula 1 below.
In Formula 1, Ti denotes a thickness of the aerogel layer, and Ds denotes an average diameter of the fibrous support.
In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of preparing the aerogel composition may include mixing the functional material including the binder, the dispersant, or the combination thereof with a solvent to prepare a solvent mixture; mixing the solvent mixture and the aerogel to prepare an aerogel mixture; and mixing the aerogel mixture and the fibrous support to prepare the aerogel composition.
In one or more embodiments, the solvent may be at least one selected from a group consisting of a polar solvent and a non-polar solvent.
A battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments includes an aerogel layer having a shape in which a surface of a fibrous support is coated with an aerogel, the battery insulation sheet can have an excellent or suitable heat insulation property and compressive property, manufacturing process costs thereof can be low, and at the same time, dust of an aerogel can be prevented or substantially prevented from being generated during a manufacturing process or during actual use.
The present disclosure may be modified in many alternate forms, and thus specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in more detail. It should be understood, however, that this is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but rather, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
The embodiments are provided as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the aspects and features of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, processes, elements, and techniques that are not necessary to those having ordinary skill in the art for a complete understanding of the aspects and features of the present disclosure may not be described.
Unless otherwise noted, like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the attached drawings and the written description, and thus, duplicative descriptions thereof may not be provided. In the drawings, the relative sizes of elements, layers, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.
It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section described below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Spatially relative terms, such as “lower,” “under,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of explanation to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) referring to the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or in operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on” another element or layer, it can be directly on the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may be present. In addition, it will also be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “between” two elements or layers, it can be the only element or layer between the two elements or layers, or one or more intervening elements or layers may also be present.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “have,” “having,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Expressions such as “at least one of,” “a plurality of,” “one of,” and other prepositional phrases, when preceding a list of elements, should be understood as including the disjunctive if written as a conjunctive list and vice versa. For example, the expressions “at least one of a, b, or c,” “at least one of a, b, and/or c,” “one selected from the group consisting of a, b, and c,” “at least one selected from a, b, and c,” “at least one from among a, b, and c,” “one from among a, b, and c”, “at least one of a to c” indicates only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof.
In the present disclosure, when particles are spherical, “diameter” indicates a particle diameter or an average particle diameter, and when the particles are non-spherical, the “diameter” indicates a major axis length or an average major axis length. The diameter (or size) of the particles may be measured utilizing a scanning electron microscope or a particle size analyzer. As the particle size analyzer, for example, HORIBA, LA-950 laser particle size analyzer, may be utilized. When the size of the particles is measured utilizing a particle size analyzer, the average particle diameter (or size) is referred to as D50. D50 refers to the average diameter (or size) of particles whose cumulative volume corresponds to 50 vol % in the particle size distribution (e.g., cumulative distribution), and refers to the value of the particle size corresponding to 50% from the smallest particle when the total number of particles is 100% in the distribution curve accumulated in the order of the smallest particle size to the largest particle size.
A heat insulating material is a material that prevents or reduces the transfer of heat from a high heat place to a low heat place and is utilized not only in refrigerators, refrigeration warehouses, and building construction, but also in various suitable industries including aircraft, electronic components, and vehicle industries.
Such a heat insulating material should have excellent or suitable heat insulation performance through low thermal conductivity and are also desired or required to have mechanical strength for continuously maintaining such a heat insulation property.
An aerogel may be a transparent or semi-transparent high-tech material having a nano-porous structure. Due to characteristics such as very low density and low thermal conductivity, the aerogel has high potential as a heat insulating material and is also evaluated as a very efficient super heat insulating material that is usable in various suitable industrial fields.
In addition, the biggest advantage of the aerogel is that the aerogel has lower thermal conductivity than organic heat insulating materials in the related art, such as expanded polystyrene foam (styrofoam), and the aerogel may solve problems, such as organic heat insulating materials being vulnerable to fire and generating harmful gas in case of a fire, which is fatal weakness of the organic heat insulating materials.
However, in general, the aerogel is very weak in strength due to its high brittleness and thus is easily broken even with a small impact, and it is difficult to process the aerogel to have a very thin thickness and shape. Thus, despite excellent or suitable heat insulation performance, it is very difficult to prepare a heat insulating material using the aerogel alone.
A battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments is a battery insulation sheet including a substrate and an aerogel layer formed on the substrate. The aerogel layer may include a fibrous support; an aerogel; and a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof, and may satisfy Formula 1 below.
In Formula 1, Ti denotes a thickness of the aerogel layer, and Ds denotes a diameter of (e.g., an average diameter of) the fibrous support.
The battery insulation sheet formed in such a structure may have excellent or suitable heat insulation and compressive properties, manufacturing process costs thereof may be low, and at the same time, dust of the aerogel may be prevented or substantially prevented from being generated during a manufacturing process or during actual use. In one or more embodiments, in the aerogel layer, a surface of the fibrous support is coated with the aerogel, the aerogel and the fibrous support are uniformly distributed, and a binding strength between the aerogel and the fibrous support is high, thereby reducing dust generation due to aerogel detachment.
Referring to
Referring to
Because the aerogel layer 120 is formed on the substrate 110 using an aerogel composition according to one or more embodiments, the battery insulation sheet 100 may have an improved compressive property as well as an improved heat insulation property, and when the battery insulation sheet is manufactured or installed inside a device, dust generated by exfoliation of an aerogel can be prevented or substantially prevented.
Referring to
In Formula 1, a value of A may be, for example, in a range of 50 to 100,000, 100 to 30,000, or 200 to 10,000. When the aerogel layer satisfies the value of A within the above ranges, a ratio of a thickness of the aerogel layer to a diameter of the fibrous support (e.g., an average diameter of the fibrous support) may be controlled to firmly form a structure of the aerogel layer, and in this case, when heat propagates between a plurality of cells, it may be easy to withstand explosion-induced pressure. In addition, through control of the ratio of the thickness of the aerogel layer to the diameter of the fibrous support, the coating property of the aerogel layer can be improved, and an insulation sheet can be easily installed between a plurality of cells.
The substrate may include, for example, various suitable substrates made of a resin, a metal, an inorganic material other than metals, or a composite thereof, and a type or kind thereof is not limited. In addition, the substrate may be in the form of a film, a thin film, or a sheet, and the form thereof is not particularly limited.
The resin may include, for example, at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and/or polyamide.
The metal may include, for example, at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium, vanadium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, molybdenum, tungsten, iridium, silver, gold, and/or platinum. When a substrate made of a metal material is utilized, the substrate may be subjected to anti-corrosion treatment, insulation treatment, and/or the like if necessary or desired.
The inorganic material may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) calcium carbonate (CaCO3), talc, and/or mica.
In one or more embodiments, the substrate may include an inorganic material. In one or more embodiments, the substrate may include mica. In these embodiments, the heat insulation property, durability, and/or the like of an insulation sheet can be improved.
The substrate may have a thickness of 0.01 mm to 5 mm, 0.05 mm to 3 mm, or 0.1 mm to 1 mm. The aerogel layer may be formed on the substrate having a thickness within the above ranges, thereby constituting an insulation sheet.
In the battery insulation sheet, the aerogel layer includes a fibrous support, an aerogel, and a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof.
The aerogel layer may have a thickness of 1 mm to 10 mm, 1 mm to 5 mm, or 1 mm to 3 mm. The aerogel layer may be formed on the substrate having a thickness within the above ranges, thereby manufacturing an insulation sheet having excellent or suitable heat insulation and compressive properties.
In one or more embodiments, because the fibrous support is included in the aerogel layer, it is possible to improve the durability of a battery insulation sheet.
The fibrous support may include a fiber (e.g., fibers) utilized as a support for heat insulating materials of the related art. For example, the fibrous support may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) a natural fiber, a silica fiber, a glass fiber, a carbon fiber, a graphite fiber, a mineral fiber, and/or a polymer fiber. In one or more embodiments, the fibrous support may include a glass fiber, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The natural fiber may include, for example, at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) hemp, jute, flax, coir, kenaf, and/or cellulose.
The mineral fiber may be, for example, a mineral fiber including at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) basalt, wollastonite, alumina, silica, slag, and/or rock.
The polymer fiber may include, for example, at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) nylon, polyimide, polyamide, polybenzimidazole, polybenzoxazole, polyamideimide, polyethyleneterephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyester, polyethylene (PE), and/or polypropylene (PP). In one or more embodiments, the polymer fiber may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from among) polyimide, polyamide, and/or polybenzimidazole, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The fibrous support may be, for example, in the form of wool or chopped strands, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The fibrous support may have, for example, a diameter of (e.g., an average diameter of) 0.1 μm to 20 μm, 0.1 μm to 15 μm, 0.1 μm to 5 μm, 1 μm to 15 μm, or 3 μm to 10 μm. Because the aerogel layer includes the fibrous support having a diameter within the above ranges, a structure of the aerogel layer can be strengthened, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.
The fibrous support may have, for example, a length of (e.g., an average length of) 50 μm to 1,000 μm, 70 μm to 800 μm, or 100 μm to 600 μm. Because the aerogel layer includes the fibrous support having a length within the above ranges, the aerogel layer can be firmly formed, and durability can be improved.
The content (e.g., amount) of the fibrous support (e.g., the amount of the fibrous support) may be in a range of 5 wt % to 70 wt %, 25 wt % to 60 wt %, or 30 wt % to 50 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer. It is possible to improve the durability of a battery insulation sheet including the aerogel layer that includes the fibrous support within the above ranges.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel may have a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area of 500 m2/g to 1,000 m2/g. For example, the aerogel may have a BET specific surface area of 500 m2/g to 950 m2/g, 550 m2/g to 950 m2/g, or 600 m2/g to 900 m2/g. Because the aerogel layer includes the aerogel having a BET specific surface area value within the above ranges, it is possible to provide an insulation sheet capable of effectively preventing or reducing heat transfer and heat propagation between a plurality of cells.
The aerogel may have a particle diameter (e.g., an average particle diameter) of 5 μm to 200 μm, 10 μm to 100 μm, or 20 μm to 50 μm. Because the aerogel layer includes the aerogel having a particle diameter within the above ranges, a heat insulation property is improved, thereby delaying heat transfer between a plurality of cells.
The content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel may be in a range of 10 wt % to 90 wt %, 30 wt % to 70 wt %, or 40 wt % to 60 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer. When a battery insulation sheet is manufactured with an aerogel composition including the aerogel within the above ranges, the heat insulation property of the battery insulation sheet can be improved.
In one or more embodiments, the binder may include an aqueous polymer binder. For example, the aqueous polymer binder may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) an aqueous polymer, an anionic water-soluble polymer, a cationic water-soluble polymer, and/or a water-dispersible polymer.
The aqueous polymer may include, for example, at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamide, and/or polyvinylpyrrolidone, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The anionic water-soluble polymer may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) polymers having functional groups of a carboxylic acid, a sulfonic acid, a sulfuric acid ester, a phosphoric acid ester, and/or a salt thereof. For example, the anionic water-soluble polymer may be a polymer having a carboxylic acid functional group, and in one or more embodiments, the anionic water-soluble polymer may include a polymaleic acid, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The cationic water-soluble polymer may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) polymers having functional groups of amine, ammonium, phosphonium, sulfonium, and/or a salt thereof. For example, the cationic water-soluble polymer may be a polymer having an amine functional group, and in one or more embodiments, the cationic water-soluble polymer may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) polyethylene amine and/or polyamine, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The water-dispersible polymer may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) water-dispersible polyurethane and/or water-dispersible polyester, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The binder may include an aqueous polymer and a water-dispersible polymer. For example, the binder may include an aqueous polymer having a binder characteristic and a dispersion property and water-dispersible polyurethane having a fire resistance property, and in one or more embodiments, the binder may include polyvinyl alcohol and water-dispersible polyurethane.
A weight ratio of the aqueous polymer and the water-dispersible polymer may be in a range of 1:1 to 1:5, 1:1 to 1:4, or 1:2 to 1:3. When the aqueous polymer and the water-dispersible polymer are mixed and utilized in a weight ratio within the above ranges, it is possible to further improve fire resistance and mechanical properties as well as a heat insulation property, a dusting property, and a compressive property of an insulation sheet.
The content (e.g., amount) of the binder may be in a range of 0.5 wt % to 20 wt %, 2 wt % to 15 wt %, or 8 wt % to 15 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer. When a battery insulation sheet is manufactured with the aerogel composition including the binder within the above ranges, it is possible to improve the dusting property of the battery insulation sheet.
In one or more embodiments, the dispersant may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) a surfactant and/or a phosphate-based salt. In one or more embodiments, the dispersant may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from among) a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and/or a natural surfactant such as lecithin, and phosphate, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
When the dispersant is further included, the dispersion of the aerogel in a composition is further improved, thereby uniformly dispersing the fibrous support and the aerogel.
The content (e.g., amount) of the dispersant may be in a range of 0.1 wt % to 6 wt %, 0.1 wt % to 5 wt %, or 0.1 wt % to 3 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer. When the dispersant is included within the above ranges, it is possible to manufacture a battery insulation sheet having excellent or suitable insulation, compressive property, and dusting property.
In one or more embodiments, the binder and the dispersant may be included in a weight ratio of 1:0.001 to 1:0.67, 1:0.001 to 1:0.5, or 1:0.001 to 1:0.3. When the binder and the dispersant are mixed in a weight ratio within the above ranges, the aerogel may be present in a form more uniformly dispersed in the aerogel layer.
In one or more embodiments, with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer, the fibrous support may be included at 5 wt % to 70 wt %, the aerogel may be included at 10 wt % to 90 wt %, and the functional material may be included at 0.5 wt % to 20 wt %.
As an example, the aerogel layer may include the fibrous support at 25 wt % to 60 wt %, the aerogel at 30 wt % to 70 wt %, and the binder at 2 wt % to 15 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may include the fibrous support at 30 wt % to 50 wt %, the aerogel at 40 wt % to 60 wt, and the binder at 8 wt % to 15 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer. When the aerogel layer is formed within the above ranges, it is possible to improve the dispersibility of the aerogel, implement an excellent or suitable heat insulation property and concurrently (e.g., simultaneously) improve durability, and it is possible to improve a binding strength between the fibrous support and the aerogel, thereby preventing or substantially preventing the generation of dust.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may include the fibrous support at 25 wt % to 60 wt %, the aerogel at 30 wt % to 70 wt %, the binder at 2 wt % to 15 wt %, and the dispersant at 0.1 wt % to 5 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may include the fibrous support at 30 wt % to 50 wt %, the aerogel at 40 wt % to 60 wt %, the binder at 5 wt % to 10 wt %, and the dispersant at 0.1 wt % to 3 wt % with respect to the total content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel layer. When the aerogel layer is formed within the above ranges, it is possible to improve the dispersibility of the aerogel, implement an excellent or suitable heat insulation property, and concurrently (e.g., simultaneously) improve durability, and it is possible to improve a binding strength between the fibrous support and the aerogel, thereby preventing or substantially preventing the generation of dust.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel layer may have a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure. When the aerogel layer has a multi-layer structure, the aerogel layer may be formed as 2 to 10 layers, 2 to 7 layers, or 2 to 5 layers.
A method of manufacturing a battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments may include coating a substrate with an aerogel composition, and drying the aerogel composition applied on the substrate to form an aerogel layer, wherein the aerogel layer may include a fibrous support; an aerogel; and a functional material including a binder, a dispersant, or a combination thereof, and may satisfy Formula 1 below. Here, detailed descriptions of the substrate and the aerogel layer may be the same as those described above. In one or more embodiments, the substrate may be the substrate in
In Formula 1, Ti denotes a thickness of the aerogel layer, and Ds denotes a diameter of the fibrous support (e.g., the average diameter of the fibrous support).
A method of preparing the aerogel composition may include mixing the functional material including the binder, the dispersant, or the combination thereof with a solvent to prepare a solvent mixture, mixing the solvent mixture and the aerogel to prepare an aerogel mixture, and mixing the aerogel mixture and the fibrous support to prepare the aerogel composition.
In the mixing of the functional material in the solvent to prepare the solvent mixture, the binder may be mixed with the solvent, or the binder and the dispersant may be mixed with the solvent. Here, detailed descriptions of the binder and the dispersant may be the same as those described above.
In one or more embodiments, the solvent may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) a polar solvent and/or a non-polar solvent.
The polar solvent may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) water and/or an alcohol-based solvent.
The water may include, for example, purified water, ultrapure water, or a combination thereof.
The alcohol-based solvent may include, for example, at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) methanol, ethanol, propanol, pentanol, butanol, hexanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and/or glycerol, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The non-polar solvent may include a hydrocarbon-based solvent. For example, the hydrocarbon-based solvent may include at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) hexane, pentane, heptane, toluene, and/or benzene. The hydrocarbon-based solvent is, for example, an alkane solvent such as hexane or a mixture including the alkane solvent, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The solvent may include water. When the water is utilized as the solvent, raw material costs and post-processing costs can be effectively reduced. However, when the water is utilized as a solvent, mixing with a hydrophobic aerogel is not easy, and in one or more embodiments, a mixing operation design, a mixing condition, the addition and content (e.g., amount) of a binder and a dispersant, and/or the like have been controlled to uniformly disperse the aerogel. In this way, when the aerogel is uniformly dispersed in a composition, without using a large amount of binder, it is possible to form a thin battery insulation sheet having excellent or suitable heat insulation and compressive properties and a low dusting property.
The solvent may be included such that a weight ratio of a content (e.g., amount) of the solvent to the total solid content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel composition is in a range of 1:1 to 1:90. For example, the solvent may be included such that the weight ratio of the content (e.g., amount) of the solvent to the total solid content (e.g., amount) is in a range of 1:50 to 1:70, 1:20 to 1:30, or 1:2 to 1:10. The weight ratio of the content (e.g., amount) of the solvent to the total solid content (e.g., amount) may be controlled within the above ranges to control viscosity and coat the aerogel layer.
In the mixing of the solvent mixture and the aerogel to prepare the aerogel mixture, the aerogel may be introduced in the form of powder, and a detailed description of the aerogel may be the same as the above description.
In the mixing of the aerogel mixture and the fibrous support to prepare the aerogel composition, a specific description of the fibrous support may be the same as the above description.
In one or more embodiments, the aerogel composition may further include a silane-based compound. The silane-based compound may include, for example, at least one of (e.g., at least one selected from the group consisting of) 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propylmethacrylate, methyltriethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrimethoxysilane, ethyltriethoxysilane, and/or 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane. When the silane-based compound is further included, dispersibility can be further improved.
In each of the mixing of the functional material including the binder, the dispersant, or the combination thereof with the solvent to prepare the solvent mixture, the mixing of the solvent mixture and the aerogel to prepare the aerogel mixture, and the mixing of the aerogel mixture and the fibrous support to prepare the aerogel composition, during mixing, the mixing may be performed using a mixer. For example, the mixer may include a planetary mixer, a thinky mixer, and/or the like, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
In one or more embodiments, when the solvent mixture and the aerogel are mixed, the planetary mixer may be utilized. When the solvent mixture and the aerogel are mixed using the planetary mixer, the aerogel may be uniformly dispersed in the solvent.
The planetary mixer may be a device that is utilizable to mix or stir different materials to prepare a homogeneous mixture. The planetary mixer may include a blade capable of performing a planetary motion.
In one or more embodiments, the planetary mixer may include one or more of one or more planetary blades and/or one or more high-speed dispersion blades. In one or more embodiments, the planetary mixer may include one or more planetary blades and one or more high-speed dispersion blades.
The planetary blades and the high-speed dispersion blades continuously rotate about axes thereof. A rotation speed may be expressed in a unit of rotations per minute (rpm).
In one or more embodiments, the planetary mixer may include a first blade and a second blade having different rotational axes. For example, the first blade may be a low-speed blade and the second blade may be a high-speed blade. Here, a low speed and a high speed are relative rotation speeds between the first blade and the second blade. In one or more embodiments, the first blade may be an open blade, and the second blade may be a despa blade.
A rotation speed of the first blade may be, for example, in a range of 10 rpm to 100 rpm, 10 rpm to 60 rpm, or 30 rpm to 70 rpm. In addition, a rotation speed of the second blade may be, for example, in a range of 100 rpm to 2,000 rpm, 100 rpm to 1,000 rpm, 300 rpm to 1,700 rpm, or 500 rpm to 1,700 rpm.
When the functional material is added to the solvent and mixed, the rotation speed of the first blade of the mixer may be in a range of 10 rpm to 60 rpm, 20 rpm to 50 rpm, or 30 rpm to 40 rpm, and the rotation speed of the second blade may be in a range of 300 rpm to 1,700 rpm, 600 rpm to 1,000 rpm, or 700 rpm to 800 rpm. When the solvent and the functional material are mixed as described above, the solvent mixture in which the binder, the dispersant, or the combination thereof is uniformly dispersed may be prepared to more easily mix the aerogel in a subsequent operation.
When the solvent mixture and the aerogel are mixed, the rotation speed of the first blade of the mixer may be in a range of 30 rpm to 70 rpm, 40 rpm to 70 rpm, or 60 rpm to 70 rpm, and the rotation speed of the second blade may be in a range of 500 rpm to 1,700 rpm, 600 rpm to 1,600 rpm, or 800 rpm to 1,500 rpm. When the aerogel is added to the solvent mixture and mixed as described above, the aerogel can be prevented or substantially prevented from being agglomerated, thereby inducing uniform dispersion.
When the aerogel mixture and the fibrous support are mixed, the rotation speed of the first blade of the mixer may be in a range of 10 rpm to 60 rpm, 20 rpm to 50 rpm, or 30 rpm to 40 rpm, and the rotation speed of the second blade may be in a range of 300 rpm to 1,700 rpm, 400 rpm to 1,500 rpm, or 800 rpm to 1,200 rpm. As described above, when the aerogel mixture and the fibrous support are mixed, bubbles in a composition are removed, viscosity is adjusted, and the fibrous support is easily dispersed between the uniformly dispersed aerogels, so that the aerogel may be present in a form surrounding the fibrous support in the composition. Here, the binder may be present between the aerogel and the fibrous support to improve a binding strength between the aerogel and the fibrous support.
The coating may be performed by a conventional method of coating a substrate with an aerogel slurry.
The coating may be repeated one or more times.
The drying may be performed under a temperature condition of, for example, 25° C. to 100° C., 45° C. to 90° C., or 60° C. to 85° C. Because the drying is performed under the above temperature conditions, the substrate and the aerogel layer can be prevented or substantially prevented from being detached from each other, a strong aerogel layer can be formed on the substrate without a separate adhesive member or adhesive, and a coating layer can be formed in a shape in which an aerogel is coated around a plurality of dispersed fibrous supports.
In one or more embodiments, the method of manufacturing a battery insulation sheet may further include, before the drying, stacking a substrate on the applied aerogel composition. In this case, a battery insulation sheet may be manufactured in a structure in which, without an adhesive layer, a plurality of substrates, for example, a first substrate and a second substrate are formed on both surfaces of the aerogel layer.
According to the method of manufacturing a battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments, a battery insulation sheet can be manufactured through a simple method of coating a substrate with an aerogel composition and drying the aerogel composition without using a separate adhesive or providing an adhesive layer. An aerogel is uniformly dispersed and a compressive property is excellent or suitable so that, even with a thin thickness, an excellent or suitable heat insulation property and a low dusting property can be implemented.
In one or more embodiments, when the aerogel layer is formed, the aerogel layer may optionally further include an additive such as a wetting agent, an emulsifier, a compatibilizer, a viscosity modifier, a pH modifier, a stabilizer, an antioxidant, an acidic or basic capture reagent, a metal deactivator, an antifoaming agent, an antistatic agent, a thickener, an adhesion promoter, a binding agent, a flame retardant, an impact modifier, a pigment, a dye, a colorant, and/or a deodorizer.
Hereinafter, specific Examples of the present disclosure will be described. Meanwhile, Examples to be described are just provided for illustrating or explaining the present disclosure, and accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the following Examples. Contents which are not described here may be fully inferred by those skilled in the art, and thus descriptions thereof may be omitted.
Polyvinyl alcohol (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC) as a binder was added to ultrapure water as a solvent and mixed under conditions of 30 rpm for an open blade and 700 rpm for a despa blade to prepare a solvent mixture. Then, an aerogel having a BET value of 800 m2/g was added to the solvent mixture and mixed under conditions of 70 rpm for an open blade and 1,500 rpm for a despa blade to prepare an aerogel mixture. Glass wool as a fibrous support having a diameter (e.g., an average diameter) of 0.12 μm to 5 μm was added to the aerogel mixture and mixed at 30 rpm for an open blade and 1,200 rpm for a despa blade to prepare an aerogel composition. Here, during mixing, a planetary mixer (PT-005 manufactured by DNTEK Co., Ltd.) was utilized.
It was confirmed that a solid content (e.g., amount) of the prepared aerogel composition included the aerogel at 50 wt %, the glass wool at 40 wt %, and the polyvinyl alcohol at 10 wt %.
The prepared aerogel composition as a slurry was applied on a mica sheet (muscovite) (manufactured by Pamica Electric Material (Hubei) Co., Ltd.) having a thickness of 0.1 mm, and then the mica sheet having a thickness of 0.1 mm was stacked in a sandwich type or kind and then coated through a roll rolling method. Then, the stacked mica sheet was dried at a temperature of 60° C. for 24 hours to form an aerogel layer and manufacture a battery insulation sheet. It was confirmed that the aerogel layer had a thickness of 1.18 mm and the manufactured battery insulation sheet had a total thickness of 1.38 mm.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that, when an aerogel composition is prepared, input amounts of raw materials in Example 1 were adjusted to prepare an aerogel composition with a solid content (e.g., amount) including an aerogel at 60 wt %, glass wool at 25 wt %, and polyvinyl alcohol at 15 wt %.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that, when an aerogel composition was prepared, input amounts of raw materials in Example 1 were adjusted to prepare an aerogel composition with a solid content (e.g., amount) including an aerogel at 65 wt %, glass wool at 25 wt %, and polyvinyl alcohol at 10 wt %.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that, when an aerogel composition was prepared, input amounts of raw materials in Example 1 were adjusted to prepare an aerogel composition with a solid content (e.g., amount) including an aerogel at 45 wt %, glass wool at 50 wt %, and polyvinyl alcohol at 5 wt %.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that, when an aerogel composition was prepared, input amounts of raw materials in Example 1 were adjusted to prepare an aerogel composition with a solid content (e.g., amount) including an aerogel at 50 wt %, glass wool at 49.7 wt %, and polyvinyl alcohol at 0.3 wt %.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that, when an aerogel composition was prepared, input amounts of raw materials in Example 1 were adjusted to prepare an aerogel composition with a solid content (e.g., amount) including an aerogel at 40 wt %, glass wool at 35 wt %, and polyvinyl alcohol at 25 wt %.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that an aerogel composition was prepared using glass wool having a diameter (e.g., an average diameter) of 0.1 μm to 3 μm as a fibrous support in Example 1, and a thickness of an aerogel layer in Example 1 was adjusted to 1.3 mm when the battery insulation sheet is manufactured.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that an aerogel composition was prepared using glass wool having a diameter (e.g., an average diameter) of 10 μm to 15 μm as a fibrous support in Example 1, and a thickness of an aerogel layer in Example 1 was adjusted to 1.3 mm when the battery insulation sheet is manufactured.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that, when an aerogel composition was prepared, water-dispersible polyurethane was utilized instead of polyvinyl alcohol as a binder in Example 1.
Polyvinyl alcohol (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC) as a binder and a surfactant as a dispersant (Triton-X100 manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC) were added to ultrapure water as a solvent and mixed under conditions of 30 rpm for an open blade and 700 rpm for a despa blade to prepare a solvent mixture. Then, an aerogel having a BET value of 800 m2/g was added to the solvent mixture and mixed under conditions of 70 rpm for an open blade and 1,500 rpm for a despa blade to prepare an aerogel mixture. Glass wool as a fibrous support having a diameter (e.g., an average diameter) of 0.12 μm to 5 μm was added to the aerogel mixture and mixed under conditions of 30 rpm for an open blade and 1,200 rpm for a despa blade to prepare an aerogel composition. Here, during mixing, a planetary mixer (PT-005 manufactured by DNTEK Co., Ltd.) was utilized.
It was confirmed that a solid content (e.g., amount) of the prepared aerogel composition included the aerogel at 50 wt %, the glass wool at 40 wt %, the polyvinyl alcohol at 9.9 wt %, and the dispersant at 0.1 wt %.
The prepared aerogel composition as a slurry was applied on a mica sheet (muscovite) (manufactured by Pamica Electric Material (Hubei) Co., Ltd.) having a thickness of 0.1 mm, and then the mica sheet having a thickness of 0.1 mm was stacked in a sandwich type or kind and then coated through a roll rolling method. Then, the stacked mica sheet was dried at a temperature of 60° C. for 24 hours to form an aerogel layer and manufacture a battery insulation sheet. It was confirmed that the aerogel layer had a thickness of 1.18 mm and the manufactured battery insulation sheet had a total thickness of 1.38 mm.
1 Polyvinyl alcohol (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC) as a binder, water-dispersible polyurethane, and a surfactant as a dispersant (Triton-X100 manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co., LLC) were added to ultrapure water as a solvent and mixed under conditions of 30 rpm for an open blade of and 700 rpm for a despa blade to prepare a solvent mixture. Then, an aerogel having a BET value of 800 m2/g was added to the solvent mixture and mixed under conditions of 70 rpm for an open blade and 1,500 rpm for a despa blade to prepare an aerogel mixture. Glass wool as a fibrous support having a diameter (e.g., an average diameter) of 0.12 μm to 5 μm was added to the aerogel mixture and mixed under conditions of 30 rpm for an open blade and 1,200 rpm for a despa blade to prepare an aerogel composition. Here, during mixing, a planetary mixer (PT-005 manufactured by DNTEK Co., Ltd.) was utilized.
It was confirmed that a solid content (e.g., amount) of the prepared aerogel composition included the aerogel at 50 wt %, the glass wool at 40 wt %, the polyvinyl alcohol at 3 wt %, the water-dispersible polyurethane at 6.9 wt %, and the dispersant at 0.1 wt %.
The prepared aerogel composition as a slurry was applied on a mica sheet (muscovite) (manufactured by Pamica Electric Material (Hubei) Co., Ltd.) having a thickness of 0.1 mm, and then the mica sheet having a thickness of 0.1 mm was stacked in a sandwich type or kind and then coated through a roll rolling method. Then, the stacked mica sheet was dried at a temperature of 60° C. for 24 hours to form an aerogel layer and manufacture a battery insulation sheet. It was confirmed that the aerogel layer had a thickness of 1.18 mm and the manufactured battery insulation sheet had a total thickness of 1.38 mm.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that an aerogel composition was prepared using glass wool having a diameter (e.g., an average diameter) of 30 μm to 40 μm as a fibrous support in Example 1, and a thickness of an aerogel layer in Example 1 was adjusted to 1.18 mm when the battery insulation sheet is manufactured.
A battery insulation sheet was manufactured in substantially the same manner as in Example 1, except that an aerogel composition was prepared using glass wool having a diameter (e.g., an average diameter) of 0.01 μm to 0.015 μm as a fibrous support in Example 1, and a thickness of an aerogel layer in Example 1 was adjusted to 1.18 mm when the battery insulation sheet is manufactured.
A cross section of the aerogel layer of the battery insulation sheet manufactured in Example 1 was observed through Hitachi S-4800 SEM (manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd), and analysis was performed after Pt coating. Results thereof are shown in
Referring to
A heat insulation property was evaluated using the insulation sheets manufactured in Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.
Specifically, each of the insulation sheets was placed between a pair of 1 mm-thick aluminum plates facing each other and placed on a heat press, an upper plate of the heat press was heated to a temperature 350° C., and a lower plate of the heat press was maintained at a start temperature of 40° C. without being heated. Then, when 11 minutes have elapsed after a pressure of 20 kN was applied to the lower plate of the heat press, a temperature of the lower plate of the heat press was measured and shown in Table 1 below.
A dusting property was evaluated using the insulation sheets prepared in Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.
Specifically, a weight of each of the insulation sheets was measured before evaluation. Then, the insulation sheet was placed on a rubber plate, and a total of five points such as vertices and a center of the insulation sheet were regularly hit with a rubber mallet, dust was swept off, and then the weight of the insulation sheet was measured. Subsequently, a weight before a physical impact was compared with a weight after the physical impact to calculate a weight reduction ratio. Results thereof are shown in Table 1 below.
A compressive property was evaluated using the insulation sheets prepared in Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2.
Specifically, a zero point was set using a universal testing machine (UTM), each insulation sheet was inserted between aluminum plates with a thickness of 1 mm, and then a compression ratio was measured at a compression speed of 0.02 mm/sec from 0 kN to 80 kN. Then, a thickness at 5 kN and a thickness at 40 kN were measured, and a reduction ratio of a thickness was expressed as a compression ratio. Results thereof are shown in Table 1 below.
Referring to Table 1, in the case of Examples 1 to 11, it could be confirmed that all of the heat insulation property, the dusting property, and the compressive property were excellent or suitable. Here, regarding Examples 1 to 4, changes in heat insulation property, dusting property, and compressive property according to a component content (e.g., amount) of the aerogel composition can be confirmed. In addition, in the case of Example 5, it could be confirmed that the dusting property and the compressive property were slightly lowered according to a change in component of the aerogel composition, but the heat insulation property was improved. In the case of Example 6, it could be confirmed that the heat insulation property and the compressive property were slightly lowered. In addition, regarding Examples 1, 7, and 8, changes in heat insulation property, dusting property, and compressive property according to a value of A can be confirmed. When the value of A is in a range of 200 to 10,000, it can be confirmed that the heat insulation property and the dusting property are excellent or suitable without degradation in compressive property. In addition, in the case of Example 9, because a dispersant could not serve as a fire-resistant binder, it could be seen that the dusting property was slightly reduced, but the heat insulation property was improved. In addition, regarding Example 10 in which a binder and a dispersant were mixed, it could be confirmed that the heat insulation property, the dusting property, and the compressive property were improved. In addition, regarding Example 11, when polyvinyl alcohol that could serve as a dispersant and a water-dispersible polyurethane binder that could not serve as a dispersant were mixed, it could be confirmed that the heat insulation property, the dusting property, and the compressive property were further improved.
In contrast, regarding Comparative Examples 1 and 2, it could be confirmed that, because the value of A was not satisfied (was not suitable), all of the heat insulation property, the dusting property, and the compressive property were considerably lowered.
Therefore, when the aerogel composition according to one or more embodiments was utilized, it could be confirmed that a heat insulation property, a compressive property, and a dusting property were excellent or suitable.
Because a battery insulation sheet according to one or more embodiments includes an aerogel layer that has a shape in which a surface of a fibrous support is coated with an aerogel, the battery insulation sheet can have an excellent or suitable heat insulation property and compressive property, manufacturing process costs thereof can be low, and at the same time, dust of an aerogel can be prevented or substantially prevented from being generated during a manufacturing process or during actual use.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or the present specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.
Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the present disclosure refers to “one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.”
As used herein, the term “substantially,” “about,” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. “Substantially” as used herein, is inclusive of the stated value and means within an acceptable range of deviation for the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, considering the measurement in question and the error associated with measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “substantially” may mean within one or more standard deviations, or within +30%, 20%, 10%, 5% of the stated value.
Also, any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges of the same numerical precision subsumed within the recited range. For example, a range of “1.0 to 10.0” is intended to include all subranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1.0 and the recited maximum value of 10.0, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as, for example, 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limitation recited herein is intended to include all lower numerical limitations subsumed therein and any minimum numerical limitation recited in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limitations subsumed therein. Accordingly, Applicant reserves the right to amend this specification, including the claims, to expressly recite any sub-range subsumed within the ranges expressly recited herein.
The portable device, vehicle, and/or the battery, e.g., a battery controller, and/or any other relevant devices or components according to embodiments of the present disclosure described herein may be implemented utilizing any suitable hardware, firmware (e.g. an application-specific integrated circuit), software, or a combination of software, firmware, and hardware. For example, the various components of the device may be formed on one integrated circuit (IC) chip or on separate IC chips. Further, the various components of the device may be implemented on a flexible printed circuit film, a tape carrier package (TCP), a printed circuit board (PCB), or formed on one substrate. Further, the various components of the device may be a process or thread, running on one or more processors, in one or more computing devices, executing computer program instructions and interacting with other system components for performing the various functionalities described herein. The computer program instructions are stored in a memory which may be implemented in a computing device using a standard memory device, such as, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The computer program instructions may also be stored in other non-transitory computer readable media such as, for example, a CD-ROM, flash drive, or the like. Also, a person of skill in the art should recognize that the functionality of various computing devices may be combined or integrated into a single computing device, or the functionality of a particular computing device may be distributed across one or more other computing devices without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it is understood that the present disclosure should not be limited to these embodiments, but one or more suitable changes and modifications can be made by one ordinary skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims and equivalents thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0048179 | Apr 2023 | KR | national |
