Surface Treated Microporous Membrane And Electrochemical Device Prepared Thereby
Abstract:
Disclosed is a
porous film comprising: (a) a porous
substrate having pores; and (b) a
coating layer formed on at least
one region selected from the group
consisting of a surface of the substrate
and a part of the pores present in the
substrate, wherein the coating layer
comprises styrene-butadiene rubber.
An electrochemical device using the
porous film as a separator is also
disclosed. The porous film is coated
with a styrene-butadiene polymer,
whose rubbery characteristics can
be controlled, and thus provides
improved scratch resistance and
adhesion to other substrates. When
the porous film is used as a separator
for an electrochemical device, it is
possible to improve the safety of
the electrochemical device and to
prevent degradation in the quality of
the electrochemical device.
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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence
211-1203, EXPO APARTMENT, JEONMIN-DONG, YUSEONG-GU, DAEJEON 305-761
2. LEE, SANG-YOUNG
103-904, EXPO APARTMENT, JEONMIN-DONG, YUSEONG-GU, DAEJEON 305-761
3. AHN, SOON-HO
109-1004, SAMSUNG HANWOOL APARTMENT, SHINSUNG-DONG, YUSEONG-GU, DAEJEON 305-707
4. SUK, JUNG-DONG
101-1504, HANBIT APARTMENT, EOEUN-DONG, YUSEONG-GU, DAEJEON 305-333
5. YONG, HYUN-HANG
145-113, ORYU2-DONG, GURO-GU, SEOUL 152-102
Specification
WO 2006/062349 PCT7KR2005/004174
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SURFACE-TREATED MICROPOROUS MEMBRANE AMD ELECTROCHEMICAL
DEVICE PREPARED THEREBY
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a porous film,
surfaced-treated with a polymer capable of improving adhesion
to other substrates, scratch resistance and wear resistance.
The present invention also relates to an electrochemical
device comprising the above porous film as a separator.
Background Art
Recently, there is increasing interest in energy
storage technology. Batteries have been widely used as energy
sources in portable phones, camcorders, notebook computers,
PCs and electric cars, resulting in intensive research and
development for them. In this regard, electrochemical devices
are subjects of great interest. Particularly, development of
rechargeable secondary batteries has been the focus of
attention.
Among the currently available secondary batteries,
lithium secondary batteries, developed in the early 1990's,
have a drive voltage and energy density higher than those of
conventional batteries using aqueous electrolytes (such as
Ni-MH batteries, Ni-Cd batteries and H2SO4-Pb batteries).
Lithium secondary batteries have been spotlighted due to the
above-mentioned advantages. In general, a lithium secondary
battery is manufactured by forming an assembly of an anode, a
cathode, and a separator interposed between both electrodes.
In the above assembly, the separator interposed between both
electrodes of the battery is a member that serves to prevent
an internal short circuit caused by direct contact between
the cathode and anode. Also, the separator serves as an ion
WO 2006/062349 PCT7KR2005/004174
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flow path in the battery, and contributes to the improvement
of battery safety.
However, conventional batteries, manufactured in the
same manner as described above by using a polyolefin-based
separator, frequently cause the problems of poor adhesion and
separation between a separator and electrodes, and
inefficient lithium ion transfer through the pores of the
separator, resulting in degradation in the quality of a
battery. Additionally, conventional separators are formed
from a chemically stable material, which is not decomposed
and does not allow any reaction upon exposure to the
oxidative or reductive atmosphere inside a battery, such as
polyolefin or fluoropolymer. However, such materials provide
insufficient mechanical strength, and thus cause the problems
of peel-off or breakage of a separator during the assemblage
of a battery, resulting in a drop in the battery safety,
caused by an internal short circuit of the battery. Further,
conventional separators are coated with inorganic particles
in order to improve the heat resistance and to provide a high
dielectric constant. However, due to the poor binding force
between the separator and inorganic particles, the particles
are detached from the separator, and thus it is not possible
to obtain desired effects.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The foregoing and other objects, features and
advantages of the present invention will become more apparent
from the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the results of
evaluation for the adhesion between an electrode and the
organic/inorganic composite porous film (BaTiO3/PVdF-HFP)
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coated with styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) according to
Example 1, after laminating the electrode and the porous
film;
FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the results of
evaluation for the adhesion between an electrode and the
organic/inorganic composite porous film (BaTiO3/PVdF-HFP)
according to Comparative Example 1, after laminating the
electrode and the porous film;
FIG. 3 is a photograph showing the results of the
peeling test performed by using the organic/inorganic
composite porous film (BaTiO3/PVdF-HFP) coated with styrene-
butadiene rubber (SBR) according to Example 1; and
FIG. 4 is a photograph showing the results of the
peeling test performed by using the organic/inorganic
composite porous film (BaTiO3/PVdF-HFP) according to
Comparative Example 1.
Disclosure of the Invention
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view
of the above-mentioned problems. The present inventors have
found that when a separator is overcoated with styrene-
butadiene rubber (SBR) that imparts excellent adhesion and
mechanical strength, on a surface of the separator, or on a
part of pores present in the separator, the separator shows
improved adhesion to other substrates, preferably to
electrodes, and is prevented from peeling-off and breaking
during the assemblage of an electrochemical device, so that
an electrochemical device using the same separator can
provide improved safety and can be prevented from degradation
in the quality.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a porous film coated with styrene-butadiene rubber
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having excellent adhesion and mechanical strength. It is
another object of the present invention to provide a method
for manufacturing the above porous film. It is still another
object of the present invention to provide an electrochemical
device using the above porous film as a separator.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a porous film comprising: (a) a porous substrate
having pores; and (b) a coating layer formed on at least one
region selected from the group consisting of a surface of the
substrate and a part of the pores present in the substrate,
wherein the coating layer comprises styrene-butadiene rubber.
The present invention also provides an electrochemical device
using the above porous film as a separator.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in
more detail.
The porous film according to the present invention is
characterized in that the surface of the porous substrate
and/or a part of the pores present in the substrate is coated
with styrene-butadiene rubber. Such coated porous film can
improve the safety of a battery and prevent degradation in
the quality of a battery by virtue of the physical properties
of styrene-butadiene rubber.
(1) The porous film coated with styrene-butadiene
rubber on the surface of the porous substrate having pores
and/or on a part of the pores present in the porous substrate
can improve the safety of a battery.
As described above, conventional separators generally
use polyolefin polymers. However, polyolefin polymers have
insufficient mechanical strength, and thus cause the problems
of peel-off and breakage of separators during the assemblage
of a battery, resulting in degradation in the safety of a
battery, caused by an internal short circuit, or the like.
WO 2006/062349 PCT/KR2005/004174
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On the contrary, the porous film according to the
present invention has improved scratch resistance and
maintains the pore structure present in the film over a
longer period of time, by virtue of the rubbery
characteristics provided by low glass transition temperature
(Tg) of styrene-butadiene rubber. Therefore, an
electrochemical device comprising the porous film as a
separator can provide improved safety.
Additionally, when the styrene-butadiene rubber used in
the porous film comprises a hydrophilic functional group, the
porous film can show more improved adhesion. Hence, the
porous film according to the present invention maintains to
be in close contact with other substrates (e.g. electrodes)
continuously, so that both electrodes can be prevented from
being in direct contact with each other due to a drop in
external stress and degradation in the thermal safety of a
separator, caused by internal or external factors. Therefore,
it is possible to prevent an internal short circuit.
Further, as described above, when inorganic particles
are dispersed or coated on a conventional polyolefin-based
separator in order to improve the heat resistance and
conductivity, the inorganic particles coated on the separator
are detached from the separator, and thus it is not possible
to obtain desired effects. However, in the porous film
according to the present invention, a styrene-butadiene
rubber coating layer is introduced onto an organic/inorganic
composite porous film having a pore structure formed by
interstitial volumes of the inorganic particles, while
maintaining the pore structure as it is. Therefore, it is
possible to realize excellent adhesive property provided by
styrene-butadiene rubber, while maintaining the effects of
improving heat resistance and mechanical strength, provided
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by the inorganic particles. Particularly, when styrene-
butadiene rubber is coated on the surface of the porous film
and infiltrates into a part of the pores present in the film,
it is possible to generate synergy of the above effects.
(2) The porous film coated with styrene-butadiene
rubber on the surface of the porous substrate having pores
and/or on a part of the pores present in the porous substrate
can prevent degradation in the quality of a battery.
In a conventional process for assembling a battery, for
example, by interposing a separator between a cathode and an
anode of a battery, the electrodes and separator are
frequently separated from each other due to poor adhesion
between them. Thus, during the electrochemical reaction in
the battery, lithium ion transfer cannot be performed
efficiently through the pores of the separator, resulting in
degradation in the quality of a battery.
However, in the porous film coated with styrene-
butadiene rubber according to the present invention, it is
possible to provide excellent adhesion by controlling the
kinds and amounts of monomers during the preparation of the
styrene-butadiene rubber. Therefore, continuous lithium ion
transfer can be maintained, during the electrochemical
reaction in the battery as well as the process for assembling
a battery, due to the close contact between the porous film
and electrodes, so that degradation in the battery quality
can be prevented.
(3) The porous film according to the present invention
is obtained by coating (i) a porous substrate having pores;
(ii) an organic/inorganic composite porous film, which
comprises a porous film having pores, coated with a coating
layer comprising a mixture of inorganic particles with a
binder polymer, on the surface of the porous substrate and/or
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on a part of the pores present in the porous substrate; and
(iii) an organic/inorganic composite porous film comprising
inorganic particles and a binder polymer coating layer
partially or totally formed on the surface of the inorganic
particles, directly with styrene-butadiene rubber. Hence, the
inorganic particles are linked and fixed among themselves by
the pores present on the surface of the porous substrate and
the binder polymer. Additionally, interstitial volumes of the
inorganic particles permit the pore structure of the active
layer type or freestanding type organic/inorganic composite
porous film to be maintained as it is, and the pore structure
and the styrene-butadiene rubber coating layer are bonded
physically and firmly with each other. Therefore, it is
possible to solve the problem of poor mechanical properties,
such as brittleness. Additionally, a liquid electrolyte,
injected through the pore structure subsequently,
significantly reduces the interfacial resistance generated
among the inorganic particles and between the inorganic
particles and the binder polymer. Further, smooth lithium ion
transfer can be accomplished through the pores and a larger
amount of electrolyte can be injected through the pore
structure, resulting in improvement of the battery quality.
In addition to the above advantages, a separator using
the porous film according to the present invention can be
prevented from peeling-off and breaking. Hence, it is
possible to increase the processability during the assemblage
of a battery.
The coating materials for the porous film according to
the present invention include styrene-butadiene rubber known
to one skilled in the art, with no particular limitation.
Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is preferred because it shows
a low infiltration ratio to an electrolyte, and thus has
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little possibility of dissolution or deformation inside a
battery. Particularly, SBR having a glass transition
temperature (Tg) of room temperature (25*0) or less is
preferred.
Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) can be controlled in
terms of physical properties so as to be present in a glassy
state or rubbery state by adjusting the mixing ratio of a
styrene group-containing monomer and a butadiene group-
containing monomer, and thus helps to improve the scratch
resistance of a separator and safety of a battery.
Additionally, SBR may comprise various kinds and amounts of
monomers having hydrophilic functional groups that can form
hydrogen bonds with other substrates (e.g. electrodes) to
increase the adhesion. Therefore, SBR can provide improved
adhesion to an electrode. Considering the above
characteristics, SBR that may be used in the present
invention preferably has at least one hydrophilic functional
group selected from the group consisting of maleic acid,
acrylic acid, acrylate, carboxylate, nitrile, hydroxy,
mercapto, ether, ester, amide, amine and acetate groups, and
halogen atoms.
Styrene-butadiene rubber that may be used in the
present invention includes, but is not limited to, SBR
obtained by polymerizing: (a) a butadiene group-containing
monomer and a styrene group-containing monomer; or (b) a
butadiene group-containing monomer, a styrene group-
containing monomer and a hydrophilic group-containing monomer
known to one skilled in the art, in a conventional manner
currently used in the art. There is no particular limitation
in the hydrophilic group-containing monomer, and non-limiting
examples thereof include monomers containing at least one
hydrophilic functional group selected from the group
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consisting of maleic acid, acrylic acid, acrylate, carboxylic
acid, nitrile, hydroxyl and acetate groups.
Herein, the mixing ratio of the styrene group-
containing monomer to the butadiene group-containing monomer
ranges from 1:99 to 99:1, but is not limited thereto.
Preferably, the styrene-butadiene rubber has a styrene group
content of 50 wt% or less.
Although there is' no particular limitation in the
average molecular weight (MW) of the styrene-butadiene
rubber, SBR preferably has a molecular weight of
10,000 —1,000,000. Also, there is no particular limitation in
the form of SBR rubber, SBR rubber is present preferably in
the form of an emulsion obtained by solution
copolymerization. Because SBR may be used directly in the
form of an emulsion or after dispersing it into water, an
additional organic solvent and an additional step for
removing the same are not required.
The SBR coating layer formed on the porous film
preferably has a thickness of 0.001~-10 micrometers, but is
not limited thereto. If the thickness is less than 0.001 \mf
it is not possible to improve the adhesion and mechanical
strength sufficiently. On the other hand, if the thickness is
greater than 10 im, the SBR coating layer may serve as a
resistance layer, resulting in degradation in the quality of
a battery.
The coating layer formed on the porous film according
to the present invention may further comprise other additives
known to one skilled in the art, in addition to SBR. Non-
limiting examples of such additives include a thickening
agent or a silane coupling agent that can enhance the binding
force.
The substrate to be coated with SBR according to the
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present invention includes any porous substrate as long as it
serves as a lithium ion flow path and as a space for
receiving an electrolyte, regardless of the constitutional
elements and composition of the substrate.
The porous substrate may be classified broadly into the
following three types, but is not limited thereto. The first
type is (a) a conventional separator known to one skilled in
the art. The second type is (b) an organic/inorganic
composite porous film, which comprises a porous film having
pores, coated with a coating layer comprising a mixture of
inorganic particles with a binder polymer, on the surface 'of
the porous substrate and/or on a part of the pores present in
the porous substrate. The third type is (c) an
organic/inorganic composite porous film comprising inorganic
particles and a binder polymer coating layer partially or
totally formed on the surface of the inorganic particles.
Combinations of the above types of separators may be used.
Herein, the inorganic/organic composite porous films {b) and
(c) comprise the inorganic particles linked and fixed among
themselves by the binder polymer, and have a pore structure
formed by interstitial volumes of the inorganic particles.
Particularly, the inorganic/organic composite porous films
(b) and (c) are preferred, because such porous films have
little possibility of a complete short circuit between both
electrode due to the presence of the inorganic particles,
even if the styrene-butadiene surface coating layer is
partially or totally broken in a battery by the external or
internal factors. Even if any short circuit is generated, the
short circuit zone is inhibited from being extended by the
inorganic particles, resulting in improvement of the safety
of a battery.
In cases of the separator (a) and organic/inorganic
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composite porous film (b), non-limiting examples of the
porous substrate include polyethylene terephthalate,
polybutylene terephthalate, polyester, polyacetal, polyamide,
polycarbonate, polyimide, polyetherether ketone, polyether
sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyphenylene sulfidror
polyethylene naphthalene, polyvinylidene fluoride,
polyethylene oxide, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene
fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, polyethylene,
polypropylene, or combinations thereof. However, other
polyolefin-based substrates known to one skilled in the art
may be used.
The porous substrate used in the separator (a) and the
organic/inorganic composite porous film (b) may take the form
of a membrane or fiber. When the porous substrate is fibrous,
it may be a nonwoven web forming a porous web (preferably,
spunbond type web comprising long fibers or melt blown type
web) .
Although there is no particular limitation in the
thickness of the porous substrate used in the separator (a)
and the organic/inorganic composite porous film (b), the
porous substrate preferably has a thickness of between 1 μm
and 100 μM, more preferably of between 5 w and 50 /on. Although
there is no particular limitation in the pore size and
porosity of the porous substrate, the porous substrate
preferably has a porosity of between 5% and 99%. The pore
size (diameter) preferably ranges from 0.01 μm to 50 μm, more
preferably from 0.1 /an to 20 μm.
Among the above-described three types of porous
substrates, the organic/inorganic composite porous film (b)
comprises a porous substrate having pores, coated with a
mixture of inorganic particles with a binder polymer, while
the organic/inorganic composite porous film (c) is a free
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standing film comprising inorganic particles and a binder
polymer. These types of porous substrates permit interstitial
volumes to be formed among the inorganic particles, thereby
serving to form micropores and to maintain the physical shape
as a spacer. Herein, the binder polymer serves to fix the
inorganic particles and link the inorganic particles among
themselves.
There is no particular limitation in selection of the
inorganic particles, as long as they are electrochemically
stable. In other words, there is no particular limitation in
the inorganic particles that may be used in the present
invention, as long as they are not subjected to oxidation
and/or reduction at the range of drive voltages (for example,
0-5 V based on Li/Li+) of a battery, to which they are
applied. Particularly, it is preferable to use inorganic
particles having ion conductivity as high as possible,
because such inorganic particles can improve the quality of
an •electrochemical device by increasing the ion conductivity
in an electrochemical device. Additionally, when inorganic
particles having a high density are used, they are not
readily dispersed during a coating step and may increase the
weight of a battery to be manufactured. Therefore, it is
preferable to use inorganic particles having a density as low
as possible. Further, when inorganic particles having a high
dielectric constant are used, they can contribute to increase
the dissociation degree of an electrolyte salt in a liquid
electrolyte, such as a lithium salt, thereby improving the
ion conductivity of the electrolyte. Further, because the
inorganic particles are characterized by their physical
properties that are not changed even at a high temperature of
2001; or higher, the organic/inorganic composite porous film
using the inorganic particles can have excellent heat
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resistance.
For these reasons, the inorganic particles that may be
used in the organic/inorganic composite porous films (b) and
(c) are selected from conventional the inorganic particles
having a high dielectric constant of 5 or more, preferably of
10 or more, inorganic particles having lithium conductivity,
or mixtures thereof. This is because such inorganic particles
can improve the safety of a battery and can prevent
degradation in the battery quality due to their heat
resistance and conductivity.
Particular non-limiting examples of inorganic particles
having a dielectric constant of 5 or more include BaTiO3,
Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT), Pb1-xLaxZr1-yTiyO3 (PLZT), PB (Mg3Nb2/3) O3-PbTiO3
(PMN-PT), hafnia (HfO2), SrTiO3, SnO2, CeO2, MgO, NiO, CaO,
ZnO, ZrO2, Y2O3, Al2O3, TIO2 , SiC, or mixtures thereof.
As used herein, "inorganic particles having lithium ion
conductivity" refer to inorganic particles containing lithium
elements and having a capability of conducting- lithium ions
without storing lithium. Inorganic particles having lithium
ion conductivity can conduct and transfer lithium ions due to
defects present in their structure, and thus can improve
lithium ion conductivity and contribute to improve the
quality of a battery. Non-limiting examples of such inorganic
particles having lithium ion conductivity include: lithium
phosphate (Li3PO4); lithium titanium phosphate {LixTiy(PO4)3,
0