Method of Producing Electrode and Electrode Production Apparatus

Abstract

(a) An aerosol including an active material, a binder, and a gas is made. (b) A film-like flow of the aerosol is formed. (c) An electrically-charged region is formed by corona discharge. (d) The film-like flow passes through the electrically-charged region. (e) The film-like flow is introduced into an electric field after passing through the electrically-charged region. In the electric field, an active material layer is formed by adhering a solid component of the film-like flow onto a surface of a substrate by electrostatic force.

1 .- 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . An electrode production apparatus comprising:
 a support part;   an electric-field-forming apparatus;   an aerosol-supplying part; and   a charging apparatus, wherein   the support part is to support a substrate,   the electric-field-forming apparatus is to form an electric field,   the aerosol-supplying part is to form a film-like flow of an aerosol,   the charging apparatus is to form an electrically-charged region by corona discharge,   the film-like flow is introduced into the electric field after passing through the electrically-charged region,   the aerosol includes an active material, a binder and a gas, and   in the electric field, an active material layer is formed by adhering a solid component of the film-like flow to the substrate by electrostatic force.   
     
     
         10 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the film-like flow has a flow direction and a width direction,   the width direction is orthogonal to the flow direction, and   the electrically-charged region is formed to pass through the film-like flow in the width direction.   
     
     
         11 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the charging apparatus includes a corona discharge electrode, and   the corona discharge electrode extends in a form of a line along the width direction.   
     
     
         12 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the corona discharge electrode includes a plurality of protrusions, and   the plurality of protrusions are arranged side by side in the width direction.   
     
     
         13 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the aerosol-supplying part includes a flat nozzle,   the flat nozzle has an ejection port expanding in the width direction, and   the film-like flow of the aerosol is ejected from the ejection port.   
     
     
         14 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein in the width direction, the corona discharge electrode has a width larger than a width of the ejection port. 
     
     
         15 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a blower apparatus, wherein
 the blower apparatus is to blow a gas toward the film-like flow in a direction in which the film-like flow is separated away from the corona discharge electrode.   
     
     
         16 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising a fixing apparatus, wherein
 the fixing apparatus is to apply at least one of heat and pressure to the active material layer to fix the active material layer to the substrate.   
     
     
         17 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the support part is in a roll form,   the substrate is in a sheet form, and   by rotation of the support part, the substrate is transferred.   
     
     
         18 . The electrode production apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein in a cross section orthogonal to a rotation axis of the support part, the flow direction of the film-like flow is along a tangential direction of the support part.