Method of manufacturing secondary battery

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a secondary battery, built in a battery case, having an electrode assembly impregnated with an electrolyte solution, the method including: (a) injecting an electrolyte solution as a target into a chamber equipped with a vibrating probe; (b) impregnating by soaking an electrode assembly, which has a separator interposed between a cathode and an anode, in an electrolyte solution contained in the chamber; (c) applying vibration at a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz of to the electrolyte solution with the vibrating probe; and (d) moving the electrode assembly with the electrolyte solution into a battery case, whereby interfacial wetting of the electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution is improved. A secondary battery manufactured according to the method may have improved electrolyte solution impregnation properties, ionic conductivity, electronic conductivity and the like and, as such, may have improved electrochemical performance.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a secondary battery, built in a battery case, having an electrode assembly impregnated with an electrolyte solution, the method comprising: injecting an electrolyte solution as a target into a chamber equipped with a vibrating probe; impregnating by soaking an electrode assembly, which has a separator interposed between a cathode and an anode, in the injected electrolyte solution contained in the chamber; after injecting the electrolyte solution into the chamber and soaking the electrode assembly in the injected electrolyte solution contained in the chamber, applying vibration with the vibrating probe at a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz to the electrolyte solution already injected into the chamber; and moving the electrode assembly with the electrolyte solution into a battery case, whereby interfacial wetting of the electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution is improved.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the impregnating, the vibration has an amplitude of 2 to 30 μm.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vibration is applied once, or periodically or aperiodically twice or more.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating probe is installed in the chamber in a state of directly contacting the target.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating probe is installed in the chamber in a state of being spaced from the target.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a distance between the vibrating probe and the target is 1 to 10 cm.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein a non-aqueous gel is interposed between the vibrating probe and the target.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the non-aqueous gel is composed of silicone oil.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte solution has a viscosity of 0.1 cP or more and 5 cP or less.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte solution has a viscosity of 1 cP or more and 4 cP or less.

11. A secondary battery manufactured using the method according to claim 1.

12. The secondary battery according to claim 11, wherein an impregnation amount of an electrolyte solution of the electrode assembly located in the secondary battery is 120% to 140% of an impregnation amount of an electrode assembly to which vibration is not applied.

13. The secondary battery according to claim 11, wherein the secondary battery is a lithium secondary battery.

14. A method of manufacturing a secondary battery, built in a battery case, having an electrode assembly impregnated with an electrolyte solution, the method comprising: injecting an electrolyte solution as a target into a chamber equipped with a vibrating probe, wherein the vibrating probe is installed in the chamber in a state of directly contacting the injected electrolyte solution; impregnating by soaking an electrode assembly, which has a separator interposed between a cathode and an anode, in an electrolyte solution contained in the chamber; applying vibration at a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz to the electrolyte solution with the vibrating probe; and moving the electrode assembly with the electrolyte solution into a battery case, whereby interfacial wetting of the electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution is improved.

15. A method of manufacturing a secondary battery, built in a battery case, having an electrode assembly impregnated with an electrolyte solution, the method comprising: injecting an electrolyte solution as a target into a chamber equipped with a vibrating probe, wherein the vibrating probe is installed in the chamber in a state of being spaced from the injected electrolyte solution; impregnating by soaking an electrode assembly, which has a separator interposed between a cathode and an anode, in an electrolyte solution contained in the chamber; applying vibration at a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz to the electrolyte solution with the vibrating probe; and moving the electrode assembly with the electrolyte solution into a battery case, whereby interfacial wetting of the electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution is improved.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a distance between the vibrating probe and the target is 1 to 10 cm.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein a non-aqueous gel is interposed between the vibrating probe and the target.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the non-aqueous gel is composed of silicone oil.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating impregnation amounts according to time with respect to an area of an electrode assembly according to Experimental Example 1.

MODE FOR INVENTION

(3) Now, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples. These examples are provided only for illustration of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Example 1

(4) A porous separator was interposed between a cathode including a cathode active material and an anode including an anode active material to manufacture an electrode assembly. Subsequently, a non-aqueous lithium electrolyte solution including ethylene carbonate and ethylmethyl carbonate mixed in a volumetric ratio of 3:7, and 1 M LiPF.sub.6 as a lithium salt was prepared.

(5) After injecting an electrolyte solution into a chamber equipped with a vibrating probe and then impregnating by soaking the electrode assembly manufactured as described above in the electrolyte solution, a vibration of 30 kHz was applied thereto.

(6) The electrode assembly manufactured according to the above methods and the electrolyte solution were moved into a battery case together and then sealed, resulting in completion of a secondary battery.

Comparative Example 1

(7) A secondary battery was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that vibration was not applied to an electrolyte solution.

Experimental Example 1

(8) In each of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the amount of an impregnated electrolyte solution according to time was measured after injecting an electrolyte solution. Results are illustrated in FIG. 1 below.

(9) In accordance with FIG. 1 below, it can be confirmed that the secondary battery, in which vibration was added to an electrolyte solution, manufactured according to Example 1 exhibits improved electrolyte solution impregnation amount and impregnation rate when compared to the secondary battery, in which vibration was not applied to an electrolyte solution, manufactured according to Comparative Example 1.

(10) Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(11) As described above, a method of manufacturing a secondary battery according to the present invention includes moving an electrode assembly with an electrolyte solution into a battery case after injecting the electrolyte solution into a chamber equipped with a vibrating probe and then applying predetermined vibration to the electrolyte solution with the vibrating probe. Accordingly, electrolyte solution impregnation properties, ionic conductivity, electronic conductivity and the like are improved and, as such, electrochemical performance of a secondary battery manufactured according to the method may be improved.