ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL COATING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COATING ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIALS

Abstract

An electrode active material coating device according includes a transfer unit for continuously transferring a substrate in a first direction; a coating die for forming a coated portion by ejecting an electrode active material slurry on the substrate; and a guide unit including a guide portion that moves along the first direction between the coating die and the substrate.

Claims

1. An electrode active material coating device comprising: a transfer unit configured to continuously transfer a substrate in first direction; a coating die configured to form a coated portion by ejecting an electrode active material slurry on the substrate; and a guide unit including a guide portion that moves along the first direction when between the coating die and the substrate.

2. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion includes a first guide portion that moves in correspondence with a start part of the coated portion and a second guide portion that moves in correspondence with an end part of the coated portion.

3. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 1, wherein the coated portion includes a first coated part and a second coated part spaced apart from each other, with an uncoated portion being interposed therebetween, and wherein the guide portion includes a wide guide portion that moves n correspondence with an end part of the first coated part and a start part of the second coated part.

4. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion includes a film that does not absorb the electrode active material slurry.

5. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 4, wherein the film includes at least one selected among polyimide (PT), polypropylene (PP), polysulfone (PSF), polyethylene (PE), a copper (Cu), and an aluminum (Al).

6. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 1, wherein, after the guide portion has passed between the coating die and the substrate, the guide portion moves between the coating die and the substrate again.

7. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit includes a first circular frame connected to a first end of the guide portion, a second circular frame connected to a second end of the guide portion, and a central axis connecting a central part of the first circular frame and a central part of the second circular frame.

8. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 7, wherein the guide portion is provided in plurality, wherein at least one of the guide portions of the plurality of guide portions is in a plate shape having a same curvature as that of the first circular frame and the second circular frame.

9. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the guide portion is less than a distance between the coating die and the substrate.

10. The electrode active material coating device according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning unit configured to clean the guide portion after the guide portion has passed between the coating die and the substrate.

11. A method for coating electrode active materials comprising: a transfer step of continuously transferring a substrate in a first direction; and a coating step of ejecting an electrode active material slurry on the substrate with a coating die to form a coated portion, wherein the coating step includes moving a guide portion between the coating die and the substrate.

12. The method for coating electrode active materials according to claim 11, wherein the guide portion includes a first guide portion that moves in correspondence with a start part of the coated portion and a second guide portion that moves in correspondence with an end part of the coated portion.

13. The method for coating electrode active materials according to claim 11, wherein the coated portion includes a first coated part and a second coated part spaced apart from each other, with an uncoated portion being interposed therebetween, and wherein the guide portion includes a wide guide portion that moves in correspondence with an end part of the first coated part and a start part of the second coated part.

14. The method for coating electrode active materials according to claim 11, wherein, as the substrate is continuously transferred in the first direction, the guide portion that has passed between the coating die and the substrate moves between the coating die and the substrate again.

15. The method for coating electrode active materials according to claim 11, further comprising a cleaning step of cleaning the guide portion after the guide portion has passed between the coating die and the substrate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional electrode active material coating device.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a substrate coated with an electrode active material slurry by the electrode active material coating device 10 of FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a guide unit that is used in an electrode active material coating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a partial view showing an electrode active material coating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a partial view showing a state after a certain period of time has lapsed for the electrode active material coating device of FIG. 4.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a partial view showing an electrode active material coating device having a wide guide portion.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a partial view showing a cleaning unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. The present disclosure may be modified in various different ways, and is not limited to the embodiments forth herein.

[0041] Parts that are irrelevant to the description will be omitted to clearly describe the present disclosure, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0042] Further, in the drawings, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily illustrated for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, for convenience of description, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated.

[0043] In addition, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or plate is referred to as being on or above another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly on another element, it means that other intervening elements are not present. Further, the word on or above means disposed on or below a reference portion, and does not necessarily mean being disposed on the upper side of the reference portion toward the opposite direction of gravity.

[0044] Further, throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as including a certain component, it means that it can further include other components, without excluding the other components, unless otherwise stated.

[0045] Further, throughout the specification, when referred to as planar, it means when a target portion is viewed from the top, and when referred to as cross-sectional, it means when a target portion is viewed from the side of a cross section cut vertically.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a guide unit 500 used in an electrode active material coating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 is a partial view showing an electrode active material coating device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the guide unit 500 of FIG. 3 is employed.

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrode active material coating device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a transfer unit for continuously transferring a substrate 200 in a first direction (X direction); a coating die 300 for ejecting an electrode active material slurry 320 on the substrate 200; and a guide unit 500 including a guide portion 510 that moves toward the first direction (X direction) between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200.

[0048] First, the guide unit 500 may include a guide portion 510, a first circular frame 521 connected to one end of the guide portion 510, a second circular frame 522 connected to the other end of the guide portion 510, and a central axis 530 connecting a central part of the first circular frame 521 and a central part of the second circular frame 522. Further, the first circular frame 521 and the second circular frame 522 may include a bar frame 540 connected to the respective central parts.

[0049] The guide portion 510 is for preventing the occurrence of a balcony region or a drag line when the electrode active material slurry 320 is coated, and may move along a circumferential direction as the first circular frame 521 and the second circular frame 522 rotates around the central axis 530.

[0050] That is, the guide portion 510 may move along the first direction (X direction) between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200, and may move along the circumferential direction of the first circular frame 521 and the second circular frame 522, rather than the first direction (X direction), as it is spaced apart from the coating die 300.

[0051] For this purpose, although not concretely shown, the central axis 530 and the coating die 300 are preferably positioned on the same plane relative to a plane perpendicular to the first direction (X direction).

[0052] The substrate 200 is a substrate for an electrode current collector, and may include an aluminum, a copper, a stainless steel, a nickel, a titanium, or a calcined carbon, or stainless steel treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, or the like on the surface thereof.

[0053] The transfer unit is for continuously transferring the substrate 200 in the first direction (X direction), and may include a first roller 410 and a second roller 420.

[0054] The coating die 300 may include an ejection port 310 for ejecting the electrode active material slurry 320.

[0055] Hereinafter, a method for coating electrode active materials using the electrode active material coating device 100 that includes the guide portion 510 will be described.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a partial view showing a state after a certain period of time has lapsed for the electrode active material coating device 100 of FIG. 4.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 together, the guide portion 511 and 512 may include a first guide portion 511 that moves in correspondence with a start part 211 of a coated portion 210 and a second guide portion 512 that moves in correspondence with an end part 212 of the coated portion 210.

[0058] The coated portion 210 refers to a region in which the electrode active material slurry 320 is coated onto the substrate 200, the start part 211 refers to a side where the coated portion 210 starts to be formed, and the end part 212 refers to a side where the coated portion 210 is terminated.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4, when the electrode active material slurry 320 starts to be ejected from an ejection port 310, the first guide portion 511 passes between the ejection port 310 and the substrate 200.

[0060] After the first guide portion 511 has passed through, the electrode active material slurry 320 starts to be coated onto the substrate 200 to form the start part 211.

[0061] Accordingly, the balcony region that could occur in a conventional method for coating electrode active materials may not be created in the present embodiment.

[0062] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, when the ejection of the electrode active material slurry 320 is finished, the second guide portion 512 passes between the ejection port 310 and the substrate 200.

[0063] From the moment the second guide portion 512 has passed through, the application of the electrode active material slurry 320 on the substrate 200 is stopped, and the end part 212 is formed.

[0064] Thereby, the drag line that may have occurred in the conventional method for coating electrode active materials may not be created in the present embodiment.

[0065] In this case, a moving speed of the first guide portion 511 and the second guide portion 512 may match with a speed of the substrate 200 that moves along the first direction (X direction).

[0066] Further, the first guide portion 511 and the second guide portion 512 may be composed of a plurality, respectively, and after the first guide portion 511 and the second guide portion 512 has passed between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200, they may move between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 again. That is, along with the rotation of first and second circular frames 521 and 522 in a circumferential direction, the first guide portion 511 and the second guide portion 512 can repeatedly move between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200.

[0067] Along the substrate 200 that continuously moves in the first direction (X direction), the plurality of first guide portions 511 and second guide portions 512 may continuously passes between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 to mass-produce the coated portions 210 spaced apart at regular intervals. The guide portions 511 and 512 in this embodiment have a structure that can be easily applied to an automation process.

[0068] Further, a thickness of the guide portion 511 and 512 is preferably thinner than a distance between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 so that the guide portion 511 and 512 can pass smoothly between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200. Herein, the thickness of the guide portion 511 and 512 means a length in a direction perpendicular to a movement direction of the guide portion 511 and 512.

[0069] On the other hand, the guide portion 510 including the first guide portion 511 and the second guide portion 510 may be in a plate shape, and may include a film that does not absorb the electrode active material slurry 320. Such a film that does not absorb the electrode active material slurry 320 may include at least one selected among polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), polysulfone (PSF), polyethylene (PE), a copper (Cu) and an aluminum (Al).

[0070] FIG. 6 is a partial view showing an electrode active material coating device 100a having a wide guide portion 511a.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 6, for the wide guide portion 511a to form, on the substrate 200, the first coated part 210a and the second coated part 210b spaced apart from each other, with an uncoated portion 220 being interposed therebetween, the electrode active material coating device 100a of this embodiment may include a wide guide portion 511a that moves in correspondence with an end part 212 of a first coated part 210a and a start part 211 of a second coated part 210b.

[0072] From the moment the upper end of the wide guide portion 511a has passed between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200, the coating of the electrode active material slurry 320 onto the substrate 200 is stopped, and the end part 212 of the first coated part 210a is formed.

[0073] Further, after the lower end of the wide guide portion 511a has passed between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200, the electrode active material slurry 320 starts to be coated onto the substrate 200 again to form the start part 211 of the second coated part 210b.

[0074] Through this wide guide portion 511a, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the drag line and the balcony region at the end part 212 of the first coated part 210a and the start part 211 of the second coated part 210b, respectively.

[0075] The wide guide portion 511a may include a film that does not absorb the electrode active material slurry 320, similarly to the first and second guide portions 511 and 512.

[0076] Further, the wide guide portion 511a may have a plate shape, but may be in the form of a plate, a height of which is extended in correspondence with the end part 212 of the first coated part 210a and the start part 211 of the second coated part 210b.

[0077] Meanwhile, at least one of the guide portions 511, 512 and 511a according to the present embodiment may be in a plate shape having the same curvature as that of the first and second circular frames 521 and 522. In particular, the wide guide portion 511a may be in a plate shape having the same curvature as that of the first and second circular frames 521 and 522 as in FIG. 6 so that the wide guide portion 511a can smoothly pass between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 as it extends in height.

[0078] FIG. 7 is a partial view showing a cleaning unit 600.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 7, the electrode active material coating device according to the present embodiment may further comprise a cleaning unit 600 for cleaning the guide portion 510 that has passed between the coating die and the substrate.

[0080] Specifically, before the guide portions 510 that have passed between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 in FIGS. 4 to 6 pass between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 again, they can be cleaned by the cleaning unit 600.

[0081] The cleaning unit 600 can perform the cleaning by spraying a cleaning material 610 on the guide portion 510 that has passed between the coating die and the substrate.

[0082] Such a cleaning material 610 may include a cleaning solution or an air pressure.

[0083] Hereinafter, a method for coating an electrode active material will be described according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, with respect to the method for coating electrode active materials according to the present disclosure, the contents overlapping with those described above will be omitted.

[0084] Referring back to FIGS. 4 and 5, the method for coating electrode active materials according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a transfer step of continuously transferring a substrate 200 in a first direction (X direction); and a coating step of forming a coated portion 210 on the substrate by ejecting an electrode active material slurry 320 on the substrate 200 with a coating die 300, wherein the coating step includes moving a guide portion 511 and 512 between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200.

[0085] The guide portion 511 and 512 may include a first guide portion 511 that moves in correspondence with a start part 211 of the coated portion 210 and a second guide portion 512 that moves in correspondence with an end part 212 of the coated portion 210.

[0086] In the coating step, the electrode active material slurry 320 starts to be coated onto the substrate 200 after the first guide portion 511 has passed through, to form the start part 211, thereby preventing a balcony region from occurring in the start part 211.

[0087] Further, in the coating step, the coating of the electrode active material slurry 320 on the substrate 200 is stopped from the moment the second guide portion 512 has passed through, and the end part 212 can be formed, thereby preventing a drag line from occurring in the end part 212.

[0088] In the transfer step, as the substrate 200 is continuously transferred in the first direction (X direction), the guide portions 511 and 512 that have passed between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 may be transferred to the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 again.

[0089] As such, the guide portions 511 and 512 continuously pass between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200 to enable an automation process of continuously mass-producing the coated portions spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals.

[0090] Detailed descriptions are omitted as they are redundant with the previous ones.

[0091] Meanwhile, referring back to FIG. 6, a first coated part 210a and a second coated part 210b spaced apart from each other, with an uncoated portion 220 being interposed therebetween, may be formed on the substrate 200.

[0092] The guide portion may include a wide guide portion 511a that moves in correspondence with the end part 212 of the first coated part 210a and the start part 211 of the second coated part 210b.

[0093] In the coating step, from the moment the upper end of the wide guide portion 511a has passed between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200, the coating of the electrode active material slurry 320 onto the substrate 200 is stopped, and the end part 212 of the first coated part 210a is formed.

[0094] Further, after the lower end of the wide guide portion 511a has passed between the coating die 300 and the substrate 200, the electrode active material slurry 320 starts to be coated onto the substrate 200 again, and the start part 211 of the second coated part 210b is formed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the drag line and the balcony region at the end part 212 of the first coated part 210a and the start part 211 of the second coated part 210b, respectively.

[0095] Likewise, the detailed description is omitted because it is redundant with the previous one.

[0096] Meanwhile, referring back to FIG. 7, the method for coating electrode active materials according to the present embodiment may further include a cleaning step of cleaning the guide portion 510 that has passed between the coating die and the substrate.

[0097] Specifically, the cleaning step may include cleaning the guide portion 510 by spraying a cleaning material 610 on the guide portion 510 that has passed between the coating die and the substrate with a cleaning unit 600.

[0098] Meanwhile, the electrode active material may include a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material depending on a type of the electrode that is manufactured.

[0099] The positive electrode active material may be a layered compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO.sub.2) or lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO.sub.2) or a compound substituted with one or more transition metals; lithium manganese oxides such as chemical formulae Li.sub.1+xMn.sub.2-xO.sub.4 (where, x is 0 to 0.33), LiMnO.sub.3, LiMn.sub.2O.sub.3, LiMnO.sub.2; lithium copper oxide (Li.sub.2CuO.sub.2); vanadium oxides such as LiV.sub.3O.sub.8, LiFe.sub.3O.sub.4, V.sub.2O.sub.5, and Cu.sub.2V.sub.2O.sub.7; a Ni-site type lithium nickel oxide represented by chemical formula LiNi1xMxO.sub.2 (where, M=Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B or Ga, and x=0.010.3); lithium manganese composite oxide represented by chemical formulae LiMn.sub.2-xMxO2 (where, M=Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn or Ta, and x=0.01 to 0.1) or Li.sub.2Mn.sub.3MO.sub.8 (where, M=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn); LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 with a Li portion of chemical formula substituted with an alkaline earth metal ion; a disulfide compound; Fe.sub.2(MoO4).sub.3, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0100] An example of the negative electrode active material may include carbons such as hardly graphitizable carbon and graphite-based carbon; metal composite oxides such as LixFe.sub.2O.sub.3 (0x1), Li.sub.xWO.sub.2 (0x1), Sn.sub.xMe.sub.1-xMe.sub.yO.sub.z (Me: Mn, Fe, Pb, Ge; Me: Al, B, P, Si, Group 1, 2, 3 elements in the periodic table, halogen; 0<x1; 1y3; 1z8); lithium alloys; silicon-based alloys; tin-based alloys; metal-based oxides such as SnO, SnO.sub.2, PbO, PbO.sub.2, Pb.sub.2O.sub.3, Pb.sub.3O.sub.4, Sb.sub.2O.sub.3, Sb.sub.2O.sub.4, Sb.sub.2O.sub.5, GeO, GeO.sub.2, Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, Bi.sub.2O.sub.4, Bi.sub.2O.sub.5; a conductive polymer such as polyacetylene; LiCoNi based materials and the like.

[0101] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present disclosure defined in the following claims also belong to the scope of rights.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0102] 100: electrode active material coating device [0103] 200: substrate [0104] 300: coating die [0105] 410: first roller [0106] 420: second roller [0107] 500: guide unit [0108] 510: guide portion [0109] 511: first guide portion [0110] 512: second guide portion [0111] 511a: wide guide portion [0112] 600: cleaning unit