LG CHEM has developed a technology that dramatically improves all-solid-state battery performance.
LG CHEM said on the 25th that it developed a technology to uniformly control the particle size of solid electrolytes, a key material in all-solid-state batteries, and published the research results in the world-renowned journal "Advanced Energy Materials."
The study was conducted jointly by LG CHEM's Next-Generation Materials Research Center and a research team led by Professor Song Tae-seop at Hanyang University.
All-solid-state batteries use solid electrolytes instead of the liquid electrolytes used in conventional lithium batteries. They are safe and energy-efficient, but because they are solid, if the particle size is not uniform, gaps can form inside the cell and degrade performance.
To solve this problem, LG CHEM and the Hanyang University research team applied spray recrystallization technology to the production process of electrolyte particles. Spray recrystallization disperses the electrolyte solution into fine droplets and produces uniform spherical particles as the solvent evaporates.
An LG CHEM official said, "Electrolyte particles made by conventional methods had the drawback of non-uniform size, which this can effectively improve," adding, "Uniform electrolytes adhere more tightly to the cathode active material, and lithium ions can move more easily."
As a result, the base capacity increased by about 15% and the high-rate discharge capacity by about 50% compared with cells using conventional electrolytes. A battery's high-rate discharge capacity is a key performance metric for applications in high-power devices.
Shin Hak-Cheol, vice chairman of LG CHEM, said, "This research is a meaningful achievement that addresses a core challenge for the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries," adding, "LG CHEM will strengthen its competitiveness in next-generation battery technologies to lead the global market."