KR102617644B1 - Method of manufacturing separator for lead-acid battery using organic fiber of spring structure to improve strength - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength. More specifically, spring-structured organic fibers can be mixed with glass fibers so that they are relatively entangled with each other, and AGM When the separator is pulled, the organic fibers that were compressed by the spring structure are stretched tautly, providing the effect of stretching, improving the elongation of the AGM separator, which can improve the phenomenon of separator breaking during lead acid battery manufacturing. This relates to a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength.

Description

Method of manufacturing separator for lead-acid battery using organic fiber of spring structure to improve strength}

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength. More specifically, spring-structured organic fibers can be mixed with glass fibers so that they are relatively entangled with each other, and AGM When the separator is pulled, the organic fibers that were compressed by the spring structure are stretched tautly, providing the effect of stretching, improving the elongation of the AGM separator, which can improve the phenomenon of separator breaking during lead acid battery manufacturing. This relates to a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength.

VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) battery is a type of lead acid battery, also known as sealed battery or recombinant battery. It has a structure in which dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte is placed between the cathode (Pb - lead spongy), which has a high ionization tendency. It is a secondary battery that generates electrical electromotive force through a chemical reaction and does not require the addition of water depending on the period of use.

The VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) battery described above has stable quality, high reliability, and excellent economic efficiency, and is still widely used to this day, especially as a starting power source for automobiles (SLI, Starting Lighting and Ignition).

In addition, it is used in electric vehicles, trains, ships, aircraft, golf cars, forklifts, power generators, substations, telephone offices, wireless repeaters, and uninterruptible power devices.

However, the conventional VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) battery had the following problems and had limitations in its use.

First, in the conventional VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) battery, there was a risk of damage to the battery case and leakage of electrolyte due to the bulging phenomenon in which the battery case swells due to the expansion pressure inside the battery. resulted in a shortened lifespan.

Specifically, VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) Battery is a type of lead acid battery that has a structure in which dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte is placed between a cathode (Pb, lead spongy) with a high ionization tendency, and generates electrical electromotive force through a chemical reaction. There is no need to add water depending on the period of use, and the oxygen produced at the anode during charging is consumed at the cathode, so there is no consumption of water.

Meanwhile, the separator for VRLA forms a gas channel through which oxygen gas generated at the anode can easily move to the cathode, thereby inducing an oxygen recombination reaction.

When charging a VRLA battery, oxygen (O2) gas generated from the positive plate due to an internal chemical reaction moves to the negative plate through the micropores of the glass fiber mat, reacts with the porous lead (Pb) of the negative plate to form PbO, and this PbO It is a long-life battery with a structure that suppresses the generation of hydrogen (H2) gas by reacting with the electrolyte (H2SO4) to form lead sulfate (PbSO4) and water (H2O).

To explain in detail, a VRLA battery is a type of lead acid battery that has a structure in which an electrolyte solution of dilute sulfuric acid is placed between a cathode (Pb, lead spongy) that has a high tendency to ionize. It generates electrical electromotive force through a chemical reaction and changes depending on the period of use. There is no need to add water, and the principle is that oxygen generated at the anode during charging is consumed at the cathode, so there is no consumption of water.

The separator for VRLA batteries forms a gas channel through which oxygen gas generated from the anode can easily move to the cathode, thereby inducing an oxygen recombination reaction.

Therefore, in addition to being a battery insulator, it acts as an ion conductor to prevent direct contact between electrodes with opposite polarities and simultaneously enables the flow of ions between the two electrodes.

At this time, absorbent glass fiber (AGM) was used as a general separator for VRLA batteries.

The absorbent glass fiber (AGM) described above absorbs and fixes the sulfuric acid electrolyte and prevents it from flowing, while also functioning as a separator.

However, the AGM separator is composed of needle-shaped glass fibers, creating a harmful working environment in the VRLA battery production process, and due to the low mechanical strength characteristics of the glass fibers themselves, there was a problem in that the separators were easily torn during the electrode group borrowing process. .

That is, as shown in Figure 1, the left image shows the AGM separator in a normal state, and the right image shows a broken state due to weak mechanical strength.

In addition, it is a high-performance product designed to be suitable for vehicles equipped with the Auto Stop (ISG system) function, and as demand is increasing, lead acid battery manufacturers are increasing the work speed. At this time, the mechanical strength (mechanical strength) of the AGM separator fastened in the process is increased. If tensile strength is weak, the separator plate may be cut during assembly work, slowing down work speed and causing quality problems.

Therefore, there is a need for a new manufacturing method that can improve the elongation of the AGM separator and improve the phenomenon of separator breaking during lead acid battery manufacturing.

Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-1307981

Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve the above conventional problems,

Spring-structured organic fibers are mixed with glass fibers to make them relatively tangled with each other, and when the AGM separator is pulled, the organic fibers that had been compressed by the spring structure are stretched taut, providing the effect of stretching, increasing the elongation of the AGM separator. ) wants to improve.

In order to achieve the problem to be solved by the present invention, a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength according to an embodiment of the present invention,

Strength improvement mixture manufacturing step (S100) of mixing glass melt and polymer to prepare a strength improvement mixture;

A mixture melting step (S200) of melting the strength improvement mixture by setting the spinning temperature of the continuous extruder to 300°C;

A cooling step (S300) for solidifying the continuous filament discharged from the pores of the continuous extruder with cooling wind at 25°C using a cooler; and

A fiber manufacturing step (S400) of manufacturing fibers by stretching them at a spinning speed of 4,500 m/min using an air stretcher;

A lamination step (S500) for laminating the stretched fibers in a web shape on a continuously moving metal net;

By including a strength-improved absorbent separator manufacturing step (S600) of manufacturing an absorbent separator containing organic fibers by heat bonding the laminated fibers at a temperature of 240° C., the problem of the present invention is solved.

Through the present inventor's method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength, the spring-structured organic fibers are mixed with glass fibers so that they can become relatively tangled with each other, and when the AGM separator is pulled, By providing the effect of stretching the organic fibers that were compressed in a spring structure by stretching them tautly, the elongation of the AGM separator is improved, providing the effect of improving the phenomenon of separator breaking during lead acid battery manufacturing.

Figure 1 is an image of an AGM separator showing a broken state during manufacturing due to weak mechanical strength.
Figure 2 is a process diagram of a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is an image showing spring-structured organic fibers or spring-structured organic fibers manufactured by a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength according to an embodiment of the present invention,

Strength improvement mixture manufacturing step (S100) of mixing glass melt and polymer to prepare a strength improvement mixture;

A mixture melting step (S200) of melting the strength improvement mixture by setting the spinning temperature of the continuous extruder to 300°C;

A cooling step (S300) for solidifying the continuous filament discharged from the pores of the continuous extruder with cooling wind at 25°C using a cooler; and

A fiber manufacturing step (S400) of manufacturing fibers by stretching them at a spinning speed of 4,500 m/min using an air stretcher;

A lamination step (S500) for laminating the stretched fibers in a web shape on a continuously moving metal net;

A strength-improved absorbent separator manufacturing step (S600) of manufacturing an absorbent separator including organic fibers by heat bonding the laminated fibers at a temperature of 240°C.

At this time, by applying the absorbent separator containing the organic fiber to the lead acid battery, the elongation and tensile strength are improved, thereby preventing the separator from breaking when manufacturing the lead acid battery.

At this time, the polymer is,

It is characterized in that it is one of polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefin, and acrylic fibers.

At this time, in order to improve the strength, a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers,

The manufactured absorbent (AGM) separator is characterized by providing a 30% improvement in tensile strength from 100% to 130%, and a 40% improvement in elongation from 100% to 140%.

At this time, by the manufacturing method of the present invention,

It is possible to provide a lead-acid battery containing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength.

Hereinafter, the method of manufacturing a separator for a lead acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength according to the present invention will be described in detail through examples.

Figure 2 is a process diagram of a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 2, the present inventor's method of manufacturing a separator for a lead acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength is,

Strength improvement mixture manufacturing step (S100) of mixing glass melt and polymer to prepare a strength improvement mixture;

A mixture melting step (S200) of melting the strength improvement mixture by setting the spinning temperature of the continuous extruder to 300°C;

A cooling step (S300) for solidifying the continuous filament discharged from the pores of the continuous extruder with cooling wind at 25°C using a cooler; and

A fiber manufacturing step (S400) of manufacturing fibers by stretching them at a spinning speed of 4,500 m/min using an air stretcher;

A lamination step (S500) for laminating the stretched fibers in a web shape on a continuously moving metal net;

A strength-improved absorbent separator manufacturing step (S600) of manufacturing an absorbent separator including organic fibers by heat bonding the laminated fibers at a temperature of 240°C.

Through the above process, the present invention combines spring-structured organic fibers with glass fibers so that they can become relatively tangled with each other, and when the AGM separator is pulled, the organic fibers that had been shrunk in the spring structure are stretched tautly and stretched. By providing this effect, the elongation of the AGM separator is improved, providing the effect of improving the phenomenon of separator breaking during lead acid battery manufacturing.

Conventional lead acid batteries result in a decrease in electrolyte due to electrolysis and evaporation during the charge/discharge cycle.

To improve this problem, VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) batteries using AGM separators, which are lead acid batteries regulated by valves, were developed, and the gas generated by the valves can be recombined to improve electrolyte reduction.

In order to perform this reprocessing process, the electrolyte must be fixed and it is only possible when there is an empty space for gas to circulate.

The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing an absorbent separator containing organic fibers to fix the electrolyte, and the saturation rate of the pores of the AGM separator should not exceed 95% for optimal operation.

In order to provide the above functions, the manufacturing method will be described in more detail below.

The strength improvement mixture manufacturing step (S100) is a process of preparing a strength improvement mixture by mixing glass melt and polymer.

The polymer is,

It is characterized as being one of polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefin, and acrylic fibers, and glass melt refers to a material for manufacturing glass fibers.

At this time, the glass melt and the polymer are prepared by preparing 100 parts by weight of the glass melt and 60 parts by weight of the polymer and mixing them to prepare a mixture for improving strength.

In other words, it is a weight range that can improve the elongation of the AGM separator by providing organic fibers with a spring structure while maximizing the properties of glass fibers.

Specifically, if the polymer exceeds the set weight, the tensile modulus during work is high, making molding difficult, and if the polymer content is less than the set content, it has the same level of elastic modulus and tensile modulus as without adding it, so breaking occurs when an external force is generated. It would be preferable to add it within the above-mentioned content range.

Thereafter, the mixture melting step (S200) is a process of melting the strength improvement mixture by setting the spinning temperature of the continuous extruder to 300°C.

At this time, it is desirable to maintain the viscosity of the polymer at a level of 1.5 dl/g in terms of stretching properties and complex spinning process.

If the viscosity difference is less than 1.5 dl/g, as shown in the experiment, an elongation of 140% cannot be expected, and if it exceeds 1.5 dl/g, there is a problem of deterioration in spinning properties.

Additionally, since the polymer is added, the most appropriate melting temperature is 300°C.

Thereafter, in the cooling step (S300), the continuous filament discharged from the pores of the continuous extruder is solidified with cooling air at 25°C using a cooler.

Thereafter, in the fiber manufacturing step (S400), the fiber is manufactured by stretching at a spinning speed of 4,500 m/min using an air stretching machine.

At this time, a fiber with improved mechanical strength is completed by mixing glass fiber and organic fiber, and through the lamination step (S500), the stretched fiber is laminated in the form of a web on a continuously moving metal net.

And, in the strength-improved absorbent separator manufacturing step (S600), an absorbent separator containing organic fibers is manufactured by heat bonding the laminated fibers at a temperature of 240°C.

By going through the above manufacturing method, it is possible to complete an AGM separator containing spring-structured organic fibers, as shown in FIG. 3.

At this time, since the configuration and operating principles of the continuous extruder, air stretching machine, etc. described in the present invention use devices generally used in fiber production, they can be sufficiently implemented by those skilled in the art without detailed explanation.

The absorbent separator manufactured through the above manufacturing method is mixed by adding organic fiber to glass fiber, and as the organic fiber content increases, the mechanical strength increases.

As the content of organic fibers that serve as a support increases, production efficiency and workability improve, but due to their hydrophobic nature, the electrolyte moisturizing power relatively decreases and electrical resistance increases.

In other words, glass fiber, which contains a hydrophilic functional group (-OH) and has excellent electrolyte moisture retention capacity, and hydrophobic organic fiber must be mixed in an appropriate ratio, so prepare 100 parts by weight of glass melt and 60 parts by weight of polymer and mix them to improve strength. To prepare a mixture.

As described above, in order to determine the effect of the present invention, a life test was conducted on a lead-acid battery using a general AGM separator and a lead-acid battery using an AGM separator containing the spring-structured organic fiber of the present invention, and the subsequent process was performed. The final product was manufactured through processes such as assembly and chemical conversion, and a lifespan test was conducted according to the SAE J240 standard to verify lifespan at high temperatures.

The conventional product described later refers to a lead acid battery using a general AGM separator manufactured by the applicant, and the improved product refers to a lead acid battery using an electrode plate including an AGM separator containing spring-structured organic fibers.

At this time, in the embodiment of the present invention, polypropylene was prepared and mixed as the polymer, but it is natural that any organic fiber among polyester, polyethylene, polyolefin, and acrylic fibers can be prepared and mixed with the glass melt.

As a result of the test, the lifespan of the holding capacity ended at 2,920 cycles, which was a 45% improvement in lifespan compared to conventional products.

1) Life verification test (SAE J240, Cycle)

This is a graph (SAE J240) that verifies the lifespan in a 75℃ environment according to the American Society of Automotive Engineers standards. The test standard specifies that a lead-acid battery cycles through repeated charging/discharging at high temperatures (75℃) until its lifespan is terminated. It is a test method that measures.

(1 cycle: discharge at 25A for 4 minutes, charge at 14.8V [maximum 25A] constant voltage for 10 minutes)

This test is repeated 480 times for one week, and then after standing for 56 hours, the battery is discharged at a high rate of 630A and the voltage at 30 seconds is measured to determine the condition of the lead acid battery.

If the voltage at 30 seconds is more than 7.2V, the lead acid battery is judged to be intact and the above cycle is repeated. If it is less than 7.2V, the lead acid battery is judged to be at the end of its life and the test is stopped.

division Conventional products improvement life span 1,920 cycles 2,784 cycles

As a result of the test, as shown in Table 1, the lifespan was improved by 45% compared to conventional products, showing that the lead-acid battery including the AGM separator containing spring-structured organic fibers had a positive effect on increasing the lifespan. And it was found.

This is believed to be because a glass fiber-based separator containing organic fibers was used to fix the electrolyte, and the saturation rate of the pores of the separator met the mixing ratio of 95%.

That is, the mixture melting step (S200), cooling step (S300), fiber manufacturing step (S400), lamination step (S500), and strength improved absorbent separator manufacturing step (S600) were the same, and only the mixing ratio was 100 weight of glass melt. After preparing a mixture for strength improvement by preparing and mixing 50 parts by weight, 60 parts by weight, and 70 parts by weight of polymer, the pore saturation rate of the final manufactured separator was checked. As a result, 50 parts by weight of polymer had a saturation rate of 90%, 60 parts by weight of polymer has a saturation rate of 95%, and 70 parts by weight of polymer has a saturation rate of 100%. The mixing ratio that satisfies the 95% saturation level known to those skilled in the art is 100 parts by weight of glass fiber and 60 parts by weight of polymer, and through experiments, It was found that the most optimal elongation rate could be provided.

2) Physical property evaluation test

A physical property evaluation test was conducted on a lead-acid battery using a general AGM separator and a lead-acid battery using an AGM separator containing spring-structured organic fibers of the present invention, and the final product was manufactured through subsequent processes such as assembly and forming. It was manufactured, and the physical properties of the product were evaluated for tensile strength and elongation.

The conventional product described later refers to a lead acid battery using a general AGM separator manufactured by the applicant, and the improved product refers to a lead acid battery using an electrode plate including an AGM separator containing spring-structured organic fibers.

division Conventional products improvement tensile strength 100% 130% elongation 100% 140%

As shown in Table 2 above, it was found that the improved product provides a tensile strength of 130% compared to the tensile strength of 100% of the conventional product, and that the improved product provides an elongation of 140% compared to the elongation of 100% of the conventional product.

In other words, in order to improve the problems of the prior art, spring-structured organic fibers are added to the AGM separator to improve mechanical strength. When the spring-structured organic fibers are mixed with glass fibers, they become relatively tangled with each other, and the separator This is believed to be because when pulled, the organic fibers that had been compressed into a spring structure are stretched taut, providing a stretching effect.

Therefore, through the above manufacturing method, the elongation of the AGM separator is improved by about 40%, as shown in the experimental data, thereby improving the phenomenon of the separator breaking due to external force during lead acid battery manufacturing.

Through the above manufacturing method, the elongation of the AGM separator is improved, providing the effect of improving the phenomenon of separator breaking during lead acid battery manufacturing.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains as described above will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical idea or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not limiting.

S100: Strength improvement mixture manufacturing step
S200: Mixture melting step
S300: Cooling stage
S400: Fiber manufacturing stage
S500: Lamination stage
S600: Strength improved absorbent separator manufacturing stage

Claims (5)

In the method of manufacturing a separator for a lead acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength,
A strength improvement mixture manufacturing step (S100) of mixing glass melt and polymer to prepare a strength improvement mixture;
A mixture melting step (S200) of melting the strength improvement mixture by setting the spinning temperature of the continuous extruder to 300°C;
A cooling step (S300) for solidifying the continuous filament discharged from the pores of the continuous extruder with cooling wind at 25°C using a cooler; and
A fiber manufacturing step (S400) of manufacturing fibers by stretching them at a spinning speed of 4,500 m/min using an air stretcher;
A lamination step (S500) for laminating the stretched fibers in a web shape on a continuously moving metal net;
A strength-improved absorbent separator manufacturing step (S600) of manufacturing an absorbent separator including organic fibers by heat bonding the laminated fibers at a temperature of 240° C.; organic fibers having a spring structure to improve strength, comprising: Method of manufacturing an applied separator for lead acid batteries.
According to clause 1,
By applying the absorbent separator containing the organic fiber to a lead acid battery, the elongation and tensile strength are improved, which prevents the separator from breaking when manufacturing a lead acid battery. Method of manufacturing separator for lead acid battery using organic fiber.
According to clause 1,
The polymer is,
A method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength, characterized in that they are any one of polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefin, and acrylic fibers.
According to clause 1,
In order to improve the strength, a method of manufacturing a separator for a lead-acid battery using spring-structured organic fibers,
The tensile strength of the manufactured absorbent (AGM) separator provides a 30% improvement from 100% to 130%, and the elongation provides a 40% improvement from 100% to 140%, and the spring structure is used to improve strength. Method of manufacturing separator for lead acid battery using organic fiber. By the manufacturing method of claim 1,
A lead-acid battery containing a separator for lead-acid batteries using spring-structured organic fibers to improve strength.