Lithium Ion Polymer Battery Manufacturing Process

Again this shows how ignorant people are in these technologies which are now tied to our quality of life and our progress as people. This critique is not specifically aimed at you as there are millions out there who does not know a piss about various types of Lithium batteries.

There are 3 distinct types of technologies among Lithium batteries.

1) Lithium Non-Rechargeable batteries - Which use Lithium metal strip, like the button cells in your watch or calculator.

2) Lithium Ion Batteries - Which are not the same as Lithium Ion 'Polymer' batteries. These are the batteries which has a liquid ion electrolyte base and are involved in the so called fires and so called "explosions"(if you can call it that) . Please note that the problems for such batteries is not due to the technology that was used, but due to the technology that was not used in them - Prevention of overcharge and temperature increase during charge-discharge that is.

3) Lithium Ion Polymer batteries - These are advanced design with a Polymer as the absorbed electrolyte Base. These are the safest design as these batteries are 'Solid' and have the required charge-discharge controller, besides a high temperature cut-off.

This discussion is aimed at bringing this technology out of the myth of science fiction to that of a DIY kind of process.

I would like to assure everyone that this is a safe process and we can do it. This is the only way if you want to build your own all electric golf cart or a hybrid and want to power such vehicle using your own handmade batteries, the whole contraption within $2000.00 and run it for less than 5 Cents a mile.

No. Not this technology which is outdated. These are Lithium-Metal Polymer batteries, not Li-Ion Polymer.

I doubt if anyone wants to use Lithium-Metal batteries in EVs.

But your point is well taken. Your concern is well founded.

They catch fire for two reasons as I have said - heat buildup during discharge or pressure build-up during charge. Polymer avoids the pressure buildup. Electronic protection circuit cuts off the power cycle when there is a temperature rise or a short circuit.

If you look at the chinese Lithium Ion Polymer battery making units, these are smaller than your garage.

This is where bureaucarcy comes, because the great and clever laws politicians and layers put in place!

Human did risk everything to achieve what we have achieved today, our ancester scientists did whatever it took to find out the great laws of physics and help build up our civilizations, while people claimed they are civlized drag all emotions to put all this advance to come to a haul. There is no risk, there is no harvest. We all, no matter you in the science or finance or whichever arena, have to risk to get something. I am not saying Vandarye is wrong. I believe putting 2 things in is very important just because what Vandarye said,

1.Precautions,

2.Disclaimer to off load the aforementioned responsibility.

I love reading this blogs and they let us all advance, although we do not always really work on them. If we all leave the kind of study to whatever "professionals", we'll end up in situations, only those muscular investor can do whatever they want! Who can employ professional technologist? Who can buy those stuffs to study? Who can have the money to employ laywers and solicitors to off load their responsibilities? We pass information here! Even if we are the professionals, we still might ending up being accused! So, Precaution warning and disclaimers first!

By the way, there are a different kinds Li Batteries, some are more robust than the others yet Li is hazardous, really needs precaution to handle, especially when charging / discharging are concerned.

GUEST

As far as I know, Li ion batteries allow great electric current to pass thro', therefore heat associated is great that would ignite any flamable gas generated. Li is the second member of the group I element (the 1st member is Hydrogen, the 3rd member in the group is Na, which emits hydrogen when put in water and catches fire, must be stored under oil), which are very active element and has the properties (in terms current, impedances... during charging and discharging) to form the kind of ions for battery application. It is therefore by law, that commercially available Li ion batteries and chargers must have safe measures to control the charging current to follow an exact time Vs current profile, and switch off the chargers after around 98% "full", leaving only a very low current of order of microAmp to keep the battery under charge saturated.

Newer design might improve a lot that I would like to know more, any inputs?

I believe we still have long way to go for any satisfactory inventions in batteries, it is the most probable candidate to lead us advance to a new era of green technologies. We therefore must not let greedy merchants and law makers stopping us from going forward! Genuine Scientist would find Physics laws for breakthrough when facing limitations in the Universal, only greedy people would try to use human "laws" to derive benefit from other people's finding and point fingers to others when they committed mistakes! We who engage in technology should be so alerted and don't let be stopped from progress nor even being hurt!

Guest

Dear Seshkanuri,

We have developed a Glovebox for doing experiments to develop the Lithium Ion polymer batteries and are looking for some assistance in terms of the process to be followed and the composition and the appropriate chemicals to be used. If you can help us then we can do some experiments and report back.

Regards

Glovebox is a crucial component to fill-up the batttery with the electrolyte which is hygroscopic. Once it is filled, the last part is sealing the metallized polyester cell cover and charge it, to be ready for use.

I can help you with a few processes that are very interesting, in terms of safety and also cost.

I am preparing a word document that lists these processes and will be able to share with others once I finish the same.

Anyone interested may email me your email address to seshkanuri+at+gmail+dot+com.

Dear Shesh,

I am part of a group trying to convert delhi's manually driven cycle rickshaws in to lithium battery powered. We need some advice on source / own maufacturing in India to keep the costs low.

Please send us whatever information you could share with us please at indiantrader at gmail dot com

Excellant points.

Though I would not think that the materials you need to make the Lithium Ion batteries are available at your nearest grocery or hardware stores, once you get your hands on the materials, it would not be too difficulyt to make them.

I may not be able to make a video of the actual manufactuing of some batteries right away, I will certainly post the key steps involved, so that everyone knows what is involved.

Some initial explanation of the Anode/ Cathode/ Electrolyte and materials needed are going to be posted soon.

Nope, I have not been arrested and I am sure you too will not be arrested for using the knowledge here and making the battery.

I have already sent the process document to anyone who is interested as it is several pages long to post it here.

If any more persons are interested, please contact me by email or post your email addreess here so that I can send you the document.

use my first name and last name without dot/space/underline at gmail dot com, to send me the request.

Thanks
Seshu Kanuri

I got your document, thanks!

I'll need to ask you to explain it to me a little bit. I understand how to make the cathode and the anode, but I'm confused about the electrolite. There is the cathode, anode, separator, binder and plasticizer. They were explained on pages 7 and 8. Where is the electrolyte? And how do I put everything together? I see "liquid" electrolyte on the page 9, and then again a different anode and cathode assemblies on page 11. Please explain this document to me a little bit more because I'm not that good in chemistry! Thank you!

Read the first paragraph once again, if you have ignored it as some basic stuff. This paragraph explains the differences in two processes to make the batteries.

The document I have sent contains basically two processes - Lithium Ion (LI) Battery(With Liquid Electrolyte intermediate layer) and a Lithium Ion Polymer(LIPO) Battery(With a Gelled Solid eletrolyte intermediate layer).

Both processes need Lithium Hexaflouro Phosphate(LiPF6) as the "Intercalation compound". This compound is dissolved in an organic solvent such as diethyl carbonate (DEC) to create the "elctrolyte" layer

As you may be aware, the LIPO batteries are safer than LI batteries as the electrolyte is not a combustible liquid such as the free form diethyl carbonate containing LiPF6, but a solid gel polyethyleneoxide, PEO containing LiPF6.

Both types of batteries contain the base intercalation compound LiPF6.

Whereas the LI batteries contain a liquid electrolyte and a PP or HDPE Seperator, the LIPO Batteries contain the Solid Electrolyte, which itself acts as the Ion exchange medium(Seperator).

Hope this clears some haze in understanding the battery design.

-Seshu Kanuri

How to put everything together:
------------------------------

Cathode current collector: Non-limitative examples of a cathode current collector include

· Aluminum foil

Anode Current Collector: Non-limitative examples of an anode current collector include foil formed of

· copper

You need some Copper foil(Anode or Negative Electrode) and some Aluminium foil(Cathode or Positive electrode). You also need a "Bench coater", just like the one you use for lamination to make binders or laminated documents.

The Gel for the intermediate layer can come from the "Gel pads" you put in your refrigerator to soothe backaches or relieve your mother-in-law's Lumbar pain.

Anode:

Definition: The anode of a device is the terminal where current flows in. The cathode of a device is the terminal where current flows out.

Anode active material is Graphite.

The negative electrode was prepared by dispersing

91 wt % of artificial graphite and

9 wt % of polyvinylidene fluoride powder in N-methylpyrrolidone as Solvent to obtain a negative electrode composite agent in slurry.

Cathode:

Definition: The cathode of a device is the terminal where current flows out. The anode of a device is the terminal where current flows in. Cathode shall be manufactured in the following manner.

Method:

A positive electrode (Cathode) was prepared as follows.

Cathode Active material is one of the Lithium Compounds such as LiCoO2

In order to prepare a positive electrode, a positive electrode composite agent was prepared by dispersing the materials in N-methylpyrrolidone as solvent.

· 92 wt % of lithium cobaltate (LiCoO.sub.2),

· 3 wt % of polyvinylidene fluoride powder, and

· 5 wt % of graphite powder in N-methylpyrrolidone to obtain a slurry.

Polymer Intercalation Layer:

Method:

polyethyleneglycol dimethylether (molecular weight=1,000) can be used with 1Mole LiPF6.

--------------------------------------------------------------

1) Apply the required Compounds to the Anode and Cathode and dry them to make them ready for use.

2) Prepare the gel layer.

3) Put the electrodes into the Gel layer and seal them with in a Polyester pouch with PVC Glue.

You have just made the Lithium Ion Polymer Battery that will give you about 3.7 Volts of electricity. Make 10 of them and connect them in serial to run your Electric Cycle using a 36V motor.

Best of luck making the LiPo Batteries at your home.

Electrolyte is common for any of the methods used. Electrolyte is the intercalation compund that acts as the medium for transport of ions.

This liquid is bound into a semi-solid mass in the Polymer type binder, which makes the liquid into a gel. The Polymer also acts as kind of a aseperator for the Electrodes, to prevent them from coming together

In the liquid type construction, you need a gas exchange membrane as sperator to prevent the short circuit.

Does this make sense to you?

I am also interested on Lithium Ion Polymer manufacturing process

would you please send process document for me to my email address*

thanks

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Read my post that refers to the Document URL.

Click on that link and download the file.

Those visitors who want to get a copy of what I have put together as a document that lists some of the manufacturing processes involved, I am providing you a web based download link here.

http://www.netwebgroup.com/media/Lith.doc

Please download the Lithium Battery Manufacturing Process document from above link.

Thanks

Seshu Kanuri

Hi Seshu, Predmaterials refused to deal with us. Did you try any other supplier of materials? Do you have any suggestion? Kind Regards, Boj

The short answer is no. I do not know any other suppliers. Please check the Chinese suppliers in the links. They are not trustworthy in terms of quality and delivery, but they may have what you need. The shipping charges they demand would be astronomical. Sorry!

The download link doesn't connect. could you tell me how I can access the docs you have put together plz

thanks

Hi Sheshu,

I tried the link for downloading the documents of making the lithium ion polymer battery. but i have been able to download the link.

I request you to pls send it on my mail id *

This will be great help.

thanks!

P Jog

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Hi seshkanuri,

I'm glad to came accross this blog because the timing is just too perfect for me.

I'm currently looking for possible area to pursue my Doctorate research and Solid Polymer Electrolyte seems to have caught my attention and interest of late.

Please i have tried to no avail to access the word document u posted earlier on the blog on how to design Lithium Polymer battery. I would appreciate it if you can kindly forward the document to my e-mail address*.

Looking forward to your favorable response.

Regards.

Elijah.

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Dear Shesh,

I was sent an email to seshukanuri at gmail dot com and to seshkanuri at gmail dot com. But the second one didn't sent.

I want to downloads the document in your link but it doesn't work. would you please check my email and sent it back with thedocument please...

alifahfa at gmail dot com

thank you