New Zirconia Material DKZ-366 for Cathode Additive
– Contributing to the safety and longer life of lithium-ion secondary batteries –
DAIICHI KIGENSO KAGAKU KOGYO CO., LTD. (“DKK”, Osaka/Japan, Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange) has recently developed a new zirconia material “DKZ-366.”
The state-of-the-art zirconia powder is used as a cathode additive for improving the durability and suppressing deterioration of lithium-ion secondary batteries (“LIBs”). Using this zirconia powder will make it possible to produce safer, longer-lasting LIBs. We will contribute to the future development of an electric society by widely deploying this new product around the world.
<Applications>
The newly developed product can be applied for all types of LIBs, especially automotive LIBs, as its effects are particularly noticeable in large-capacity batteries.
<Characteristics>
１．Safety improvement： Low metal impurity
The amount of metal impurities in the zirconia powder has been reduced to less than 1/10 of that had in our conventional products. If the components of LIBs contain a large amount of metal impurities, there is a higher risk that these impurities could dissolve and cause an internal short circuit during the charge and discharge cycles, leading to abnormal heat generation, or even a thermal event in the LIBs. The newly developed product has extremely low metal impurities in the parts per billion, ppb order, which contributes to improved safety, particularly for large-capacity LIBs.
２．Longer life： High dispersibility
Zirconium plays a protective role by distributing on the surface of the cathode active materials (“CAM”).
Using our unique powder control technique, we have succeeded in manufacturing finer and more uniform particles compared to our conventional products. The high dispersibility, which enables uniform mixing without segregation, allows the small particles to protect the CAM under ideal conditions. Thus, it reduces the elution of CAM components caused by charge-discharge cycles, contributing to a longer battery life.
In-house evaluation using coin cells
The degradation after 100 cycles was reduced by about 40%, according to our in-house evaluation using coin cells under 1C charge and discharge rate.
<Background of development>
The demand for higher capacity LIBs has grown, particularly to extend the driving range of electric vehicles. One way to achieve this is by using high-potential CAM. However, this can lead to concerns regarding abnormal heat generation and risk, as metal impurities from LIB components can dissolve and cause issues.
Zirconia is added mainly to improve the durability of LIBs, but higher levels of metal impurities in zirconia increase the risk of thermal events caused by more metal dissolving. While our standard zirconia grades already maintain sufficiently low metal impurity levels, there is ongoing demand for even purer zirconia powder to further enhance LIB capacity.
Additionally, in this application, zirconia is mixed with the CAM. To achieve the best battery performance, the zirconia must be highly dispersible when combined with the CAM. Although our prior zirconia products have a property of certain dispersion level, reaching the ideal dispersion state remains challenging due to coarse grain formation caused by agglomeration.
<Methodology of development>
This new product was developed using our advanced powder control technique for zirconium materials. By optimizing the powder design to minimize metal impurities, while carefully controlling its agglomeration state and particle size distribution, we have successfully produced a zirconia powder that addresses the issues mentioned above.
We are committed to further developing zirconia for LIB applications, with the goal of enhancing LIB performance and advancing the development of more environmentally friendly zirconium materials.
About DKK
DKK America Materials, Inc. (“DKA”) is the wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Daiichi Kigenso Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (“DKK”). DKK America Materials, Inc. (“DKA”) maximizes the potential of zirconium compounds.
As a dedicated zirconium compound manufacturer, our unique technologies maximize the potential of zirconium properties. Our zirconium compounds and materials have many applications that advance technology and safety.
Applications Include:
● Industrial Catalysts
● Dental Materials
● Automotive Catalysts
● Electronic Materials
● Fine Ceramics
● Fuel Cells
● Oxygen Sensors
● Semiconductors
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DKK America Materials, Inc., 19500 Victor Parkway, Suite #290, Livonia, Michigan 48152 U.S.A.
TEL: +1(734) 743-2440