KR20160058566A - Electrode assembly for secondary battery and secondary battery comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided in the present invention are an electrode assembly for a secondary battery and a secondary battery comprising the same. The electrode assembly for a secondary battery comprising a silicon oxide-based negative electrode active material is capable of improving the safety and durability properties of a battery by preventing the change of an electrode inside the battery with respect to volume change during charging and discharging of the secondary battery. In addition, the electrode assembly for a secondary battery comprises a negative electrode uncoated unit, which is not coated with a negative electrode active material inside a negative electrode plate, in an optimized position to effectively inhibit the generation of crack and the breakage which can be generated in a process of winding and compressing the electrode assembly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an electrode assembly for a secondary battery and a secondary battery including the electrode assembly.

The present invention relates to an electrode assembly for a secondary battery and a secondary battery including the same, which can improve the lifetime characteristics and safety of a battery by preventing deformation of the electrode due to volume change of the negative electrode active material.

Recently, interest in energy storage technology is increasing. As the application fields of cell phones, camcorders, notebook PCs and even electric vehicles are expanding, efforts for research and development of electrochemical devices are becoming more and more specified. The electrochemical device is one of the most remarkable fields in this respect, and development of a rechargeable secondary battery has become a focus of attention. In recent years, research and development on the design of new electrodes and batteries have been proceeding in order to improve capacity density and specific energy in developing such batteries.

Among the currently applied secondary batteries, the lithium secondary battery developed in the early 1990s has advantages such as higher operating voltage and higher energy density than conventional batteries such as Ni-MH, Ni-Cd and sulfuric acid-lead batteries using an aqueous electrolyte solution . However, such a lithium secondary battery has safety problems such as ignition and explosion when using an organic electrolytic solution, and it is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to manufacture.

The secondary battery includes a battery case having an electrode assembly capable of charging / discharging the anode / separator / cathode structure. The electrode assembly includes a jelly-roll type electrode assembly, a stack and a folding type electrode assembly, .

However, in the case of these electrode assemblies, since the flat portion and the bent portion exist, there is a problem in that after the electrode assembly is wound or folded, the electrode assembly is broken or cracked at the bent portion in the process of being compressed.

Korean Patent Registration No. 0911999 (registered on Aug. 06, 2009)

A first object of the present invention is to provide a secondary battery including a silicon oxide based negative electrode active material, which prevents deformation of the electrode due to volume change of the negative electrode active material during charging and discharging, The present invention also provides an electrode assembly for a secondary battery having an optimized structure that can effectively prevent breakage and cracks that may occur during winding and pressing of an electrode assembly.

A secondary object of the present invention is to provide a secondary battery including the electrode assembly, a battery module, and a battery pack.

However, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other matters not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a positive electrode current collector comprising a positive electrode plate including a positive electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of a positive electrode collector, and a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of the negative electrode collector, Wherein the negative electrode active material comprises silicon oxide of SiOx (0 <x <2), the negative electrode plate is positioned corresponding to the flat portion of the electrode assembly, and the negative electrode active material coated with the negative electrode active material A flat coating portion; And a negative electrode plate non-coated portion, the negative electrode plate non-coated portion being alternately disposed at a bent portion of the electrode assembly, wherein the winding start portion and the winding end portion of the negative electrode plate each include a negative electrode plate non-coated portion.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a positive electrode current collector comprising a positive electrode plate including a positive electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of a positive electrode collector and a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of the negative electrode collector, Wherein the anode active material is made of a material selected from the group consisting of SiOx (0 <x <2) silicon oxide And the negative electrode plate includes negative electrode plate non-porous portions at both ends of the negative electrode active material coating portion.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a secondary battery including the electrode assembly, a battery module, and a battery pack.

Other details of the embodiments of the present invention are included in the following detailed description.

The electrode assembly according to the present invention can prevent the deformation of the electrode in the battery due to the volume change during charge and discharge in the secondary battery including the silicon oxide based anode active material to improve the life characteristics and safety of the battery, It is possible to effectively suppress the breakage and the occurrence of cracks that may occur during the winding and pressing process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with the description of the invention, It should not be construed as limited.
1A and 1B are cross-sectional views illustrating a jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is an electrode assembly wound in a negative electrode direction, and FIG. 1B is an electrode assembly wound in an anode direction.
2 is a perspective view illustrating a state before an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is wound and compressed.
3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state before the electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is wound and compressed.
4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a stack-folding type electrode assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a stack-folding type electrode assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a photograph of the lithium secondary battery of Example 1 after the execution of Experimental Example 1. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

Electrode assembly

However, in the case of a high-capacity anode material, deformation of the electrode in the battery occurs due to a large volume expansion during charging and discharging, and the charging / discharging of the secondary battery is continuously performed. Such electrode deformation causes a problem of expansion of the thickness along with deterioration of life characteristics and safety of the battery.

On the other hand, in the case of an electrode assembly for a secondary battery including a silicon oxide as a negative electrode active material, specifically, a jelly-roll type electrode assembly, a negative electrode active material is not coated on a bent portion of the electrode assembly, Stress is applied only in the thickness direction of the battery (z axis) to prevent deformation of the electrode in the battery, and as a result, life characteristics and safety of the battery are improved, and the jelly- Thereby effectively preventing breakage and cracks that may occur in the bent portion of the electrode assembly during winding and pressing of the assembly.

In addition, in the case of the stack-folding type electrode assembly, since the negative electrode active material is not coated on both ends of the negative electrode plate in the unit electrode assembly, deformation of the electrode due to charging and discharging is prevented. As a result, .

Hereinafter, an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Rather, the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but rather, the invention includes all modifications, equivalents and substitutions that are consistent with the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

(jelly- Roll type  Electrode assembly)

Specifically, an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a positive electrode plate including a positive electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of a positive electrode collector, and a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of the negative electrode collector, Wherein the negative electrode active material comprises silicon oxide of SiOx (0 <x <2), the negative electrode plate is located corresponding to the flat portion of the electrode assembly, and the negative electrode active material A coated negative plate flat coating portion; And a negative electrode plate nonconductive portion which is located corresponding to a bent portion of the electrode assembly and has no negative electrode active material coated thereon, wherein the winding start portion and the winding end portion of the negative electrode plate each include a negative electrode plate uncoated portion.

A typical jelly-roll type electrode assembly is manufactured by winding a separator, a negative electrode plate and a positive electrode plate disposed on both sides of the separator, and separating the electrode assembly flat portion and the electrode assembly bend.

The term " electrode assembly flat portion " used in the present invention means a flat portion of the jelly-roll type electrode assembly, and the term "electrode assembly bent portion" It means the bent part.

The term "inside" used in the present invention means a surface side facing toward the center portion direction, and "outside" means a surface side facing the outside portion direction. The term " center region direction "used in the present invention refers to the direction of the first tip portion in contact with the core that winds the electrode assembly, and" outer portion direction "means the tip portion direction in which winding of the electrode assembly is terminated.

In the electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material coating portion coated with a negative electrode active material on at least one surface of the negative electrode current collector, And patterned so that the negative electrode active material is positioned only in the corresponding region. Thus, the negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode plate flat coating portion coated with a negative electrode active material; The negative electrode plate may be divided into an uncoated uncoated portion which is not coated with the negative electrode active material corresponding to the bent portion of the electrode assembly, that is, only the negative electrode collector.

In the negative electrode plate described above, the negative electrode collector is not particularly limited as long as it has high conductivity without causing a chemical change in the battery, and examples thereof include copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, The surface of the stainless steel may be surface treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, or silver, or an aluminum-cadmium alloy may be used.

The anode current collector may have a thickness of 3 to 500 탆.

In addition, fine unevenness may be formed on the surface of the negative electrode collector to enhance the binding force of the negative electrode active material. For example, it can be used in various forms such as a film, a sheet, a foil, a net, a porous body, a foam, and a nonwoven fabric.

In the above-mentioned negative electrode plate, the negative electrode plate flat coating portion may be located on both surfaces of the negative electrode collector or may be located on only one side of the negative electrode collector, but may be located on both surfaces of the negative electrode active material May be more preferable.

In addition, since the cathode plate flat coating portion faces the cathode active material coating portion with the separator interposed therebetween, in order to prevent a short circuit in the charging / discharging process, both ends of the cathode plate flat coating portion, that is, And an insulating tape may be included at the distal end.

The insulating tape is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent insulating properties, and among the insulating materials, a material which does not shrink even at a high temperature of about 200 캜 is preferable. Specifically, the insulating tape may be a polyimide, acetate, glass cloth, polyester, polyphenylenesulfide (PPS), or polypropylene tape. More specifically, the insulating tape may be polyethylene terephthalate It may be a phthalate insulating tape.

The thickness of the insulating tape may be 10 탆 to 100 탆.

The insulating tape may be attached to both ends of the flat plate coating portion of the negative electrode plate in the electrode winding process or the wide electrode manufacturing process.

In the negative electrode plate, the negative electrode plate flat coating portion has the same width, and the negative electrode plate bending non-coating portion has a width corresponding to the bent portion of the electrode assembly from the first tip to the end of the negative electrode plate contacting the core wound around the electrode assembly. Is increased stepwise.

In the negative electrode plate, the winding start portion and the winding end portion of the negative electrode plate may include a negative electrode plate uncoated portion formed only of the negative electrode current collector without coating the negative electrode active material. By including the negative electrode plate uncoated portions in the winding start portion and the winding end portion as described above, deformation of the electrode due to volume expansion during charging and discharging can be minimized.

Also, at least one of the negative electrode plate winding start portion and the winding end portion may be positioned with the negative electrode tab connected to the negative electrode plate uncoated portion and connected to the external terminal.

The negative electrode tab may be attached by welding such as laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or resistance welding or by a conductive adhesive, and an insulating tape may be selectively attached to the negative electrode tab to prevent a short circuit between the electrodes . At this time, the insulating tape may be the same as described above.

Meanwhile, in the electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode collector and a positive electrode active material coating portion coated with a positive electrode active material on at least one surface, preferably both surfaces, of the positive electrode collector.

In the above-mentioned positive electrode plate, the positive electrode collector is not particularly limited as long as it has electrical conductivity without causing a chemical change in the battery. For example, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, Such as carbon, nickel, titanium, or silver, may be used.

In addition, the cathode current collector may have a thickness of 3 to 500 탆, and fine unevenness may be formed on the surface of the cathode current collector to increase the adhesive force of the cathode active material. For example, it can be used in various forms such as a film, a sheet, a foil, a net, a porous body, a foam, and a nonwoven fabric.

In the above-mentioned positive electrode plate, the positive electrode active material coating portion may be coated on both surfaces of the positive electrode collector, or the active material may be coated on only one side of the positive electrode collector. However, considering the capacity of the secondary battery, It may be more preferable to be coated.

In addition, the cathode active material coating portion may be patterned such that the cathode active material is positioned only in a region corresponding to the flat portion of the electrode assembly, as in the anode active material coating portion. Accordingly, the positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode plate flat coating portion corresponding to the electrode assembly flat portion, the positive electrode active material being coated on the positive electrode current collector; The positive electrode plate flat coating portion may have a width equal to that of the positive electrode plate flat coating portion. The positive electrode plate flat coating portion may have a width equal to that of the positive electrode plate flat coating portion, The width of the positive electrode plate contacting the core wound around the electrode assembly may gradually increase from the first end to the end of the positive electrode plate corresponding to the bent portion.

The positive electrode plate may include insulating tapes at both ends of the positive electrode plate flat coating portion, that is, at the start portion and the end portion of the positive electrode plate flat coating portion, in order to prevent a short circuit in the charging and discharging process. At this time, the insulating tape may be the same as described in the cathode plate.

In the above-mentioned positive electrode plate, the winding start portion and the winding end portion may include a positive electrode plate uncoated portion formed of only the positive electrode current collector without coating the positive electrode active material. When the uncoated portion is included in each of the winding start portion and the winding end portion, the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab of the electrode assembly may be formed up and down. When the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab are positioned up and down like this, the opposing faces of the positive electrode tab located at the winding end can prevent the occurrence of an electrical short circuit.

The positive electrode tab may be attached by welding such as laser welding, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, or conductive adhesive, and an insulating tape may be attached to the positive electrode tab to prevent a short circuit between the electrodes.

In addition, an insulating tape for preventing short-circuiting may be located at the uncoated portion where the positive electrode tab is not located in the winding start portion and the winding end portion.

Meanwhile, in the jelly-roll type electrode assembly, the separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate may be an insulating thin film having high ion permeability and mechanical strength.

Specifically, the separation membrane may be a porous polymer film such as a porous polymer film made of a polyolefin-based polymer such as an ethylene homopolymer, a propylene homopolymer, an ethylene / butene copolymer, an ethylene / hexene copolymer, and an ethylene / methacrylate copolymer Or a laminated structure of two or more thereof. The separation membrane may be a nonwoven fabric made of a porous nonwoven fabric, for example, glass fiber of high melting point or polyethylene terephthalate fiber.

In some cases, a gel polymer electrolyte may be coated on the separation membrane to improve the stability of the cell. Representative examples of such gel polymers include polyethylene oxide, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacrylonitrile, and the like. When a solid electrolyte such as a polymer is used as an electrolyte, the solid electrolyte may also serve as a separation membrane.

The pores contained in the separation membrane may have a pore diameter of 0.01 to 10 m.

The separation membrane may have a thickness of 5 탆 to 300 탆.

In addition, it is preferable that the separation membrane is extended longer than the end of the cathode plate so as to block the cathode electrode even if the separation membrane is contracted by heat. Specifically, the separation membrane may extend from the cathode end portion by 5 mm or more.

1A and 1B are cross-sectional views illustrating a jelly-roll type electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is an electrode assembly 10 wound in a negative electrode direction, FIG. 1B is a cross- (20).

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, when the electrode assembly composed of the anode 100 / separator 300 / anode 200 is wound, the initial winding direction may be the direction of the cathode 100 And may be in the direction of the anode 200 as shown in FIG. 1B.

More specifically, the electrode assembly 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may have a first winding direction in the negative direction, as shown in FIG. 1A. In this case, the curvature radius of the negative electrode plate 100 at the initial bending portion of the electrode assembly becomes smaller than the radius of curvature of the positive electrode plate 200. That is, the radius of curvature of the first uncoated portion of the negative electrode plate 100 is smaller than the radius of curvature of the first uncoated portion of the positive electrode plate 200.

1A, the electrode assembly 10 includes a separator 300, a negative electrode plate 100 disposed on both sides of the separator 300, and a positive electrode plate 200 wound and pressed, (11) and an electrode assembly bend (12).

The width of the uncoated portion of the negative electrode plate 100 is equal to the width of the uncoated portion of the negative electrode plate 100. As a result, the width of the negative electrode plate contacting the core wound around the core gradually increases from the first end to the end, (Tolerance) is preferably a value which is a total of a thickness of the separator, a half of the thickness of the negative plate, and a half of the thickness of the positive plate. However, even if the width of the curled portion of the negative electrode plate 100 is smaller than the width of the curved portion of the electrode assembly, if the inflection point of the bowed portion of the electrode assembly is included in the curved portion of the negative electrode plate, There is no problem. This is because the cracks of the negative electrode active material coated on the negative electrode current collector occur most severely at the inflection point of the bowing portion of the electrode assembly, so that cracking of the negative electrode active material can be effectively prevented if at least this portion is formed as a plain portion. The inflection point of the bent portion of the electrode assembly refers to a vertex where the direction of the electrode assembly is reversed as the electrode assembly is wound.

In addition, the electrode assembly 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have an initial winding direction in the anode direction, as shown in FIG. 1B. In this case, the radius of curvature of the positive electrode plate at the first bent portion of the electrode assembly becomes smaller than the radius of curvature of the negative electrode plate.

1B, the jelly-roll type electrode assembly 20 includes a separator 300, a negative electrode plate 100 disposed on both sides of the separator 300, and a positive electrode plate 200 wound and pressed, The electrode assembly flat portion 21 and the electrode assembly bend portion 22 can be distinguished. Here, the width of the unfilled portion of the negative electrode plate 100 is equal to the width of the negative electrode plate in contact with the core wound around the electrode assembly, as in the case where the first winding direction is the negative electrode direction, It grows step by step. At this time, it is preferable that the difference (tolerance) of the widths of the consecutive negative electrode plate bending unions is constant by a sum of the thickness of the separator, a half of the thickness of the positive electrode plate, and a half of the thickness of the negative electrode plate. However, as in the case of the positive electrode plate, the width of the unfolded portion of the negative electrode plate 100 may be smaller than the width of the bent portion of the electrode assembly, and the inflection point of the leading portion of the electrode assembly may be included in the unfolded portion of the negative electrode plate.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a jelly-roll type electrode assembly in which a negative electrode active material is pattern-coated according to an embodiment of the present invention before winding and pressing.

As shown in FIG. 2, before the jelly-roll type electrode assembly with pattern coating of the anode active material according to an embodiment of the present invention is wound and pressed, the separator 300 and the cathode plate 100 and a positive electrode plate 200 are disposed. The cathode plate 100 is formed by alternately forming an anode plate flat coating unit 110 coated with a negative electrode active material and a negative electrode plate uncoated portion 120 coated with a negative electrode active material. 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, and 120-3 are formed so that the width of the negative electrode plate is gradually increased from the first leading end to the end of the negative electrode plate in contact with the core winding the electrode assembly. 120-4 and 120-n). In addition, the positive electrode plate 200 may be alternately formed with the positive electrode plate flat coating portion 210 coated with the positive electrode active material and the positive electrode plate uncoated portion 220 not coated with the positive electrode active material, The width of the positive electrode plate bending nonwoven fabric portion 220 is gradually increased from the first end to the end of the positive electrode plate contacting the core winding the electrode assembly 220 (220-1, 220-2, 220 -3, 220-4 and 220-n).

3 is a sectional view showing a cross section of the cathode 100, the separator 300, and the anode 200 before the jelly-roll type electrode assembly in which the active material is pattern coated according to an embodiment of the present invention is wound and pressed. to be.

3, the cathode 100 may include an anode current collector 117 and an anode flat coating unit 111, 113, 114, and 116 coated with an anode active material on the anode current collector 117 have. The negative plate flat coating portions 111 and 113 facing outward from the negative plate flat coating portions 111, 113, 114 and 116 may have a smaller width than the inward facing negative plate flat coating portions 114 and 116. However, in the coated jelly-roll type electrode assembly after being wound, the negative plate flat coating portion may have the same width. Similarly, the anode 200 may include cathode plate flat coating portions 221, 223, 224, and 226 coated with a cathode active material on the cathode current collector 227, and may be formed on the jelly- The width of the flat plate coated portion of the positive electrode plate may be the same.

Between the cathode coating portion and the cathode coating portion, the cathode bend portions 112 and 115 may be formed without coating the anode active material. The width of the bent portion of the negative electrode plate may gradually increase from the initial tip to the tip of the negative electrode 100. In addition, in consideration of the winding of the electrode assembly, the negative electrode plate bending uneven portion 115 formed therein may have a width greater than that of the negative electrode plate bending non-forming portion 112 formed at the corresponding position.

Likewise, the positive electrode plate bending uncoated portions 222 and 225 may be formed between the positive and negative electrode plate flat coating portions, respectively, without coating the positive electrode active material. The width of the bubble-free portion of the positive electrode plate may gradually increase from the initial tip of the positive electrode 200 to the end thereof. Further, in consideration of the winding of the electrode assembly, the negative electrode plate bending non-formed portion 225 formed therein may have a width greater than that of the negative electrode bending non-formed portion 222 formed at the corresponding position.

Furthermore, in the electrode assembly, the negative electrode plate, specifically, the negative electrode plate flat coating portion may include silicon oxide of SiO _x (0 <x <2) as a negative electrode active material. More specifically, the x value indicating the oxygen element content may be 0 < x &lt; = 1. If x is greater than 2, the relative amount of Si, the site of the electrochemical reaction, is small, which may lead to a reduction in the total energy density. Further, the silicon oxide may be amorphous.

The silicon oxide may be doped with at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, P, Li, Ge, Al, Mg, Ca and V.

When doped with the above-mentioned elements, the amorphization degree of the silicon oxide is increased, the growth of the Si metal agglomerate which can be formed in the reduction of the silicon oxide is suppressed, and the diffusion rate of the Li ion can be increased. As a result, it is possible to exhibit improved charging / discharging efficiency at a higher rate. More specifically, when the silicon oxide is doped, the doping element may be included in an amount of 0.05 wt% to 10 wt% based on the total weight of the negative electrode active material. If the doping element content is less than 0.05 wt%, the improvement effect by doping is insignificant, and if it exceeds 10 wt%, the energy density and irreversible capacity can be increased.

In addition, the negative electrode active material may have an average particle diameter of 1 탆 to 50 탆.

In addition, the negative electrode plate flat coating portion may further include a binder and a conductive agent together with the negative electrode active material.

The binder serves to improve the adhesion between the anode active material particles and the adhesion between the anode active material and the anode current collector. Specific examples include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), starch, hydroxypropylcellulose, regenerated cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, tetrafluoroethylene, There can be mentioned polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene-diene polymer (EPDM), sulfonated-EPDM, ethylene- (meth) acrylic acid copolymer, styrene-butadiene rubber, fluorine rubber or various copolymers thereof. One kind alone or a mixture of two or more kinds can be used.

The binder may be included in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the negative electrode plate flat coating part.

The conductive material is used for imparting conductivity to the electrode. The conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it has electron conductivity without causing chemical change. Specific examples thereof include graphite such as natural graphite and artificial graphite; Carbon-based materials such as carbon black, acetylene black, ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, summer black and carbon fiber; Metal powder or metal fibers such as copper, nickel, aluminum and silver; Conductive whiskey such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate; Conductive metal oxides such as titanium oxide; And polyphenylene derivatives. These may be used alone or in admixture of two or more.

The conductive material may be included in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the negative electrode plate flat coating portion.

(stack- Folding type  Electrode assembly)

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode plate including a positive electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of a positive electrode collector, and a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of the negative electrode collector, A stack-folding type electrode assembly in which a plurality of stacked unit electrode assemblies are stacked, each stacked portion including a separation film, and the separation film surrounds each unit electrode assembly, wherein the negative electrode active material has a composition of SiOx (0 < x &Lt; 2), and the negative electrode plate includes negative electrode plate uncoated portions at both ends of the negative electrode active material coating layer.

In the stack-folding type electrode assembly, the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, the separator, and the negative electrode active material, that is, the silicon oxide, are the same as those described above, except that the negative electrode plate includes the negative electrode plate uncoated portions at both ends.

In the case of the stack-folding type electrode assembly, since the unit electrode assembly is surrounded by the separation film, the expansion pressure of the negative electrode active material due to charging and discharging is blocked by the separation film and directed toward the inside, Cracks may occur in the negative electrode coating layer. By forming the uncoated portions of the negative electrode plate at both ends of the negative electrode coating layer, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks in the negative electrode coating layer by buffering the volume expansion of the negative electrode active material upon charging and discharging.

The length of each uncoated portion formed at both ends of the coated portion of the negative electrode active material is a value obtained by dividing the length of the negative electrode collector excluding the coated portion of the negative electrode active material by 2 divided by the length of the negative electrode collector and the length of the coated portion of the negative electrode active material . Specifically, the length of the negative electrode active material coated portion may be 75% to 90% of the length of the negative electrode collector.

In the stack-folding type electrode assembly, the separation film has a unit length that can wrap around the unit electrode assembly. The separation film is bent outward at every unit length and starts from the first unit electrode assembly to the unit electrode assembly at the end Each of the unit electrode assemblies is folded in a Z-shape, and an extra separating film is interposed in the overlapping portion of the unit electrode assembly while surrounding the outer peripheral portion of the unit electrode assembly in which the extra separation films are overlapped. So that the unit electrode assemblies are continuous to the outermost unit electrode assemblies and can be interposed in the overlapped portions of the unit electrode assemblies.

Wherein the separation film includes any one or two or more compounds selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylonitrile, and polyvinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene copolymer And may have a single layer structure comprising these compounds or a multilayer structure of two or more layers.

The separation film may be a porous film.

In addition, the electrode assembly may further include an adhesive tape or a thermally fused portion for fixing the separation film to the outermost end of the separation film.

The adhesive tape is not particularly limited as long as it is usually used for adhesion to a film. When the heat-sealed portion is formed, the separating film may be fixed by a method in which a heat-welding machine, a heat plate, or the like is brought into contact with a finished separating film so that the separating film itself is melted and fixed by heat.

In addition, in the electrode assembly, the number of unit electrode assemblies to be stacked may be determined according to a desired capacity of the final battery.

4 and 5 are cross-sectional views illustrating a stack-folding type electrode assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

The stack-folding type electrode assembly 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention having the structure shown in FIG. 4 includes negative electrode active material coating layers 111 and 114 on both surfaces of the negative electrode current collector 117 And a positive electrode plate 200 including positive electrode active material coating layers 221 and 224 on both sides of a positive electrode collector 227 are stacked via a separator 300 to form a plurality of unit electrode assemblies 400 are overlapped with each other through a separation film 500. The separation film 500 has a unit length that can cover the unit electrode assembly 400 and starts from the center unit electrode assembly with each unit length bent inward And may have a layered structure interposed between the unit electrode assemblies 400 in the overlapping portion of the unit electrode assembly 400 so as to continuously cover the unit electrode assemblies 400 up to the outermost unit electrode assembly. At this time, the negative electrode plate and the positive electrode plate have a coating layer including the electrode active material on both sides of the current collector, but a coating layer including the electrode active material on only one side of the current collector may be formed.

Also, in the electrode assembly 30, the negative electrode plate 100 includes a negative electrode coating portion 110 coated with a negative electrode active material, and negative electrode uncoated portions 120 'and 120' 'not coated with a negative electrode active material at the end of the negative electrode plate The positive electrode plate 200 may also include a positive electrode coating portion (not shown) coated with the positive electrode active material and a positive electrode uncoated portion where the positive electrode active material is not coated at the end of the positive electrode plate.

In addition, as shown in the structure of the electrode assembly 30 of FIG. 4, in the method of spirally folding the separation film 500 so as to surround the electrode assembly while stacking the unit electrode assembly 400, And can be used efficiently. In addition, the pressure generated by winding one turn after the folding causes the interface between the electrodes formed by all the unit electrode assemblies and the separation film to be squeezed. In addition, the taping of the tape 600 at the end of the separation film ensures that this pressure is maintained so that stable and continuous interfacial contact is possible.

The electrode assembly having such a structure can be manufactured by positioning the unit electrode assembly on either side of the separation film, that is, on the upper or lower surface at a predetermined interval, followed by thermal bonding and winding.

5, a stack-folding type electrode assembly 40 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes anode active material coating layers 111 and 114 on both surfaces of an anode current collector 117, And a positive electrode plate 200 including positive electrode active material coating layers 221 and 224 on both sides of a positive electrode collector 227 are stacked by a separation membrane 300, The assembly 400 is superimposed via the separation film 500 and the separation film 500 has a unit length that can cover the unit electrode assembly 400 and is bent outward per unit length, The unit electrode assemblies 400 are folded in a Z-shape continuously from an end of the unit electrode assembly to an end of the unit electrode assembly, Lt; / RTI &gt; At this time, the negative electrode plate and the positive electrode plate have a coating layer including the electrode active material on both sides of the current collector, but a coating layer including the electrode active material on only one side of the current collector may be formed.

Also, in the electrode assembly 40, the negative electrode plate 100 includes a negative electrode coating portion 110 coated with a negative electrode active material, and negative electrode uncoated portions 120 'and 120' 'not coated with a negative electrode active material at the ends of the negative electrode plate The positive electrode plate 200 may also include a positive electrode coating portion (not shown) coated with the positive electrode active material and a positive electrode uncoated portion where the positive electrode active material is not coated at the end of the positive electrode plate.

As shown in the electrode assembly 40 of FIG. 5, in the method of folding the separation film 500 into the Z shape so as to surround the electrode assembly 400 while stacking the unit electrode assembly 400, And can be used efficiently. In addition, the pressure generated by winding one turn after the folding causes the interface between the electrodes formed by all the unit electrode assemblies and the separation film to be squeezed. In addition, the taping of the tape 600 at the end of the separation film ensures that this pressure is maintained so that stable and continuous interfacial contact is possible.

The electrode assembly having such a structure can be manufactured by alternately crossing the unit electrode assemblies on the upper and lower surfaces of the separation film, thermally adhering, winding, and finally winding the separation film one by one.

Secondary battery

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a secondary battery including the electrode assembly.

The electrode assembly may be used in a cylindrical secondary battery, a prismatic secondary battery, or a pouch type secondary battery. In an embodiment of the present invention, since the electrode assembly is manufactured by winding and pressing, it is more preferable to use it in a prismatic secondary battery.

For example, in the case of a prismatic secondary battery having the jelly-roll type electrode assembly, the jelly-roll type electrode assembly is embedded in a rectangular metal case, and a top cap having protruding electrode terminals formed at the open upper end of the case It is composed of structures that are combined. The negative electrode plate of the jelly-roll type electrode assembly is electrically connected to the lower end of the negative electrode terminal on the top cap through the negative electrode tab, and such negative electrode terminal is insulated from the top cap by the insulating member. On the other hand, the positive electrode plate of the jelly-roll type electrode assembly is electrically connected to a top cap whose anode tab is made of a conductive material such as aluminum, stainless steel or the like to form a positive electrode terminal itself. In addition, in order to ensure electrical insulation between the jelly-roll type electrode assembly and the top cap except for the electrode tabs, a sheet-shaped insulating member is inserted between the case and the jelly-roll type electrode assembly, And weld them along the contact surfaces of the case. Then, a prismatic secondary battery including a jelly-roll type electrode assembly can be manufactured by injecting an electrolyte solution through an electrolyte injection port, sealing it with a metal ball, and applying a welding portion with epoxy or the like.

Battery module and battery pack

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a battery module including the lithium secondary battery as a unit cell and a battery pack including the battery module.

The battery module or the battery pack may include a power tool; An electric vehicle including an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV); Or a power storage system, as shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[ Example  1: Jelly- Roll type  The electrode assembly and The lithium secondary battery  Produce]

Amorphous SiOx (0 < x < 2) silicon oxide, carbon black conductive material and PVdF binder as a negative electrode active material were mixed in a N-methylpyrrolidone solvent in a weight ratio of 85: 10: 5 to prepare a composition for forming an anode And this was applied to the entire copper collector to prepare a negative electrode. The negative electrode plate flat coating portions are patterned so that the negative electrode active material coating portions are formed in a region corresponding to the flat portion of the electrode assembly when the negative electrode coating composition is applied, The width of the negative electrode plate contacting the core was gradually increased from the initial tip to the end. The negative plate uncoated portions were respectively formed in the winding start portion and the winding end portion of the negative electrode plate.

_{Further, LiNi 0 .5 Mn 0 .3 Co} 0 .2 O 2 A positive electrode active material, a carbon black conductive material and a PVdF binder were mixed in a N-methylpyrrolidone solvent in a weight ratio of 90: 5: 5 to prepare a positive electrode composition, which was applied to an aluminum current collector, To prepare a positive electrode. At this time, the composition for forming an anode was applied in the same manner as in the cathode.

A jelly-roll type electrode assembly is manufactured by winding and rolling a porous polyethylene separator between the anode and the cathode thus prepared, placing the electrode assembly in the case, injecting a non-aqueous electrolyte into the case, A secondary battery was manufactured. At this time, the nonaqueous electrolyte was prepared by dissolving lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF ₆ ) at a concentration of 1.15 M in an organic solvent composed of ethylene carbonate / dimethyl carbonate / ethyl methyl carbonate (mixed volume ratio of EC / EMC / DEC = 3/4/3) (LiODFB) and 1% by weight of vinylene carbonate (VC) based on the total weight of the non-aqueous electrolyte.

[ Example  2: Stack- Folding type  The electrode assembly and The lithium secondary battery  Produce]

Amorphous SiOx (0 < x < 2) silicon oxide, carbon black conductive material and PVdF binder as a negative electrode active material were mixed in a N-methylpyrrolidone solvent in a weight ratio of 85: 10: 5 to prepare a composition for forming an anode And this was coated on both sides of the copper collector to prepare a negative electrode. At this time, the composition for forming an anode was applied to a length corresponding to 90% of the length of the copper collector so that a cathode uncoated portion having no coating of the negative electrode active material was formed on both ends of the negative electrode coating layer.

_{Further, LiNi 0 .5 Mn 0 .3 Co} 0 .2 O 2 The cathode active material, the carbon black conductive material and the PVdF binder were mixed in a N-methylpyrrolidone solvent in a weight ratio of 90: 5: 5 to prepare a composition for forming a positive electrode, which was applied on both sides of the aluminum current collector, Dried and rolled to produce a positive electrode. At this time, the composition for forming an anode was coated on both ends of the aluminum current collector so that a cathode uncoated portion not coated with a cathode active material was coated.

A 16 占 퐉 -thick polypropylene film having a microporous structure was used as a first polymer separator (thickness: 1 占 퐉), and a polyvinylidene fluoride-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer 32008 of Solvay Polymer Co. To prepare a multi-layered polymer film (thickness: 18 탆) composed of a gelled secondary polymer. The prepared multi-layered polymer films were used as separation membranes and separation films, respectively.

The positive electrode and the negative electrode prepared above were laminated via a multilayer polymer film, passed through a roll laminator at 100 ° C, and each electrode and the separator were thermally fused to each other to form a unit electrode assembly.

In addition, the multi-layered polymer film prepared above was cut and prepared, and then the five unit electrode assemblies prepared above were placed on the multi-layered polymer film, and the initial two unit electrode assemblies were arranged in the width direction of the unit electrode assembly Thickness), and the third or more unit electrode assemblies were disposed with increasing spacing width as the thickness increased during winding. The unit electrode assembly was bonded to the multi-layered polymer film through the roll laminator as it was. The electrode assemblies were manufactured by folding and winding from the first unit electrode assembly adhered to the first unit, and then tapping and fixing the unit electrode assemblies with a tape.

After the electrode assembly was placed inside the case, a non-aqueous electrolyte was injected into the case to prepare a lithium secondary battery. At this time, the nonaqueous electrolyte was prepared by dissolving lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF ₆ ) at a concentration of 1.15 M in an organic solvent composed of ethylene carbonate / dimethyl carbonate / ethyl methyl carbonate (mixed volume ratio of EC / EMC / DEC = 3/4/3) , And then adding 0.5% by weight of LiODFB and 1% by weight of vinylene carbonate (VC) based on the total weight of the non-aqueous electrolyte.

[ Example  3: Stack- Folding type  The electrode assembly and The lithium secondary battery  Produce]

Example 2 was carried out in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the unit electrode assembly was alternately arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the multi-layer polymer film when the unit electrode assembly was placed on the multi-layer polymer film .

[ Comparative Example  1: Jelly- Roll type  The electrode assembly and The lithium secondary battery  Produce]

A jelly-roll type electrode assembly and a lithium secondary battery were fabricated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the composition for forming the negative electrode and the composition for forming the positive electrode were applied without patterning during the application of the composition for the positive electrode in Example 1.

[ Experimental Example : Evaluation of thickness expansion]

Charging / discharging was performed 500 times at 10 C / 10 C in a driving voltage range of 2.8 to 4.1 V at room temperature (25 캜) with respect to the lithium secondary battery manufactured in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, Respectively. The results are shown in Table 1.

Example 1 Comparative Example 1 % Change in Thickness of Electrode Assembly Cycle 100 times 6.9 7.1 200 times 8.0 8.0 300 times 8.8 10.5 500 times 10.4 15.5

As shown in Table 1, the lithium secondary battery of Example 1 in which an uncoated portion free from active material was formed at the bent portion of the electrode assembly had a smaller change in thickness than the battery of Comparative Example 1 even when the cycle was increased.

Meanwhile, the lithium secondary battery of Example 1 after the above experiment was observed by CT (computed tomography) (observation magnification: 5 times). The results are shown in Fig.

In Fig. 6, the white portion at both ends of the electrode assembly means an uncoated portion in which the active material is not coated. As shown in Fig. 6, in the lithium secondary battery of Example 1, deformation in the electrode was hardly observed.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and that those of ordinary skill in the art can readily understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

10: electrode assembly
11: electrode assembly flat part
12: electrode assembly bend
100: cathode plate
110: Negative electrode plate flat coating part
120: negative plate bending plain portion
200: positive electrode plate
210: Positive electrode plate flat coating portion
220: positive plate bending plain portion
300: membrane
400: unit electrode assembly
500: Separation film
600: tape

Claims (22)

A positive electrode plate including a positive electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of a positive electrode collector and a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of the negative electrode collector,
Wherein the negative electrode active material contains silicon oxide of SiOx (0 < x < 2)
The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode plate flat coating portion positioned in correspondence with the flat portion of the electrode assembly and coated with the negative electrode active material; Wherein the winding start portion and the winding end portion of the negative electrode plate each include a negative electrode plate non-coin portion, wherein the negative electrode plate uncoated portion is located at a position corresponding to the bent portion of the electrode assembly and has no negative electrode active material coated thereon.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the silicon oxide has an amorphous structure.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the negative electrode plate flat coating portion has the same width.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a width of the negative electrode plate is gradually increased from an initial tip to an end of the negative electrode plate in contact with the core wound around the electrode assembly.
The method according to claim 1,
And an insulating tape is further provided on both ends of the flat plate coating portion of the negative electrode plate.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the insulating tape comprises any one or two or more selected from the group consisting of polyimide, acetate, glass fiber, polyester, polyphenylene sulfide, and polypropylene.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a curvature radius of the first bending uncoated portion of the negative electrode plate is smaller than a curvature radius of the first bending uncoated portion of the positive electrode plate.
The method according to claim 1,
The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode plate flat coating portion positioned in correspondence with the electrode assembly flat portion and coated with the positive electrode active material; And a positive electrode plate bending unfitted portion corresponding to the bent portion of the electrode assembly and not coated with the positive electrode active material.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the positive electrode bending nonwoven fabric has a stepwise increase in width from a first end to an end of the positive electrode plate contacting the core winding the electrode assembly.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein a curvature radius of the first bending flat portion of the positive electrode plate is smaller than a radius of curvature of the first bending flat portion of the negative electrode plate.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the winding start portion and the winding end portion of the positive electrode plate each include a positive electrode plate uncoated portion.
The method according to claim 1,
And a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab which are positioned in the vertical direction.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the separation membrane extends from the cathode end portion by 5 mm or more.
A plurality of unit electrode assemblies in which a positive electrode plate including a positive electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of a positive electrode collector and a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode active material coating portion on at least one surface of the negative electrode collector are stacked via a separator are stacked, And a separating film interposed between the separating film and the unit electrode assembly,
Wherein the negative active material comprises silicon oxide of SiOx (0 < x < 2), and
Wherein the negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode plate uncoated portion at both ends of the negative electrode active material coating portion.
15. The method of claim 14,
And the length of the negative electrode active material coating portion is 75 to 90% of the length of the negative electrode collector.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the separating film further comprises an adhesive tape for fixing a separating film or a thermally fused portion at an outermost end of the separating film.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the separation film comprises any one or two or more compounds selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylonitrile, and polyvinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene copolymer And an electrode assembly for a secondary battery.
A secondary battery comprising the electrode assembly according to claim 1 or claim 14.
A battery module comprising the lithium secondary battery according to claim 18 as a unit cell.
A battery pack comprising the battery module according to claim 19.
21. The method of claim 20,
A battery pack that is used as a power source for mid- to large-sized devices.
22. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the middle- or large-sized device is selected from the group consisting of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and a system for power storage.

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