TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a non-aqueous
electrolyte solution which includes a non-aqueous organi5 c
solvent including propylene carbonate (PC) and an ester-based
solvent; and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), and a
lithium secondary battery including the non-aqueous
electrolyte solution.
10 BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Demand for secondary batteries as an energy source
has been significantly increased as technology development
and demand with respect to mobile devices have increased.
Among these secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries
15 having high energy density and high voltage have been
commercialized and widely used.
[0003] A lithium metal oxide is used as a cathode active
material of a lithium secondary battery, and lithium metal, a
lithium alloy, crystalline or amorphous carbon, or a carbon
20 composite is used as an anode active material. A current
collector may be coated with the active material of
appropriate thickness and length or the active material
itself may be coated in the form of a film, and the resultant
product is then wound or stacked with an insulating separator
25 to prepare an electrode group. Thereafter, the electrode
3
group is put into a can or a container similar thereto, and a
secondary battery is then prepared by injecting an
electrolyte solution.
[0004] Charge and discharge of the lithium secondary battery
is performed while a process of intercalating an5 d
deintercalating lithium ions from a lithium metal oxide
cathode into and out of a graphite anode is repeated. In
this case, since lithium is highly reactive, lithium reacts
with the carbon electrode to form Li2CO3, LiO, or LiOH. Thus,
10 a film may be formed on the surface of the anode. The film
is denoted as “solid electrolyte interface (SEI)”, wherein
the SEI formed at an initial stage of charging may prevent a
reaction of the lithium ions with the carbon anode or other
materials during charge and discharge. Also, the SEI may
15 only pass the lithium ions by acting as an ion tunnel. The
ion tunnel may prevent the destruction of a structure of the
carbon anode due to the co-intercalation of the carbon anode
and organic solvents of an electrolyte solution having a high
molecular weight which solvates lithium ions and moves
20 therewith.
[0005] Therefore, in order to improve high-temperature cycle
characteristics and low-temperature output of the lithium
secondary battery, a robust SEI must be formed on the anode
of the lithium secondary battery. When the SEI is once
25 formed during the first charge, the SEI may prevent the
4
reaction of the lithium ions with the anode or other
materials during repeated charge and discharge cycles caused
by the subsequent use of the battery, and the SEI may act as
an ion tunnel that only passes the lithium ions between the
electrolyte solution and the anode5 .
[0006] Typically, with respect to an electrolyte solution
which does not include an electrolyte solution additive or
includes a non-aqueous organic solvent or electrolyte
solution additive having poor characteristics, the
10 improvement of low-temperature output characteristics may be
difficult to expect due to the formation of a non-uniform SEI.
In particular, in a case where a type or addition amount of a
non-aqueous organic solvent, electrolyte solution additive or
lithium salt that are included in the electrolyte solution is
15 not adjusted to the required amount, the surface of a cathode
may be decomposed during a high-temperature reaction or the
electrolyte solution may cause an oxidation reaction, and
eventually, irreversible capacity of a secondary battery may
increase and output characteristics may be reduced.
20 [0007] Thus, an ester-based solvent was used to improve the
output characteristics of the secondary battery. However, in
this case, although the output characteristics were improved,
there was a limitation that high-temperature characteristics
as much as those of a typical lithium secondary battery may
25 be difficult to be maintained due to material properties of
5
the ester-based solvent.
[0008] [Prior Art Documents]
[0009] [Patent Document]
[0010] KR 2012-0090969 5 A
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0011] The present invention provides a non-aqueous
10 electrolyte solution which may improve high-temperature cycle
characteristics and capacity characteristics after hightemperature
storage, as well as low-temperature, room
temperature, and high-temperature output characteristics, and
a lithium secondary battery including the same.
15 TECHNICAL SOLUTION
[0012] According to an aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a non-aqueous electrolyte solution
including: i) a non-aqueous organic solvent including
propylene carbonate (PC) and an ester-based solvent; and ii)
20 lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI).
[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a lithium secondary battery including: a
cathode; an anode; a separator disposed between the cathode
and the anode; and the non-aqueous electrolyte solution.
25 ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS
[0014] According to a non-aqueous electrolyte solution of
6
the present invention, since a robust solid electrolyte
interface (SEI) may be formed on an anode during initial
charge of a lithium secondary battery including the nonaqueous
electrolyte solution, high-temperature cycle
characteristics and capacity characteristics after high5 -
temperature storage as well as low-temperature, room
temperature, and high-temperature output characteristics may
be simultaneously improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
10 [0015] FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating the results of the
measurement of low-temperature (-30°C) output characteristics
of lithium secondary batteries of Examples 1 to 3 and
Comparative Examples 1, 3, and 4 according to Experimental
Example 1;
15 [0016] FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the results of the
measurement of high-temperature (45°C) cycle characteristics
of lithium secondary batteries of Examples 1 to 3 and
Comparative Examples 1, 3, and 4 according to Experimental
Example 2;
20 [0017] FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating the results of the
measurement of output characteristics after high-temperature
storage (60°C) of lithium secondary batteries of Examples 1
to 3 and Comparative Examples 1, 3, and 4 according to
Experimental Example 3; and
25 [0018] FIGS. 4A and 4B are graphs illustrating the results
7
of the measurement of initial discharge output
characteristics (FIG. 4A) and initial charge output
characteristics (FIG. 4B) of lithium secondary batteries of
Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 according to the
state of charge (SOC), according to Experimental Example 45 .
[0019] FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the results of the
measurement of capacity retention ratios (%) of lithium
secondary batteries of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1
and 2 according to storage time after high-temperature
10 storage, according to Experimental Example 5.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0020] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described
in more detail to allow for a clearer understanding of the
present invention. It will be understood that words or terms
15 used in the specification and claims shall not be interpreted
as the meaning defined in commonly used dictionaries. It
will be further understood that the words or terms should be
interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their
meaning in the context of the relevant art and the technical
20 idea of the invention, based on the principle that an
inventor may properly define the meaning of the words or
terms to best explain the invention.
[0021] A non-aqueous electrolyte solution according to an
embodiment of the present invention may include a non-aqueous
25 organic solvent including propylene carbonate (PC) and an
8
ester-based solvent; and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide
(LiFSI).
[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention,
in a case where lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide is used in
combination with the non-aqueous organic solvent includin5 g
propylene carbonate (PC) and an ester-based solvent, since a
solid SEI layer is formed on an anode during initial charge,
initial output characteristics, low-temperature output
characteristics, and high-temperature output characteristics
10 may not only be improved, but also the decomposition of the
surface of a cathode, which may occur during high-temperature
cycles at 45°C or more, may be suppressed and an oxidation
reaction of an electrolyte solution may be prevented. Thus,
capacity characteristics of a secondary battery may be
15 simultaneously improved.
[0023] In general, since an ester-based solvent may have a
lower freezing point than other carbonate-based solvents and
may have excellent viscosity and permittivity at low
temperature, the ester-based solvent has advantages in that
20 it may reduce the resistance of a lithium secondary battery
at low temperature and may improve output characteristics as
well as initial room temperature output characteristics when
the ester-based solvent is used in the battery. However,
since the ester-based solvent has a low freezing point, high25
temperature battery characteristics as much as those of a
9
typical lithium secondary battery may be difficult to be
maintained.
[0024] Propylene carbonate has advantages in that it may
exceptionally act as an electrolyte while having a wider
temperature range than other carbonate-based solvents5 .
[0025] Thus, in the present invention, excellent output
characteristics at low temperature or room temperature, i.e.,
the advantages of the ester-based solvent, are maintained,
and the limitations related to the high-temperature
10 characteristics of the ester-based solvent may be addressed
by using the ester-based solvent in combination with the
propylene carbonate.
[0026] However, in a case where propylene carbonate is used
with a lithium salt, such as LiPF6, as a solvent, an enormous
15 amount of irreversible reactions may occur during a process
of forming the SEI in a lithium secondary battery using a
carbon electrode and a process of intercalating lithium ions,
which are solvated by the propylene carbonate, between carbon
layers. This may cause the degradation of the battery
20 performance such as high-temperature cycle characteristics.
[0027] Also, when the lithium ions solvated by the propylene
carbonate are intercalated into the carbon layers
constituting the anode, exfoliation of a carbon surface layer
may proceed. The exfoliation may occur because gas, which is
25 generated when the solvent decomposes between the carbon
10
layers, causes a large distortion in the carbon layers. The
exfoliation of the surface layer and the decomposition of the
electrolyte solution may continuously proceed. As a result,
since an effective SEI may not be formed when the electrolyte
solution including propylene carbonate is used in combinatio5 n
with a carbon-based anode material, lithium ions may not be
intercalated.
[0028] In the present invention, the above-described
limitations, which occur when the propylene carbonate and the
10 lithium salt, such as LiPF6, are used together, may be
addressed by using lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide in
combination therewith.
[0029] Since the lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, as a
lithium salt, is added to a non-aqueous electrolyte solution
15 to form a robust and stable SEI on an anode, the lithium
bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide may improve low-temperature output
characteristics. Also, the lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide
may suppress the decomposition of the surface of the cathode,
which may occur during high-temperature cycles, and may
20 prevent the oxidation reaction of the electrolyte solution.
[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention,
a mixing ratio of the propylene carbonate to the ester-based
solvent, as the non-aqueous organic solvent, may
significantly affect the improvement of initial room
25 temperature, low-temperature, and high-temperature output
11
characteristics as well as capacity characteristics after
high-temperature storage.
[0031] The mixing ratio of the propylene carbonate to the
ester-based solvent is in a range of 1:0.5 to 1:4, preferably,
in a range of 1:1 to 1:3.5, and more preferably, in a rang5 e
of 1:1 to 1:2.5. In the case that the above range of the
mixing ratio is satisfied, a synergistic effect due to the
mixing of the two non-aqueous organic solvents may be
obtained.
10 [0032] In the case that the amount of the propylene
carbonate added is less than the above range, since gas may
be continuously generated due to the decomposition of the
surface of the cathode during the high-temperature cycles, a
swelling phenomenon may occur in which a thickness of the
15 battery increases. In the case in which the amount of the
propylene carbonate is greater than the above range, a robust
SEI may be difficult to be formed on the anode during the
initial charge.
[0033] In the non-aqueous organic solvent according to an
20 embodiment of the present invention, the ester-based solvent
may be included in an amount of 10 parts by weight to 70
parts by weight, for example, 20 parts by weight to 50 parts
by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the non-aqueous
organic solvent.
25 [0034] In the case that the amount of the added ester-based
12
solvent is greater than 70 parts by weight, high-temperature
performance may degrade, and in the case in which the amount
of the added ester-based solvent is less than 10 parts by
weight, it is not desirable because effects, such as targeted
initial room temperature output characteristics and low5 -
temperature output characteristics, may not be sufficiently
obtained.
[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention,
within the above amount of the ester-based solvent included,
10 an optimum effect on capacity characteristics after hightemperature
storage as well as room temperature, lowtemperature,
and high-temperature output characteristics of
the lithium secondary battery of the present invention may be
achieved by appropriately adjusting the amount of the
15 propylene carbonate within the range of the mixing ratio.
[0036] In the non-aqueous organic solvent according to the
embodiment of the present invention, examples of the esterbased
solvent may be any one selected from the group
consisting of methyl formate, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate,
20 isopropyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, methyl propionate, ethyl
propionate, methyl butylate, and ethyl butylate, or a mixture
of two or more thereof. Among these materials, the esterbased
solvent may include methyl propionate, ethyl propionate,
or a mixed solvent thereof, and for example, may include
25 ethyl propionate.
13
[0037] Also, a non-aqueous organic solvent, which may be
further included in the non-aqueous electrolyte solution in
addition to the ester-based solvent and propylene carbonate,
is not limited as long as it may minimize the decomposition
due to the oxidation reaction during charge and discharge o5 f
the battery and may exhibit desired characteristics with
additives.
[0038] The non-aqueous organic solvent, which may be further
included in the non-aqueous electrolyte solution according to
10 an embodiment of the present invention, for example, may
further include any one selected from the group consisting of
butylene carbonate (BC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl
carbonate (DEC), dipropyl carbonate (DPC), ethylmethyl
carbonate (EMC), methylpropyl carbonate (MPC), and
15 ethylpropyl carbonate (EPC), or a mixture of two or more
thereof.
[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention,
a concentration of the lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide in
the non-aqueous electrolyte solution may be in a range of 0.1
20 mole/ℓ to 2 mole/ℓ, preferably, 0.5 mole/ℓ to 1.5 mole/ℓ. In
the case that the concentration of the lithium
bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide is less than 0.1 mole/ℓ, effects of
improving the low-temperature output and high-temperature
cycle characteristics of the battery may be insignificant.
25 In the case in which the concentration of the lithium
14
bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide is greater than 2 mole/ℓ, side
reactions in the electrolyte solution may excessively occur
during the charge and discharge of the battery, and thus, the
swelling phenomenon may occur.
[0040] In order to further prevent the side reactions, th5 e
non-aqueous electrolyte solution of the present invention may
further include a lithium salt. Any lithium salt typically
used in the art may be used as the lithium salt. For example,
the lithium salt may include any one selected from the group
10 consisting of LiPF6, LiBF4, LiSbF6, LiAsF6, LiClO4,
LiN(C2F5SO2)2, LiN(CF3SO2)2, CF3SO3Li, LiC(CF3SO2)3, and LiC4BO8,
or a mixture of two or more thereof.
[0041] A mixing ratio of the lithium salt to the lithium
bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide may be in a range of 1:1 to 1:9 as a
15 molar ratio. In the case that the mixing ratio of the
lithium salt to the lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide is
outside the range of the molar ratio, the side reactions may
excessively occur in the electrolyte solution during the
charge and discharge of the battery, and thus, the swelling
20 phenomenon may occur.
[0042] In particular, the mixing ratio of the lithium salt
to the lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide may be in a range of
1:6 to 1:9 as a molar ratio. Specifically, in the case in
which the mixing ratio of the lithium salt to the lithium
25 bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide is less than 1:6 as a molar ratio,
15
the enormous amount of irreversible reactions may occur
during the process of forming the SEI in the lithium-ion
battery and the process of intercalating lithium ions, which
are solvated by the propylene carbonate and ethylene
carbonate, into the anode, and the effects of improving th5 e
low-temperature output, cycle characteristics after hightemperature
storage, and capacity characteristics after hightemperature
storage of the secondary battery may be
insignificant due to the exfoliation of an anode surface
10 layer (e.g., carbon surface layer) and the decomposition of
the electrolyte solution.
[0043] The non-aqueous electrolyte solution according to the
embodiment of the present invention may further include at
least one compound selected from the group consisting of
15 LiBF4, lithium oxalyldifluoroborate (LiODFB), and ethylene
sulfate (ES), as an additive. Also, for example, the nonaqueous
electrolyte solution may include two or more
compounds selected from the group consisting of LiBF4, LiODFB,
and ES. The additive may prevent a side reaction in the
20 electrolyte solution during the charge and discharge of the
lithium secondary battery including an excessive amount of
lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide at room temperature.
Accordingly, the additive may effectively improve cycle
characteristics of the battery at room temperature. In this
25 case, an amount of each additive may be in a range of 0.01
16
wt% to 5 wt% based on the total weight of the electrolyte
solution.
[0044] A lithium secondary battery according to an
embodiment of the present invention may include a cathode
including a cathode active material; an anode including a5 n
anode active material; a separator disposed between the
cathode and the anode; and the non-aqueous electrolyte
solution.
[0045] Herein, the cathode active material may include a
10 manganese spinel-based active material, lithium metal oxide,
or a mixture thereof. Furthermore, the lithium metal oxide
may be selected from the group consisting of lithium-nickelmanganese-
cobalt-based oxide, lithium-manganese-based oxide,
lithium-nickel-manganese-based oxide, and lithium-manganese15
cobalt-based oxide, and for example, may include LiCoO2,
LiNiO2, LiMnO2, LiMn2O4, Li(NiaCobMnc)O2 (where 0
[0081] Low-temperature outputs were calculated from voltage
15 differences which were obtained by discharging the lithium
secondary batteries of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative
Examples 1, 3, and 4 at 0.5 C for 10 seconds for the state of
charge (SOC) at -30°C. The results thereof are presented in
FIG. 1.
20 [0082] Referring to FIG. 1, in a case where a molar ratio of
LiPF6 to lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) is 1:5 to
1:9 when the SOC was 100%, it may be understood that lowtemperature
output characteristics were significantly
improved in comparison to Comparative Example 4 having the
25 molar ratio of 1:0.5 and Comparative Example 3 in which LIFSI
25
was not used but LiPF6 was used alone. In particular, it may
be understood that that the low-temperature output
characteristics were improved as the amount of LiFSI
increased.
[0083] Specifically, with respect to Example 1 in which th5 e
molar ratio of LiPF6 to LiFSI is 1:9, it may be understood
that the low-temperature output characteristics were improved
by about 40% or more in comparison to those of Comparative
Example 4 having the molar ratio of 1:0.5 and were improved
10 by 60% or more in comparison to those of Comparative Example
3 in the case that the SOC was 100%. Similarly, in a case
where the SOC was 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%, excellent results
may be obtained similar to the case in which the SOC was 100%.
[0084] When comparing Example 2, in which the molar ratio of
15 LiPF6 to LiFSI is 1:6, with Example 3 having the molar ratio
of 1:5, it may be understood that despite the fact that the
difference in the molar ratios was only 1, low-temperature
output characteristics of Example 2 were significantly
different from those of Example 3 in consideration of an
20 increase in the amount of LIFSI in Example 3.
[0085] Therefore, it may be confirmed that the lowtemperature
output characteristics of the lithium secondary
battery may be improved by adjusting the molar ratio of LiPF6
to LiFSI.
25
26
[0086] Experimental Example 2
[0087]
[0088] The lithium secondary batteries of Examples 1 to 3
and Comparative Examples 1, 3, and 4 were charged at 1 C t5 o
4.2 V/38 mA at 45°C under a constant current/constant voltage
(CC/CV) condition and then discharged at a constant current
(CC) of 3 C to a voltage of 3.03 V to measure discharge
capacities. The charge and discharge were repeated 1 to
10 1,000 cycles and the measured discharge capacities are
presented in FIG. 2.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 2, with respect to high-temperature
cycle characteristics, the lithium secondary batteries of
Examples 1 to 3 initially exhibited capacity retention ratios
15 similar to those of Comparative Examples 1, 3, and 4 to a
250th cycle. The capacity retention ratios of Examples 1 to 3
were significantly different from those of Comparative
Examples 1, 3, and 4 as the number of cycles increased, in
particular, after a 700th cycle.
20 [0090] Also, in a 1,000th cycle, it may be understood that
the capacity retention ratios of Example 1 and 2 were
improved by about 40% or more in comparison to that of
Comparative Examples 1, were improved by about 35% or more in
comparison to that of Comparative Example 4, and were
25 improved by about 100% or more in comparison to that of
27
Comparative Example 3.
[0091] When comparing Example 2, in which the molar ratio of
LiPF6 to LiFSI is 1:6, with Example 3 having the molar ratio
of 1:5, it may be understood that despite the fact that the
difference in the molar ratios was only 1, high-temperatur5 e
cycle characteristics of Example 2 were significantly
different from those of Example 3 in consideration of the
increase in the amount of LIFSI in Example 3.
[0092] Therefore, it may be confirmed that the high10
temperature cycle characteristics of the lithium secondary
battery may be improved by adjusting the molar ratio of LiPF6
to LiFSI.
[0093] Experimental Example 3
15 [0094]