Method for Manufacturing Solid Polymer Electrolyte/Electrode Composites, Battery Produced Using the Method and Method for Producing the Same

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure Disclosed are a method for manufacturing a solid polymer electrolyte film/electrode composite, in which a porous electrode made from an electochemically active substance is used as an electrode and the pressure inside the porous electrode is reduced in order to fix the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) film or pre-solid polymer electrolyte (pre-SPE) film to the porous electrode, a battery obtained by impregnating the electrode in the solid polymer electrolyte film/electrode composite with an electrolytic solution under reduced pressure and a method for producing such. The invention provides a thin, uniform film-shaped solid polymer electrolyte/electrode composite with ease. The battery fabricated with the composite is free of defects such as short, has high performance and, hence, is useful.

What is Claimed is: 
     
         1.  A battery obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       a)  providing a composite of a solid polymer electrolyte film and a thin film-shaped porous electrode obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       
         i)  providing said solid polymer electrolyte film; 
       
       
         ii)  providing said porous electrode comprising an electrochemically active substance; 
       
       
         iii)  contacting said solid polymer electrolyte film with said porous electrode; and 
       
       
         iv)  reducing pressure inside said porous electrode to fix said solid polymer electrolyte film to said porous electrode; 
       
       b)  impregnating said porous electrode in said composite under reduced pressure with an electrolytic solution. 
     
     
         2.  A battery obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       a)  providing a composite of a solid polymer electrolyte film and a thin film-shaped porous electrode obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       
         i)  coating on an electrode surface of said thin film-shaped porous electrode with a polymerizable compound which is converted to said solid polymer electrolyte or a pre-solid polymer electrolyte upon polymerization; and 
       
       
         ii)  reducing pressure inside said porous electrode after superposing said electrode surface coated with said polymerization compound onto said solid polymer electrolyte film, 
       
       b)  impregnating said porous electrode in said composite under reduced pressure with an electrolytic solution. 
     
     
         3.  The battery as claimed in  claim   1 , wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film of said composite is obtained by polymerizing a composition comprising a solvent having dissolved therein a polymerizable compound. 
     
     
         4.  The battery as claimed in  claim   2 , wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film of said composite is obtained by polymerizing a composition comprising a solvent having dissolved therein a polymerizable compound. 
     
     
         5.  The battery as claimed in  claim   1 , wherein said polymer electrolyte film has an ion conductivity at room temperature of 10 -5   S/cm or more. 
     
     
         6.  The battery as claimed in  claim   2 , wherein said polymer electrolyte film has an ion conductivity at room temperature of 10 -5  S/cm or more. 
     
     
         7.  The battery as claimed in  claim   1 , wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film contains a cross-linking polymer having a urethane bond and an oxyalkylene group. 
     
     
         8.  The battery as claimed in  claim   2 , wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film contains a cross-linking polymer having a urethane bond and an oxyalkylene group. 
     
     
         9.  The battery as claimed in  claim   2 , wherein said polymerizable compound coated on said porous electrode has a urethane bond and an oxyalkylene group. 
     
     
         10.  A battery according to  claim   3 , wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film contains no electrolyte salt. 
     
     
         11.  A battery according to  claim   4 , wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film contains no electrolyte salt. 
     
     
         12.  The battery according to  claim   10 , wherein said electrolytic solution comprises a polymerizable compound and an electrolyte salt and said polymerizable compound is polymerized to cure after impregnation under reduced pressure. 
     
     
         13.  The battery according to  claim   11 , wherein said electrolytic solution comprises a polymerizable compound and an electrolyte salt and said polymerizable compound is polymerized to cure after impregnation under reduced pressure. 
     
     
         14.  A battery obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       a)  providing a composite of a solid polymer electrolyte film and a thin film-porous electrode obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       
         i)  providing said solid polymer electrolyte film; 
       
       
         ii)  providing said porous electrode comprising an electrochemically active substance; 
       
       
         iii)  contacting said solid polymer electrolyte film with said porous electrode; and 
       
       
         iv)  reducing pressure inside said porous electrode to fix said solid polymer electrolyte film to said porous electrode; 
       
       b)  impregnating said porous electrode of said composite with an electrolytic solution which has a concentration of an electrolyte salt greater than a concentration at which the electrolytic solution has a maximum ion conductivity, 
       wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film of said composite is obtained by polymerizing a composition comprising a solvent having dissolved therein a polymerizable compound. 
     
     
         15.  A battery obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       a)  providing a composite of a solid polymer electrolyte film and a thin film-porous electrode obtained by a method comprising the steps of: 
       
         i)  coating on an electrode surface of said porous electrode with a polymerizable compound which is converted to said solid polymer electrolyte or a pre-solid polymer electrolyte upon polymerization; and 
       
       
         ii)  reducing pressure inside said porous electrode after superposing said electrode surface coated with said polymerization compound onto said solid polymer electrolyte film; 
       
       b)  impregnating said porous electrode of said composite with an electrolytic solution which has a concentration of an electrolyte salt greater than a concentration at which the electrolytic solution has a maximum ion conductivity, 
       wherein said solid polymer electrolyte film of said composite is obtained by polymerizing a composition comprising a solvent having dissolved therein a polymerizable compound. 
     
     
         16.  The battery according to  claim   14 , wherein said electrolytic solution comprises a polymerizable compound and an electrolyte salt and said polymerizable compound is polymerized to cure after impregnation under reduced pressure. 
     
     
         17.  The battery according to  claim   15 , wherein the electrolytic solution comprises a polymerizable compound and an electrolyte salt and the polymerizable compound is polymerized to cure after the impregnation under reduced pressure.