ELECTRODE INCLUDING COATING LAYER FOR PREVENTING REACTION WITH ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION

• US 20160149220A1
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: UHM, In Sung, KWON, Ji Yoon, KIM, Kyoung Ho, KIM, Il Hong, KIM, Je Young, HAH, Hoe Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,899,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/44 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/045 Electrochemical coating; Electrochemical impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0452 from solutions
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1391 of electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/582 Halogenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/5825 Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/62 Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for active masses, e.g. binders, fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/628 Inhibitors, e.g. gassing inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrode for secondary batteries in which an electrode mix layer including an electrode active material is coated on an electrode collector, and a coating layer including aluminum (Al) and/or alumina (Al₂O₃) is formed on the electrode mix layer.

Claims

1. An electrode for secondary batteries, wherein an electrode mix layer comprising an electrode active material is coated on an electrode collector and a coating layer comprising aluminum (Al) and/or alumina (Al₂O₃) is formed on the electrode mix layer.

2. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer is formed to a thickness of 0.5 nm to 100 nm.

3. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer comprises aluminum and alumina.

4. The electrode according to claim 3, wherein the aluminum and the alumina in the coating layer form a concentration gradient with respect to a thickness direction.

5. The electrode according to claim 4, wherein, in the coating layer, an amount of aluminum decreases and an amount of alumina increases, toward a surface portion of the electrode from a side contacting the electrode mix layer.

6. The electrode according to claim 4, wherein, in the coating layer, an amount of aluminum decreases and an amount of alumina increases, toward a side contacting the electrode mix layer and a surface portion of the electrode from the center of the coating layer.

7. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer is uniformly formed through electrolytic decomposition.

8. The electrode according to claim 7, wherein, in the electrolytic decomposition, an aluminum precursor is ionized in a solution for electrolytic decomposition and is reduced to aluminum metal in an electrolytic electrode.

9. The electrode according to claim 8, wherein the aluminum precursor is AlCl₃.

10. The electrode according to claim 7, wherein the electrolytic decomposition is performed through a catalyst.

11. The electrode according to claim 10, wherein the catalyst is at least one catalyst selected from the group consisting of ZnCl₂, CoCl₂, MnCl₂, NiCl₂, and SnCl₂-based catalysts.

12. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer is partially or entirely formed on a surface of the electrode mix layer.

13. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode active material comprises a lithium transition metal oxide represented by Formula 1 or 2 below:

Li_xM_yMn_2-yO_4-zA_z 

 

(1),

wherein M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ni, Co, Fe, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, B, Ca, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sr, Sb, W, Ti and Bi;

A is at least one monovalent or divalent anion; and

0.9≦

x≦

1.2, 0<

y<

2, and 0≦

z≦

0.2,

(1-x)LiM′

O_2-yA_y-xLi₂MnO_3-y′

A_y′

 

 

(2),

wherein M′

is Mn_aM_b;

M_b is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, Cr, Zr, Zn and Period II transition metals;

A is at least one selected from the group consisting of anions such as PO₄, BO₃, CO₃, F and NO₃; and

0<

x<

1, 0<

y≦

0.02, 0<

y′

≦

0.02, 0.3≦

a≦

1.0, 0≦

b≦

0.7, and a+b=1.

14. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is a positive electrode.

15. A method of manufacturing an electrode according to claim 1, the method comprising:

coating an electrode mix comprising an electrode active material on a collector;

preparing a solution comprising an aluminum precursor; and

coating aluminum on an electrode mix layer of the coating through electrolytic decomposition using the solution of the preparing.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, in the electrolytic decomposition of the coating, an aluminum precursor is ionized in a solution for electrolytic decomposition and is reduced to aluminum metal in a working electrode.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the aluminum precursor is AlCl₃.

18. A secondary battery comprising the electrode according to claim 1.

19. The secondary battery according to claim 18, wherein the secondary battery is a lithium ion battery, a lithium ion polymer battery or a lithium polymer battery.

20. A battery module comprising the secondary battery according to claim 18 as a unit cell.

21. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 20.

22. A device comprising the battery pack according to claim 21 as a power source.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the device is an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or a system for storing power.