KR20220009095A - Drying apparatus and manufacturing apparatus for electrode comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drying apparatus and an electrode drying method including the same. The drying apparatus of the present invention comprises: a drying oven in which a space in which a substrate is dried is formed; and a nozzle for spraying a hot air toward the substrate in the drying oven. The nozzle includes: a main body unit fixed to the drying oven; and a spray unit which communicates with the main body unit and wherein a discharge port through which the hot air is sprayed on the lower surface thereof is formed. An opening for discharging an air inside the nozzle is formed in at least one of both side surfaces of the spray unit in the width direction. An objective of the present invention is to provide the drying apparatus capable of preventing problems such as wrinkles and cracks, and an electrode manufacturing apparatus including the same.

Description

DRYING APPARATUS AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRODE COMPRISING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a drying apparatus and an electrode manufacturing apparatus including the same.

Recently, rechargeable batteries capable of charging and discharging have been widely used as energy sources for wireless mobile devices. In addition, the secondary battery is attracting attention as an energy source for electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, etc., which have been proposed as a way to solve air pollution of conventional gasoline vehicles and diesel vehicles using fossil fuels. Accordingly, the types of applications using secondary batteries are diversifying due to the advantages of secondary batteries, and it is expected that secondary batteries will be applied to more fields and products in the future than now.

These secondary batteries are sometimes classified into lithium ion batteries, lithium ion polymer batteries, lithium polymer batteries, etc. depending on the composition of the electrode and electrolyte. is increasing In general, secondary batteries, depending on the shape of the battery case, a cylindrical battery and a prismatic battery in which the electrode assembly is built in a cylindrical or prismatic metal can, and a pouch-type battery in which the electrode assembly is built in a pouch-type case of an aluminum laminate sheet The electrode assembly built into the battery case consists of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator structure interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and is a power generating element capable of charging and discharging. It is classified into a jelly-roll type wound with a separator interposed therebetween, and a stack type in which a plurality of positive and negative electrodes of a predetermined size are sequentially stacked with a separator interposed therebetween.

The positive electrode is formed by coating a positive electrode slurry containing a positive electrode active material on a positive electrode current collector, and the negative electrode is formed by coating a negative electrode slurry containing a negative electrode active material on a negative electrode current collector. At this time, when the slurry is applied on the current collector, a process of drying it may be performed. In this case, an electrode drying device may be used, and the electrode drying device generally accompanies the electrode in an oven and then dries the electrode by spraying hot air. In this case, a nozzle for spraying hot air into the electrode oven may be installed in the oven for hot air spraying.

1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of a nozzle in a conventional drying apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the nozzle 1 has a structure in which a discharge port 2 capable of spraying hot air is formed on a lower surface facing a substrate to be dried (not shown). At this time, one or more nozzles may be formed in the oven constituting the drying apparatus.

Meanwhile, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a movement pattern of hot air in a conventional drying apparatus.

In FIG. 2, (a) shows a cross section in the coating direction (MD direction) of the oven, and (b) shows a cross section in the width direction (TD direction) of the oven nozzle. Referring to FIG. 2 , when the electrode to be dried is transferred in the coating direction (x-axis direction, the transfer direction of the electrode), hot air is sprayed from the nozzle in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. At this time, based on the width direction of the electrode, both edges of the electrode dry faster than the center. Specifically, since the hot air from the nozzle cannot escape due to the oven in the upper direction (z-axis direction) of the electrode, the hot air escapes only in the width direction (y-axis direction) of both sides of the nozzle. In this case, although the cross section between the nozzle and the electrode is constant along the width direction, since hot air continues to come out from the nozzle, the hot air sprayed from the center in the width direction overlaps with the hot air sprayed from the edge portion in the width direction of the electrode. The faster the flow, the faster it gets. As described above, since the flow velocity of both edges of the electrode in the width direction is faster than that of the center, the drying speed of both edges is also faster than that of the center.

In this way, when the electrode drying speed is different, the thickness and adhesive strength of the electrode along the width direction of the electrode are varied, and thus problems such as detachment, wrinkles, and cracks may occur during the electrode manufacturing process.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a technology to solve the difference in drying rate and improve the quality of the electrode.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0079782

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and by reducing the difference in drying speed that occurs along the width direction in the substrate to be dried, the deviation that may occur in the thickness and adhesion of the electrode is reduced, and thus the electrode manufacturing process An object of the present invention is to provide a drying apparatus capable of preventing problems such as detachment, wrinkles, and cracks in the apparatus, and an electrode manufacturing apparatus including the same.

A drying apparatus according to the present invention includes a drying oven in which a space for drying a substrate is formed, and a nozzle for spraying hot air toward a substrate in the drying oven,

The nozzle may include a main body fixed to the drying oven; It communicates with the main body and includes a spraying part having a discharge port on which the hot air is sprayed on a lower surface, and at least one of both side surfaces of the spraying part in the width direction is formed with an opening for discharging the air inside the nozzle.

In the drying apparatus according to the present invention, the discharge port has a structure in which a plurality of vent holes are arranged at regular intervals.

In the drying apparatus according to the present invention, the opening has a structure in which a plurality of ventilation holes are arranged at regular intervals.

In the drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the vent hole is circular.

In the drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, the vent hole has a slit shape formed in a direction parallel to or perpendicular to the substrate.

In the drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle further includes a control member mounted on a side surface in which the opening is formed to adjust the flow rate of air discharged through the opening.

In a specific example, the adjusting member is a plate-shaped member sized to completely cover the opening formed in the side surface.

In a specific example, the nozzle is formed at the lower end of the spraying unit, and further includes a guide member for assisting the movement of the adjusting member.

At this time, the guide member, the adjustment member is inserted, the groove extending parallel to the side surface of the injection unit is formed to be slidably movable on the guide member is formed.

In addition, the width of the groove formed in the guide member corresponds to the thickness of the adjustment member.

In a specific example, both ends of the groove formed in the guide member have an open structure.

In a specific example, the drying apparatus according to the present invention further includes a blowing fan located in the main body and generating a hot air flow in the nozzle.

In a specific example, the drying apparatus according to the present invention is formed under the nozzle, and further includes a transfer unit for transferring the substrate in the space to be dried.\

In addition, the present invention provides an electrode manufacturing apparatus including the drying apparatus as described above.

The drying apparatus and the electrode manufacturing apparatus including the same according to the present invention form openings through which air can be discharged on both sides of the nozzle in the width direction to reduce the hot air discharged from the discharge ports formed at the edge of the nozzle in the width direction. It is possible to reduce the difference in drying speed occurring along the width direction of the substrate.

In addition, the drying apparatus and the electrode manufacturing apparatus including the same according to the present invention can reduce variations that may occur in the thickness and adhesive force of the electrode, and thus can prevent problems such as detachment, wrinkles and cracks in the electrode manufacturing process.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a nozzle in a conventional drying apparatus.
2 is a schematic diagram showing a movement pattern of hot air in a conventional drying apparatus.
3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of a nozzle included in a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a side view illustrating a shape of a side surface in a width direction of the nozzle according to FIG. 4 .
6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of a nozzle included in a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a side view illustrating a shape of a side surface in a width direction of the nozzle according to FIG. 6 .
8 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of a nozzle included in a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a side view showing the shape of the coating direction side of the nozzle according to FIG. 8 .
10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an electrode manufacturing apparatus including a drying apparatus according to the present invention.
11 is a graph showing the heat flux of the nozzle according to the embodiment and the comparative example of the present invention with respect to the surface facing the electrode.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail. Prior to this, the terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to conventional or dictionary meanings, and the inventor should properly understand the concept of the term in order to best describe his invention. It should be interpreted as meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it can be defined in

In the present application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or a combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It is to be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Also, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be “on” another part, it includes not only the case where the other part is “directly on” but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be “under” another part, it includes not only cases where it is “directly under” another part, but also cases where another part is in between. In addition, in the present application, “on” may include the case of being disposed not only on the upper part but also on the lower part.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the drying apparatus 100 according to the present invention provides a drying oven 120 in which a space for drying the substrate 110 is formed, and hot air is blown toward the substrate 110 in the drying oven 120 . It includes a nozzle 130 for spraying.

At this time, the nozzle 130 may include a main body 131 fixed to the drying oven 120 ; It communicates with the main body 131 and includes a spraying part 132 having a discharge port (not shown) through which hot air is sprayed on the lower surface, and at least one of both sides in the width direction of the spraying part 132 has a nozzle inside the nozzle. An opening 134 for evacuating air is formed.

On the other hand, in the specification according to the present invention, the z-axis is a direction perpendicular to the substrate and means the direction in which the hot air is sprayed, the x-axis means the transport direction of the substrate (MD direction), and the y-axis is the width direction of the electrode or nozzle (TD). direction).

As described above, in the nozzle formed in the drying apparatus, a discharge port for discharging hot air is formed on the lower surface facing the substrate to be dried, and the hot air discharged from the center of the nozzle overlaps with the hot air discharged from the edge of the electrode. Since the flow velocity of the hot air increases toward the width direction, the drying rate is faster at both edges of the electrode than in the center in the width direction of the electrode.

In the drying apparatus 100 according to the present invention, openings 134 through which air can be discharged are formed on both sides of the nozzle 130 in the width direction, and the hot air discharged from the outlet formed at the edge of the nozzle 130 in the width direction is discharged. By reducing the drying rate, a difference in drying speed occurring along the width direction in the drying target substrate 110 may be reduced.

Accordingly, the drying apparatus according to the present invention can reduce variations that may occur in the thickness and adhesive force of the electrode, thereby preventing problems such as detachment, wrinkles, and cracks in the electrode manufacturing process.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the drying apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail.

First, referring to FIG. 3 , the drying apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a drying oven 120 . The drying oven 120 has a chamber-shaped space in which the substrate 110 is dried, so that the drying target substrate 110 is temporarily accommodated in the drying process, and internal heat escapes to the outside for drying. can be prevented The substrate 110 may be in a state including various solvents, for example, water, oil, NMP, and the like.

Meanwhile, in the drying oven 120 , a nozzle 130 for drying the substrate 110 by spraying hot air to the substrate 110 is formed. A plurality of nozzles 130 may be formed for drying efficiency. In this case, the plurality of nozzles 130 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along the transport direction (MD direction) of the substrate 110 . . 3 illustrates that the nozzle 130 is formed only on the upper surface of the substrate 110 , the nozzle 130 may also be located on the lower surface of the substrate 110 .

4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of a nozzle included in a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a shape of a width direction side surface of the nozzle according to FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 together with FIG. 3 , the nozzle 130 includes a body part 131 and a spray part 132 .

The body part 131 constitutes the body of the nozzle 130 , and the nozzle 130 is fixed to one surface of the drying oven 120 . In addition, the main body 131 has an empty interior, and serves to transmit the hot air transmitted from the hot air supply unit (not shown) to the injection unit 132 . Also, a blowing fan 135 for supplying hot air may be formed in the main body 131 , as will be described later.

A spraying part 132 is provided on a lower surface of the main body 131 . The injection unit 132 communicates with the main body 131 , and a discharge port 133 through which hot air is injected is formed on a lower surface of the injection unit 132 .

The discharge port 133 has a structure in which a plurality of vent holes are arranged at regular intervals. The arrangement interval and arrangement form of the ventilation holes constituting the discharge port 133 may be appropriately designed according to the drying process and the substrate to be dried. For example, the arrangement spacing of the ventilation holes over the entire surface of the lower surface of the injection unit 132 may be the same. In addition, the width direction edge portion of the nozzle 130 can reduce the number of vents per unit area by arranging the vents with a large spacing, and the central portion of the nozzle 130 has the vents per unit area by reducing the spacing of the vents. The number of vents can be increased.

The size and shape of the vents constituting the discharge port 133 may also be appropriately designed according to the drying process and the substrate to be dried. For example, by making the size and shape of the vents constituting the outlet 133 the same, the flow rate of hot air injected per vent may be the same. In this case, the flow rate of the hot air injected through the outlet 133 may be adjusted by the arrangement interval and arrangement of the ventilation holes. In addition, the size and shape of the vent formed in the discharge port 133 may be changed according to the width direction of the nozzle. For example, by designing the size (diameter) of the vents larger from the edge to the center along the width direction (y-axis direction) of the nozzle, the flow rate of hot air sprayed from the edge is reduced compared to the central portion, and accordingly, the width of the substrate It is possible to reduce the deviation of the drying speed according to the direction.

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 together with FIG. 3 , an opening 134 for discharging air inside the nozzle is formed in at least one of both side surfaces of the spray unit 132 in the width direction. More specifically, the openings 134 may be formed on both sides of the injection unit 132 in the width direction. The opening 134 has a structure in which a plurality of vent holes are arranged at regular intervals, and through this, the hot air at the edge of the nozzle 130 in the width direction can be dispersed and discharged.

That is, in the drying apparatus 100 according to the present invention, the discharge port 133 at the width direction edge of the lower surface of the spray unit 132 through the opening 134 for discharging the internal air on the width direction side of the spray unit 132 . ) can reduce the flow rate of hot air discharged from Accordingly, even if the hot air sprayed from the central outlet 133 in the width direction of the lower surface of the spraying unit 132 overlaps with the hot air sprayed from the edge portion outlet 133, the difference in flow rate and flow rate between the hot air sprayed from the center and the hot air sprayed from the edge can be reduced, and consequently, a difference in drying speed occurring along the width direction in the drying target substrate 110 can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce variations that may occur in the thickness and adhesive strength of the electrode, and thereby prevent problems such as detachment, wrinkles, and cracks in the electrode manufacturing process.

The size and shape of the vents constituting the opening 134 may be appropriately designed according to the drying process and the substrate to be dried. For example, referring to, the vent hole may be circular. Accordingly, the ventilation holes may be arranged in a checkerboard pattern on the width direction side of the nozzle.

In this case, the shape and size of the vents constituting the opening 134 may be the same. This is to adjust the flow rate of hot air to be constantly changed according to the moving distance of the adjusting member when the adjusting member for adjusting the area of the opening is moved as will be described later. In addition, for this purpose, the arrangement interval and arrangement form of the vents constituting the opening 134 may be constant.

Meanwhile, FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a structure of a nozzle included in a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a side view showing the shape of the width direction side of the nozzle according to FIG. 6 .

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 together with FIG. 3 , the nozzle 230 includes a body part 231 and a spray part 232 . A blowing fan 235 for supplying hot air may be formed in the main body 231 , as will be described later. A spraying part 232 is provided on the lower surface of the main body 231 , and the spraying part 232 communicates with the main body 231 , and a discharge port 233 through which hot air is sprayed on the lower surface of the spraying part 232 . is formed The discharge port 233 has a structure in which a plurality of vent holes are arranged at regular intervals. The description of the discharge port 233 is the same as described above.

Also, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 together with FIG. 3 , an opening 234 for discharging air inside the nozzle is formed in at least one of both side surfaces of the spray unit 232 in the width direction. More specifically, the openings 234 may be formed on both sides of the injection unit 232 in the width direction. The opening 234 has a structure in which a plurality of vent holes are arranged at regular intervals, and through this, the hot air in the width direction edge portion of the nozzle can be discharged.

In this case, the vent hole may have a slit shape formed in a direction parallel to or perpendicular to the substrate. In this case, the ventilation holes may be arranged in parallel to the side surface of the injection unit 232 at a predetermined interval in the width direction. For example, the slit-shaped ventilation holes may be arranged perpendicular to the transport direction (x-axis direction) of the substrate.

In this case, the shape and size of the vents constituting the opening 234 may be the same. This is to adjust the flow rate of hot air to be constantly changed according to the movement of the adjusting member when the adjusting member for adjusting the area of the opening is moved as will be described later. In addition, for this purpose, the arrangement interval and arrangement form of the vents constituting the opening may be constant.

8 is a perspective view schematically showing a structure of a nozzle included in a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a side view showing the shape of the coating direction side of the nozzle according to FIG. 8 .

8 and 9 , the nozzle 330 includes a body part 331 and a spray part 332 . A spraying part 332 is provided on a lower surface of the main body 331, the spraying part 332 communicates with the main body 331, and a discharge port 333 through which hot air is sprayed on the lower surface of the spraying part 332. is formed An opening 334 for discharging air inside the nozzle is formed in at least one of both sides of the injection unit 332 in the width direction.

In this case, the nozzle 330 further includes a control member 335 mounted on a side surface where the opening 334 is formed to adjust the flow rate of air discharged through the opening 334 . The drying apparatus according to the present invention adjusts the flow rate of the hot air discharged from the opening 334 through the adjusting member 335, so that the amount of hot air supplied to the nozzle and the content of the solvent included in the drying target substrate are adjusted. The drying speed of the center and edge portions in the width direction can be appropriately adjusted. When the openings 334 are formed on both sides of the injection unit 332 in the width direction, the adjustment member 335 may also be mounted on both sides of the injection unit 332 in the width direction.

The adjusting member 335 is a plate-shaped member sized to completely cover the opening 334 formed on the side surface of the injection unit 332 in the width direction. The adjustment member 335 may be disposed parallel to the side surface on which the opening 334 is formed, and in more detail, may be in close contact with the side surface on which the opening 334 is formed. The adjusting member 335 may control the flow rate of the hot air discharged from the opening 334 by opening and closing the opening while moving in a direction parallel to the transfer direction of the substrate along the side surface on which the opening 334 is formed. That is, in the present invention, the flow rate of the hot air discharged through the opening 334 may be controlled by adjusting the number or area of the vents constituting the opening 334 .

In addition, in the drying apparatus according to the present invention, the nozzle 330 is formed at the lower end of the spray unit 332 , and further includes a guide member 336 that assists the movement of the adjustment member 335 . Specifically, the guide member 336 is positioned on the lower surface of the adjustment member 335 to support the adjustment member 335 and assist the movement of the adjustment member 335 .

The guide member 336 has the adjusting member 335 inserted therein, the groove (A) extending parallel to the side of the opening 334 of the injection unit 332 formed so as to be slidably movable on the guide member 336 . this is formed That is, the groove (A) extends in a direction parallel to the transport direction of the substrate. The groove A fixes the adjustment member 335 to prevent the adjustment member 335 from flowing, and induces the movement of the adjustment member 335 .

The width of the groove A formed in the guide member 336 may correspond to the thickness of the adjusting member 335 to stably fix the adjusting member 335 .

In addition, both ends of the groove (A) formed in the guide member 336 may have an open structure. Through this, the opening can be opened and closed while the adjustment member 335 freely reciprocates on the groove formed in the guide member 336 .

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 3 to 7 , the drying apparatus 100 according to the present invention is located in the body parts 131 and 231 , and a blowing fan 135 for generating hot air flow in the nozzles 130 and 230 . , 235) may be further included. Specifically, a plurality of the blowing fans 135 and 235 may be included in the nozzle.

In addition, referring to FIG. 3 , the drying apparatus 100 according to the present invention further includes a transfer unit 140 formed under the nozzle and configured to transfer the substrate 110 in the space to be dried. The transfer unit 140 is located on the lower surface of the substrate 110 . 3 shows that the nozzle 130 is formed only on the upper portion of the substrate 110 . When the nozzle 130 is formed on both the upper and lower portions of the substrate 110 , the transfer unit 140 includes the nozzle formed on the upper portion and the lower portion of the substrate 110 . It is located between the nozzles formed in the

In addition, the transfer unit 140 may have a roll shape. A plurality of the conveying units 140 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals along the conveying direction of the substrate 110 , and support the substrate 110 during the drying process, and the dried substrate 110 may be dried in the drying apparatus 100 . transport out

In addition, the drying apparatus according to the present invention may further include a hot air controller (not shown) for controlling the temperature, wind speed, and air volume of the hot air, respectively. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately change the temperature, wind speed, and air volume of the hot air according to the dry state of the substrate.

The control unit measures the drying state of the substrate in real time and reflects it in the drying process. Specifically, since the control unit includes a temperature sensor for measuring the change in the surface temperature of the substrate or a sensor for measuring the moisture content of the substrate, the drying conditions of the substrate through the measurement of the surface temperature change or moisture content change of the substrate during the drying process of the substrate It is possible to measure the drying rate according to In this way, it is possible to feed back the data necessary for the real-time change of the drying process conditions.

When the control unit measures the dry state of the substrate, it is reflected in the drying process. Specifically, by controlling the rotation speed of the blowing fan, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the hot air injected from the outlet of the nozzle. In addition, the drying rate can be controlled by controlling the moving speed of the substrate. In addition, by controlling the movement of the adjusting member, it is possible to control the deviation of the drying speed in the central portion and the edge portion in the width direction of the substrate.

Meanwhile, in the drying apparatus according to the present invention, the drying target substrate may be, for example, an electrode. Specifically, the electrode is formed by coating an electrode slurry including an electrode active material on a current collector. The current collector may be a positive electrode current collector or a negative electrode current collector, and the electrode active material may be a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material. In addition, the electrode slurry may further include a conductive material and a binder in addition to the electrode active material.

In the present invention, the positive electrode current collector is generally made to have a thickness of 3 to 500 μm. The positive electrode current collector is not particularly limited as long as it has high conductivity without causing chemical change in the battery. For example, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, or aluminum or stainless steel. Carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, etc. surface-treated on the surface of the can be used. The current collector may increase the adhesion of the positive electrode active material by forming fine irregularities on the surface thereof, and various forms such as a film, sheet, foil, net, porous body, foam body, and non-woven body are possible.

In the case of a sheet for a negative electrode current collector, it is generally made to a thickness of 3 to 500 μm. Such a negative current collector is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing chemical change in the battery. For example, the surface of copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, copper or stainless steel. Carbon, nickel, titanium, a surface-treated material such as silver, aluminum-cadmium alloy, etc. may be used. In addition, like the positive electrode current collector, the bonding strength of the negative electrode active material may be strengthened by forming fine irregularities on the surface, and may be used in various forms such as a film, sheet, foil, net, porous body, foam, non-woven body, and the like.

In the present invention, the positive active material is a material capable of causing an electrochemical reaction, as a lithium transition metal oxide, containing two or more transition metals, for example, lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO _{2 ) substituted with one or more transition metals.} ), layered compounds such as lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO _{2 );} lithium manganese oxide substituted with one or more transition metals; Formula LiNi _1-y M _y O ₂ (wherein M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, Cr, Zn or Ga and includes at least one of the above elements, 0.01≤y≤0.7) Lithium nickel-based oxide represented by; Li _1+z Ni _1/3 Co _1/3 Mn _1/3 O ₂ , Li _1+z Ni _0.4 Mn _0.4 Co _0.2 O _{2 ,} etc. Li _1+z Ni _b Mn _c Co _{1-(b+c+d )} M _d O _(2-e) A _e (where -0.5≤z≤0.5, 0.1≤b≤0.8, 0.1≤c≤0.8, 0≤d≤0.2, 0≤e≤0.2, b+c+d <1, M = Al, Mg, Cr, Ti, Si or Y, and A = F, P or Cl) a lithium nickel cobalt manganese composite oxide; Formula Li _1+x M _1-y M' _y PO _4-z X _z where M = transition metal, preferably Fe, Mn, Co or Ni, M' = Al, Mg or Ti, X = F, S, or N, and -0.5≤x≤+0.5, 0≤y≤0.5, 0≤z≤0.1 olivine-based lithium metal phosphate represented by), but is not limited thereto.

The negative electrode active material includes, for example, carbon such as non-graphitizable carbon and graphitic carbon; Li _x Fe ₂ O ₃ (0≤x≤1), Li _x WO ₂ (0≤x≤1), Sn _x Me _1-x Me' _y O _z (Me: Mn, Fe, Pb, Ge; Me' : metal composite oxides such as Al, B, P, Si, elements of Groups 1, 2, and 3 of the periodic table, halogen; 0<x≤1;1≤y≤3;1≤z≤8); lithium metal; lithium alloy; silicon-based alloys; tin-based alloys; SnO, SnO ₂ , PbO, PbO ₂ , Pb ₂ O ₃ , Pb ₃ O ₄ , Sb ₂ O ₃ , Sb ₂ O ₄ , Sb ₂ O ₅ , GeO, GeO ₂ , Bi ₂ O ₃ , Bi ₂ O ₄ , metal oxides such as Bi ₂ O _{5 ;} conductive polymers such as polyacetylene; A Li-Co-Ni-based material or the like can be used.

The conductive material is typically added in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture including the positive active material. Such a conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing a chemical change in the battery. For example, graphite such as natural graphite or artificial graphite; carbon black, such as carbon black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and summer black; conductive fibers such as carbon fibers and metal fibers; metal powders such as carbon fluoride, aluminum, and nickel powder; conductive whiskeys such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate; conductive metal oxides such as titanium oxide; Conductive materials such as polyphenylene derivatives may be used.

The binder is a component that assists in bonding between the active material and the conductive material and bonding to the current collector, and is typically added in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture including the positive electrode active material. Examples of such binders include polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), starch, hydroxypropylcellulose, regenerated cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, tetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, poly propylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), sulfonated EPDM, styrene butyrene rubber, fluororubber, various copolymers, and the like.

In addition, the present invention provides an electrode manufacturing apparatus including the drying apparatus as described above.

10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an electrode manufacturing apparatus including a drying apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the electrode manufacturing apparatus 400 according to the present embodiment is disposed along the moving direction of the electrode current collector 410 continuously advancing along a transfer conveyor (not shown), and the electrode current collector 410 . A coating die 430 for applying the electrode slurry 420 to the surface of a drying device 100 for drying the electrode slurry 420 applied on the electrode current collector 410, the drying device 100 and a rolling part 440 for pressing the electrode current collector 410 that has been subjected to the upper roll and the lower roll in close contact with each other. The slurry supply nozzle 431 connected to the coating die is connected to the tank 433 in which the electrode slurry 420 is stored via the supply pump 432 .

As described above, the electrode current collector 410 may be either a negative electrode current collector or a positive electrode current collector. The electrode current collector 410 continuously passes through the coating die 430 and the drying device 100 , and the electrode slurry 420 is applied to a predetermined thickness and dried, and then passes through the rolling unit 440 while passing through the upper roll and the lower portion. After being pressed through pressing by a roll, it is cut to an appropriate length and manufactured as an anode or cathode.

The electrode slurry 420 is formed by stirring the active material in a mixed state with a binder, a conductive agent, and a solvent in a mixer (not shown), and the electrode slurry is filtered through a sieve or filter to increase the degree of dispersion. It is raised and then transferred to the coating die.

In this case, the drying apparatus 100 may be a drying apparatus according to the present invention. The drying device applies hot air at a predetermined temperature to the electrode current collector that has entered the inside to dry the electrode mixture applied on the electrode current collector.

Hereinafter, examples will be given to help the understanding of the present invention be described in detail. However, the embodiments according to the present invention may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following examples. The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art.

production example

_{96.7 parts by weight of Li[Ni 0.6} Mn _0.2 Co _0.2 ]O ₂ functioning as an electrode active material, 1.3 parts by weight of graphite functioning as a conductive material, and 2.0 parts by weight of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) functioning as a binder were mixed. This was dispersed in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone serving as a solvent to prepare an electrode slurry. This slurry was coated on one surface of an aluminum foil having a thickness of 20 μm to prepare an electrode before drying.

Example

Before drying according to Preparation Example, the electrode was dried using a drying apparatus including a nozzle according to FIGS. 4 and 5 .

comparative example

Before drying according to the preparation example, the electrode was dried using a drying apparatus including a nozzle according to FIG. 1 .

Experimental example

While drying the electrode according to Preparation Example, the wall heat flux of the electrode surface facing the nozzle was measured. The heat flux means the amount of heat transfer between the wall of the object and the fluid flowing in contact with it and the amount of heat passing between the two fluids at high and low temperatures with the solid wall interposed therebetween. In the present invention, it means the amount of heat supplied to the electrode by hot air. The heat transfer amount is defined as a product of a heat transfer rate and a temperature difference between the wall surface and the fluid in contact therewith.

The heat flux may be measured using a known heat flux sensor, for example, KES-F7 or FR-07 manufactured by Catotech may be used.

Using this heat flux sensor, the heat flux from the center of the electrode to the edge of one side was measured, and the distribution of the amount of heat transferred to the surface of the substrate was derived from this. This is shown in FIG. 11 . At this time, the calorie distribution according to the comparative example corresponds to Fig. 11 (a), and the calorie distribution according to the embodiment corresponds to Fig. 11 (b).

Referring to FIG. 11 , when the electrode is manufactured using the drying apparatus according to the comparative example, it can be seen that the heat flux at the edge of the electrode is greater than the heat flux at the center. In contrast, when the electrode is dried using the drying apparatus according to the present invention, it can be seen that the heat flux deviation between the center and the edge decreases as the heat flux at the center increases and the heat flux at the edge decreases. This is because the hot air at the edge of the nozzle where the hot air is concentrated is discharged through the opening.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit of the present invention, and various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Accordingly, the drawings disclosed in the present invention are for explanation rather than limiting the technical spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these drawings. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Meanwhile, in this specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, but these terms are for convenience of explanation only, and may vary depending on the location of the object or the position of the observer. It is self-evident that it can

100: drying device
110: description
120: drying oven
1, 130, 230, 330: Nozzle
140: transfer unit
131, 231, 331: body part
132, 232, 332: injection unit
2, 133, 233, 333: outlet
134, 234, 334: opening
335: adjustment member
336: guide member
135, 235: blowing fan
400: electrode manufacturing device
410: current collector
420: electrode slurry
430: coating die
431: slurry supply nozzle
432: feed pump
433: tank
440: rolling unit

Claims (15)

A drying oven in which a space for drying the substrate is formed, and a nozzle for spraying hot air toward the substrate in the drying oven,
The nozzle is
a body portion fixed to the drying oven;
It communicates with the main body and includes a spraying part having a discharge port on which hot air is sprayed on a lower surface,
An opening for discharging air inside the nozzle is formed in at least one of both sides of the spray unit in the width direction.
According to claim 1,
The outlet is a drying device having a structure in which a plurality of vent holes are arranged at regular intervals.
According to claim 1,
The opening is a drying device having a structure in which a plurality of ventilation holes are arranged at regular intervals.
4. The method of claim 3,
The vent hole is a circular drying device.
4. The method of claim 3,
The vent hole is a drying device in the form of a slit formed in a direction parallel to or perpendicular to the substrate.
4. The method of claim 3,
A drying device having the same shape and size of the plurality of vents.
According to claim 1,
The nozzle is
Drying apparatus further comprising a control member mounted on the side of the opening is formed to adjust the flow rate of the air discharged through the opening.
8. The method of claim 7,
The regulating member is a drying device that is a plate-shaped member sized to completely cover the opening formed on the side surface.
8. The method of claim 7,
The nozzle is
The drying apparatus further comprising a guide member formed at a lower end of the spraying unit and assisting the movement of the adjustment member.
10. The method of claim 9,
In the guide member,
A drying apparatus in which the adjusting member is inserted and a groove extending parallel to a side surface of the spraying unit having an opening formed therein is formed so as to be slidably movable on the guide member.
11. The method of claim 10,
A width of the groove formed in the guide member corresponds to a thickness of the adjusting member.
11. The method of claim 10,
Both ends of the groove formed in the guide member have an open structure.
According to claim 1,
It is located in the body part,
Drying apparatus further comprising a blowing fan for generating hot air flow in the nozzle.
According to claim 1,
It is formed under the nozzle,
Drying apparatus further comprising a transfer unit for transferring the substrate in the space to be dried.
An electrode manufacturing apparatus comprising the drying apparatus according to claim 1 .

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