IP Library Granted Patent US 10,727,477
Granted Patent B2
US 10,727,477 · App. 15/738,909 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

Conductive material dispersed liquid and lithium secondary battery manufactured using same

Inventors: Ye Lin Kim (Daejeon, KR); Ki Yeon Jo (Daejeon, KR); Jung Keun Yoo (Daejeon, KR); Je Young Kim (Daejeon, KR); Sang Hoon Choy (Daejeon, KR); Jong Heon Seol (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
H01M4/133H01M4/04H01M4/13H01M4/131H01M4/1391H01M4/1393H01M4/622H01M4/625H01M10/0525
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,727,477
App. No.
15/738,909
Granted
Jul 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a conductive material dispersed liquid, including: a conductive material which includes bundle-type carbon nanotubes; a dispersant; a dispersion medium, where a phase angle is in a range of 3° to 18° when measured by a rheometer at a frequency of 1 Hz; and a lithium secondary battery manufactured using the conductive material dispersed liquid. The conductive material dispersed liquid has high solid-like properties, and thus allows the formation of an electrode active material layer having a uniform thickness with no concern for collapse or occurrence of cracks during manufacture of an electrode, and thereby can improve the performance characteristics, particularly capacity characteristics, of a battery.

Claims (33)

1. A conductive material dispersed liquid, comprising:

a conductive material which includes bundle-type carbon nanotubes;

a dispersant; and

a dispersion medium,

wherein a phase angle of the conductive material dispersed liquid is in a range of 3° to 18° when measured by a rheometer at a frequency of 1 Hz, and

wherein the bundle-type carbon nanotubes have a ratio (TD/BD ratio) of a true density (TD) to a bulk density (BD) in a range of 70 to 100.

2. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes include a carbon nanotube unit having an average strand diameter of 10 to 30 nm.

3. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are included at 1 to 33 wt % based on the total weight of the conductive material dispersed liquid.

4. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersant includes a nitrile butadiene-based rubber.

5. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersant includes a hydrogenated nitrile butadiene-based rubber comprising a structural unit derived from a hydrogenated conjugated diene at 20 to 80 wt % based on the total weight of the rubber.

6. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 5 , wherein the hydrogenated nitrile butadiene-based rubber includes a structural unit derived from α, β-unsaturated nitrile at 10 to 70 wt % based on the total weight of the rubber.

7. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 5 , wherein the hydrogenated nitrile butadiene-based rubber includes a partially hydrogenated nitrile butadiene-based rubber comprising a structural unit derived from a hydrogenated conjugated diene at 20 to 80 wt %; a structural unit derived from α, β-unsaturated nitrile at 10 to 70 wt %; and a structural unit derived from a conjugated diene at 1 to 15 wt % based on the total weight of the rubber.

8. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 5 , wherein the hydrogenated nitrile butadiene-based rubber has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 700,000 g/mol and a polydispersity index of 2.0 to 6.0.

9. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersant is included at 1 to 50 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the carbon nanotubes.

10. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersant is introduced into a surface of the carbon nanotubes to form a carbon nanotubes-dispersant composite, and the carbon nanotubes-dispersant composite has a particle size distribution D 99 of 100 μm or less and is included in an amount of 1 to 5 wt % based on the total weight of the dispersed liquid.

11. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersion medium is an amide-based organic solvent.

12. The conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive material dispersed liquid is used as a conductive material for an electrode of a lithium secondary battery.

13. A method of preparing the conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 , comprising mixing a conductive material which includes bundle-type carbon nanotubes, a dispersant, and a dispersion medium to form a mixture, and then milling the mixture such that a phase angle of the mixture is in a range of 3° to 18° when measured by a rheometer at a frequency of 1 Hz.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the milling is performed by a bead mill.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the milling is performed using a bead mill having an average diameter of 0.5 to 2 mm for 60 to 120 minutes.

16. A composition for forming an electrode of a lithium secondary battery, comprising:

an electrode active material;

a binder; and

the conductive material dispersed liquid according to claim 1 .

17. The composition according to claim 16 , wherein the conductive material dispersed liquid is included at 1 to 50 wt % based on the total weight of the composition for forming an electrode.

18. The composition according to claim 16 , wherein the composition for forming an electrode of a secondary battery has a phase angle of 15° to 35° when measured by a rheometer at a frequency of 1 Hz.

19. An electrode for a lithium secondary battery, manufactured using the composition for forming an electrode according to claim 16 .

20. A lithium secondary battery, comprising:

a positive electrode;

a negative electrode;

a separator; and

an electrolyte,

wherein at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is the electrode for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 19 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2021
From: LG CHEM, LTD.
To: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058295/0068 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2017
From: KIM, YE LIN; JO, KI YEON; YOO, JUNG KEUN; KIM, JE YOUNG; CHOY, SANG HOON; SEOL, JONG HEON
To: LG CHEM, LTD.
Reel/Frame 044491/0335 →