Method for separating active material of electrode plate for storage battery

• US 8,354,180 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omega Techno Modeling Co., Ltd., Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omega Techno Modeling Co., Ltd., Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuramoto, Shunji, Kamo, Takashi, Shukuri, Kyoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock, Ula C
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARKS, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US12/092,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20090095631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,218 Days
• Field of Search: 429/49
• US Class Current: 429/49
• 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 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/54 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
• 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 4/133 Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/242 Hydrogen storage electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53135 Storage cell or battery

Abstract

An electrode plate (20) for storage batteries is immersed into an aqueous solution (18) containing phosphoric acid, an ethoxy alcohol, ammonium bifluoride, sulfonic acid and sodium xylenesulfonate, and the aqueous solution (18) is stirred by a screw stirrer (22). The aqueous solution (18) is kept at about 30° C. by a heater (14), and the active material of the electrode (20) is separated therefrom. The aqueous solution (18) contains the respective solutes in the following mass ratios: 15-20 parts by mass of the phosphoric acid; 3-7 parts by mass of the ethoxy alcohol; 2-6 parts by mass of the ammonium bifluoride; 4-8 parts by mass of the sulfonic acid; and 1-3 parts by mass of the sodium xylenesulfonate.

Claims

1. A method for exfoliating an active material layer of an electrode plate for a storage battery, in a process of exfoliating the active material layer from a substrate of an electrode plate for a storage battery in which the electrode plates formed by coating or filling the substrates with the active material layer are positioned opposite each other with a separator interposed therebetween, the method comprising:

in a process of exfoliating the active material layer from an interface between the substrate of an electrode plate for a storage battery and the active material layer, immersing the electrode plates for a storage battery in an aqueous solution containing a phosphoric acid, an ethoxy alcohol, ammonium bifluoride, a sulfonic acid, and sodium xylenesulfonate as solutes, and wherein percentage contents of the solutes in the aqueous solution are 15 to 20 parts by mass of the phosphoric acid;

3 to 7 parts by mass of the ethoxy alcohol;

2 to 6 parts by mass of the ammonium bifluoride;

4 to 8 parts by mass of the sulfonic acid; and

1 to 3 parts by mass of the sodium xylenesulfonate, wherein the active material layer is exfoliated in the form of a layer comprising at least one active material and a binder; and

removing the active material layer from the solution to recover the active material.

2. The method for exfoliating an active material layer of an electrode plate for a storage battery according to claim 1, wherein, in the process of exfoliating the active material layer from the substrate, the electrode plate for a storage battery is immersed in the aqueous solution while the aqueous solution is being stirred to thus maintain constantly a state of the aqueous solution on an exfoliated surface.

3. The method for exfoliating an active material layer of an electrode plate for a storage battery according to claim 1, wherein, after the electrode plate has been immersed in the aqueous solution, the surface of the electrode plate is subjected to brushing under predetermined load.

4. The method for exfoliating an active material layer of an electrode plate for a storage battery according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of the aqueous solution is about 30°

C. to 50°

C.