A team of researchers, led by Professor Seok Ju Kang from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, has introduced a revolutionary method for producing polymer solid electrolytes on a large scale. These components are essential for batteries.
The team has moved away from the traditional melt casting method. Instead, they’ve adopted a horizontal centrifugal casting method. This new method has transformed the way high-quality polymer solid electrolytes are made, setting a new standard in the industry.
The inspiration came from the way iron pipes are made. By spinning the solution horizontally while it’s being made, the team managed to create a uniform polymer solid electrolyte. This approach not only reduces waste of materials but also leads to better electrochemical performance, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency than older methods.
Professor Kang shared, “We took a page from the iron pipe production book to create a technique that can produce solid electrolytes that are uniform and perform better, on a large scale.”
This innovative technology has increased production speed by 13 times. It cuts out the need for drying polymer solutions and vacuum heat treatment, making the manufacturing process much smoother.
The size of the horizontal centrifugal casting cylinder can be adjusted. This flexibility means the thickness and surface quality of the polymer solid electrolytes can be consistently maintained, which is perfect for making batteries.
Hyunwoo Kim, the lead author from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, mentioned, “This method has allowed us to improve battery stability and performance without changing the material composition.”
Professor Kim highlighted, “Getting rid of the lengthy and energy-demanding vacuum heat treatment step is a major achievement of our study. It makes the mass production of polymer solid electrolytes much more efficient.”
The results of this research were published in the online version of Energy Storage Materials on February 13, 2024. The project received support from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT).