Polymer Solid Electrolyte for Batteries, Production Speed Increased 13 Times with Stable Manufacturing

UNIST Research Team Led by Kang Seok-joo Develops Mass Production Method Introducing Horizontal Centrifugal Casting Technique

An innovative method for mass-producing polymer solid electrolytes used in batteries has emerged, attracting attention from academia and related industries.

UNIST (President Yong-Hoon Lee) announced on the 7th that Professor Seok-Joo Kang's team from the Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering developed a technology that overcomes the limitations of the conventional melt casting method by introducing a horizontal centrifugal casting method. This research has dramatically increased the production volume of polymer solid electrolytes.

According to the study, the research team modified the horizontal centrifugal casting method traditionally used for manufacturing steel pipes. After injecting the polymer solution, it was rotated horizontally to create uniform polymer solid electrolytes. This contrasts with the conventional melt casting method, which could not produce polymer solid electrolytes with a uniform shape.

Polymer solid electrolyte through horizontal centrifugal casting.

Thickness uniformity analysis for each manufacturing method. (SEM analysis to explain the uniform solid electrolyte fabrication using the horizontal centrifugal casting method)

Electrochemical performance of polymer solid electrolyte application. (a. Long-term stability test of polymer solid electrolyte indicating stability with Li. b,c. Electrolyte stability tests according to current density. d. Model of LFP//Li cell. e. Long-term stability test of polymer solid electrolyte in LFP//Li cell. f. Electrolyte stability test according to charging rate in LFP//Li cell)

The polymer solid electrolytes manufactured using the horizontal centrifugal casting method showed almost no raw material loss compared to those produced by conventional methods. Not only does this method enable uniform production with high economic efficiency and utility, but it also demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance.

Professor Seok-Joo Kang explained, "This is a method that applies the technique used in manufacturing steel pipes to mass-produce uniform, high-performance solid electrolytes."

The developed technology can produce polymer solid electrolytes 13 times faster. This improvement was achieved by eliminating the cumbersome steps of drying and vacuum heat treatment of the polymer solution used in the conventional process.

This technology allows adjustment of production volume by controlling the size of the horizontal centrifugal casting cylinder. Even with mass production, it can reliably produce polymer solid electrolytes with uniform thickness and surface. In other words, it is a manufacturing method applicable to secondary battery production processes.

(From left) First author Researcher Hyunwoo Kim, Professor Seokju Kang.

Hyun-Woo Kim, the first author and a researcher in the Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering, said, "We mass-produced polymer solid electrolytes with more uniformity and higher battery stability," adding, "We improved battery performance without changing the type or composition of the materials."

Researcher Hyun-Woo Kim explained, "The core of this study is the removal of the vacuum heat treatment process, which consumes a lot of time and energy, enabling mass production."

This research was published online on February 13 in Energy Storage Materials, a world-renowned journal in the field of energy materials. The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), and the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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