• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.638-646
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• 2023

Recently, active research has been conducted to enhance the power characteristics and thermal stability of lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) by modifying separators using a ceramic coating method. However, since the thermal properties and surface features of the separator vary depending on the characteristics of the ceramic powders applied to the separator, it is crucial to manufacture ceramic powders optimized for the separator's performance. In this study, we evaluated the characteristics of three types of α-alumina (A-1, A-2, and A-3) produced with varying dispersant contents and milling times, in addition to commercial α-alumina (AES-11). Subsequently, the optimized powders (A-3) were coated onto the separator using an aqueous binder for comparison with the characteristics of an AES-11 coated separator and an uncoated PE separator. The A-3 coated separator improved electrolyte wettability with a low contact angle (44.69°) and increased puncture strength (538 gf). Furthermore, it exhibited excellent thermal stability, with a shrinkage value of 5.64% when exposed to 140℃ for 1 hour, compared to the AES11 coated separator (6.09%) and the bare PE separator (69.64%).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.5728-5735
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• 2015

This study attempts to verify the applicability of ceramic membrane as a separator by comparing the power generation characteristics in single-chamber MFCs using ceramic membranes to those in the MFCs using nafion membrane. The generated power in MFCs by using acetate as a substrate was more stable than that by using formate, propionate and butyrate, respectively. It was shown that the generated power by using formate substrate in MFCs was unstable and a little higher than that by using acetate, and the power generated by using propionate and butyrate were lower than that by using acetate. In order to find out the Pt catalyst effect, it was compared the power generated in MFCs using Pt-coated carbon cloth as electrode to that power using normal carbon cloth. The power generated in MFCs using Pt-coated carbon cloth as electrode was 1.2 times higher than that using normal carbon cloth. The Pt-coated carbon cloth was about 5 times more expensive than normal carbon cloth. It is suggested that both power generation efficiency and cost together should be considered in selecting electrodes of MFCs. It was found that the ceramic membrane was superior to nafion membrane by comparing to the power generation characteristics obtained. It was shown that average voltage values were $523.67mV{\pm}49.41mV$ by using synthetic wastewater, in MFCs of ceramic membrane as a separator. While average voltage values were $424.09mV{\pm}79.95mV$ by using synthetic wastewater, in MFCs of nafion membrane as a separator. The organic removal efficiency, 41.7% by using ceramic membrane was a little bit higher than 40.8% by using nafion membrane. This research implies ceramic membrane can be a valid alternative to nafion membrane as a separator when considering the power generation and the efficiency of organics removal.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.41-48
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• 2017

Herein, we have fabricated an ultrathin aluminum oxide ($Al_2O_3$) coated PP separator by using a RF sputter deposition process. Approximately 20 nm thickness coating layer on the bare PP separator was formed at the power of 55 W for 2 minutes without thermal damage. Whereas only permeability of the coated separator was degraded slightly, other properties such as thermal stability, uptake amount of liquid electrolyte, and ionic conductivity were improved comparing to the bare PP separator. As a result, an only 20-nm-thick $Al_2O_3$ coating layer could improve the rate capability compared with a bare PP separator under a high current density.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.49-54
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• 2017

We develop a ceramic composite separator prepared by coating $ZrO_2$ nanoparticles with a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) copolymer on a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mechanical support prepared by electrospinning technique to improve thermal properties. The gurley number of the ceramic composite separator shows much lower value than that of a PE separator even though it possesses the polymeric coating layer with ceramic nanoparticles. In addition, the proposed sample shows higher electrolyte uptake than PE separator, leading to enhancing the ionic conductivity of the proposed sample and, by extension, the rate discharge properties of lithium ion batteries. Thermal stability of the ceramic composite separator is dramatically improved without any degradation in electrochemical performance compared to the performance of conventional PE separators.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2012

Polyethylene (PE) separator is the most popular separator for lithium-ion batteries. However, it suffers from thermal contraction and mechanical rupture. In order to improve the thermal/mechanical dimensional stabilities, this study investigated the effects of $Si_3N_4$ coating. SCS (Silicon-nitride Coated Separator) has been fabricated by applying 10 ${\mu}m$-thick $Si_3N_4$/PVdF coating on one side of PE separator. SCS exhibits enhanced thermal stability over $100{\sim}150^{\circ}C$: its thermal shrinkage is reduced by 10~20% compared with pristine PE separator. In addition, SCS shows higher tensile strength than PE separator. Employing SCS hardly affects the C-rate performance of $LiCoO_2$/Li coin-cell, even though its ionic conductivity is somewhat lower than that of PE separator.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.27-33
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• 2017

Conventional lithium ion batteries suffer from notorious safety issues caused by inevitable lithium dendrite formation and proliferation during over/fast charging processes. The lithium dendrites or mechanical damage on the separator induce internal short circuit in LiB that generates extensive amount of heat within contacted electrode surfaces through the separator. During this heat generation, conventional polyolefin separators shrinks dramatically, and increasing short circuit pathway, that causes the battery to explode. To overcome this serious issue, ceramic coated separators are developed in commercial LiB to enhance thermal and mechanical stability. In this paper, various size(IL = 488.5 nm, I = 538.7 nm, S = 810.3 nm, D = 1533.3 nm) of $Al_2O_3$ particles are coated using styrene-butadiene rubber(SBR) / carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC) binder on PE separator to investigate its thermal stability and electrochemical effect on LiB coin cell with NCM cathode and Li metal anode.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.789-793
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• 2021

A lithium secondary battery is the most promising candidate for future energy storage devices. On the other hand, the battery capacity decreases gradually due to the small amount of water and decomposition of the salts during the charging and discharging process, which deteriorates at high temperatures. Many researchers focused on increasing the cycling performance, but there have been few studies on the fundamental problem that removes water and HF molecules. In this study, silane molecules that are capable of absorbing water and HF molecules are introduced to the separator. Firstly, silica-coated amino-silane (APTES, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane) was synthesized, then the silica reacted with epoxy-silane, GPTMS ((3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane). A ceramic-coated separator was fabricated using the silane-coated silica, which is coated on porous polyethylene substrates. FT-IR spectroscopy and TEM analysis were performed to examine the chemical composition and the shape of the silane-coated silica. SEM was performed to confirm the ceramic layers. LMO half cells were fabricated to evaluate the cycling performance at 60 ℃. The cells equipped with a GPTMS-silica separator showed stable cycling performance, suggesting that it would be a solution for improving the cycling performance of the Li-ion batteries at high temperatures.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.134-153
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• 2022

Regardless of a trade-off relationship between energy density and safety, it is essential to improve both properties for future lithium secondary batteries. Especially, to improve the energy density of batteries further, not only thickness but also weight of separators including ceramic coating layers should be reduced continuously apart from the development of high-capacity electrode active materials. For this purpose, an attempt to replace conventional slurry coating methods with a deposition one has attracted much attention for securing comparable thermal stability while minimizing the thickness and weight of ceramic coating layer in the separator. This review introduces state-of-the-art technology on ceramic-coated separators (CCSs) manufactured by the deposition method. There are three representative processes to form a ceramic coating layer as follows: chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and physical vapor deposition (PVD). Herein, we summarized the principle and advantages/disadvantages of each deposition method. Furthermore, each CCS was analyzed and compared in terms of its mechanical and thermal properties, air permeability, ionic conductivity, and electrochemical performance.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.13 no.spc2
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• pp.308-311
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• 2012

A wide range of possible hazards existing in thermal batteries are mainly caused by thermal runaway, which results in overheating or explosion in extreme case. Battery separators ensure the separation between two electrodes and the retention of ion-conductive electrolytes. Thermal runaways in thermal batteries can be significantly reduced by the adoption of these separators. The high operating temperature and the violent reactivity in thermal batteries, however, have limited the introduction of conventional separators. As a substitute for separators, MgO powders have been mostly used as a binder to hold molten salt electrolyte. During recent decades the fabrication technology of ceramic fiber, which has excellent mechanical strength and chemical stability, has undergone significant improvement. In this study we adopted wet-laid nonwoven paper making method instead of the electrospinning method which is costly and troublesome to produce in volume. Polymeric precursor can readily be coated on the surface of wet-laid ceramic paper, and be formed into ceramic film after heat treatment. The mechanical strength and the thermo-chemical stability as well as the wetting behaviors of ceramic separators with various molten salts were investigated to be applicable to thermal batteries. Due to their excellent chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties, wet-laid nonwoven separators made from ceramic fibers have revealed positive possibility as new separators for thermal batteries which operate at high temperature with no conspicuous sign of a short circuit and corrosion.