TWI870270B - Copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode materials - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for preparing a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material, and specifically to the following device for preparing a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material: in order to replace high-purity copper wire waste required for preparing copper foil for negative electrode material of secondary battery, a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material in the form of particles is prepared by using common copper of low purity, so as to provide a raw material of copper foil that can improve price competitiveness and reduce costs, and the raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material is prepared in the form of particles to increase the dissolution rate when dissolved in an electrolyte, thereby improving the production efficiency when preparing the copper foil for negative electrode material.

Description

Copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode materials

The present invention relates to a device for preparing a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material, and specifically to the following device for preparing a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material: in order to replace high-purity copper wire waste required for preparing copper foil for negative electrode material of secondary battery, a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material in the form of particles is prepared by using common copper of low purity, so as to provide a raw material of copper foil that can improve price competitiveness and reduce costs, and the raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material is prepared in the form of particles to increase the dissolution rate when dissolved in an electrolyte, thereby improving the production efficiency when preparing the copper foil for negative electrode material.

Recently, with increasingly stringent environmental regulations and increasing demand for electric vehicles, the electric vehicle market is growing rapidly as a future industry, and the importance of copper foil is gradually increasing.

Copper foil, also known as battery foil, is considered a core material for secondary batteries used in electric vehicles. Since copper foil for secondary batteries serves as a support body that discharges heat generated in the battery to the outside and maintains the shape of the electrode, it is considered a core component of electric vehicle batteries (secondary batteries). In particular, copper foil is used as a thin film for the negative electrode material, which is one of the four core materials of electric vehicles (positive electrode material, negative electrode material, separator, and electrolyte).

In particular, in order to increase the capacity of secondary batteries, the energy density per unit area must be increased. To this end, the copper foil is made thinner to achieve the effect of making the unit volume larger and the weight smaller.

This type of copper foil is generally produced by a roll rolling method and an electrolytic method. The roll rolling method has the disadvantage that the thinner the thickness, the higher the production cost. Therefore, the electrolytic method, which is a method of copper plating by electrolysis, is usually used to produce copper foil for secondary batteries.

In this case, copper foil for secondary batteries prepared by electrolysis can generally be prepared by collecting electrical copper or copper wire waste grade high-grade copper scrap metal materials and casting, casting + rolling, or casting + rolling + drawing them to prepare wires, and after washing and cutting the prepared wires, they can be dissolved in a sulfuric acid solution that is an electrolyte to prepare.

However, the cut wire is prepared through the processes of rolling, drawing, and cutting. During the rolling and drawing, it will be exposed to the oily components of rolling oil and drawing oil, so a cleaning process must be performed for degreasing. Due to the complexity of the process, the cost of copper foil will increase, and there is a problem of unsmooth supply of electrical copper or copper wire waste grade high-grade copper scrap metal materials as raw materials.

To solve the above problems, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0034813 discloses a technology related to an amorphous copper raw material having excellent solubility when dissolved in an electrolyte for preparing electrolytic copper foil and a method for preparing the same.

However, the above-mentioned prior art merely collects raw materials such as electrical copper or copper wire scrap metal materials that are not smoothly supplied and melts them to prepare amorphous copper raw materials, and there is still a problem that price competitiveness is reduced and costs cannot be reduced.

The present invention is used to solve the above-mentioned problems. One purpose of the present invention is to provide a copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material, that is, in order to replace high-purity copper wire waste, copper foil raw material in particle form is prepared by using low-purity ordinary copper, so as to provide copper foil raw material that improves price competitiveness and reduces cost.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a device for preparing a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material, that is, by preparing the raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material into a granular form so as to increase the dissolution rate when dissolved in an electrolyte, thereby improving the production efficiency when preparing the copper foil for negative electrode material.

The copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material of one embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose comprises: a melting furnace, provided with a discharge port for discharging a molten body formed by melting refined copper, and a first heating device for preventing the molten body from being cooled is arranged in the area of the discharge port; an intermediate tank, located at the lower end of the melting furnace, the intermediate tank having an internal cavity for receiving the molten body discharged from the discharge port, the intermediate tank having a plurality of discharge ports formed at preset intervals in the area of its side along the circumferential direction of its side, the intermediate tank having a second heating device for preventing the molten body from being cooled in one area thereof, and the intermediate tank generates an inertial force on the molten body received in the internal cavity by rotating to discharge the molten body from the discharge port; a first water tank, located at the lower end of the intermediate tank, The first water tank has a plurality of cooling water spray nozzles formed in the lower area thereof so as to spray high-pressure cooling water from the lower part to the upper part thereof in a cyclone manner, and the copper foil raw material for the negative electrode material is formed into particles and collected by making the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzles contact with the molten body discharged from the intermediate tank; the second water tank is used to collect the cooling water discharged from the first water tank. and a third water tank, which, when the water level in the second water tank exceeds a preset water level, collects the cooling water in the second water tank to supply it to the cooler, thereby recooling the cooling water to supply it from the cooler to the cooling water spray nozzle of the first water tank.

Preferably, the discharge port includes a hollow-shaped mouth, the length of the mouth corresponds to the thickness of the refractory material provided on the inner wall of the intermediate tank, and the inner circumferential surface of the mouth is formed by the refractory material to prevent the intermediate tank from being deformed and damaged due to the molten body discharged through the discharge port as the intermediate tank rotates.

Preferably, the mouthpiece is replaceable because it snaps into place on the discharge opening.

Preferably, the first water tank is provided with a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, the cylindrical portion having a vertical surface, the conical portion having an inclined surface whose inner cross-sectional area gradually narrows toward its lower end, wherein the plurality of cooling water spray nozzles are formed at preset intervals along the circumferential direction from an area inside the inclined surface.

Preferably, the first water tank can store cooling water therein until a preset water level. When the water level of the cooling water stored in the first water tank exceeds the preset water level, the cooling water is discharged through a cooling water outlet formed in a region of the first water tank to adjust the water level.

Preferably, the above-mentioned copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material also includes: an extension rod with a preset length, which is combined with the lower end of the intermediate tank; a rotation control part, which is combined with the extension rod and is used to control the rotation of the intermediate tank; and a plurality of fixing rods, which are used to fix the rotation control part at the center of the lower part of the first water tank.

Preferably, the intermediate tank is fixed by spacing the extension rod, the rotation control part and the fixing rod a preset distance from the lower end of the first water tank.

Preferably, for the above-mentioned copper foil raw material for negative electrode material, steam ejection is generated by bringing cooling water ejected from a cooling water ejection nozzle into contact with the melt discharged from the discharge port of the intermediate tank. After the melt is dispersed into a particle form by steam ejection and subjected to a first cooling, it is precipitated by cooling water in a first water tank for a second cooling, thereby preparing a copper foil raw material for negative electrode material in a particle form.

Regarding the above-mentioned copper foil raw material for negative electrode material, when the copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material stops operating, the copper foil raw material for negative electrode material collected at the lower end of the first water tank is recovered.

The apparatus for preparing a copper foil raw material for a negative electrode material of the present invention has the following effect, namely, it is possible to prepare a copper foil raw material for a negative electrode material in the form of particles by using low-purity common copper to replace high-purity copper wire waste, thereby providing a copper foil raw material with improved price competitiveness and reduced cost.

Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention has the following effect, namely, it can be provided by preparing the copper foil raw material for the negative electrode material in the form of particles, so that during the electrolysis process when preparing the copper foil, when the copper foil raw material for the negative electrode material in the form of particles is dissolved in the electrolyte, the dissolution rate is increased, thereby improving the production efficiency when preparing the copper foil for the negative electrode material.

Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention has the following effect, that is, cooling water can be reused when preparing the copper foil raw material for the negative electrode material, thereby reducing equipment operating costs and improving energy efficiency.

Below, various embodiments and/or implementations are disclosed with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, a plurality of specific details are disclosed to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of one or more implementations. However, it will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that such implementations may be implemented without such specific details. The subsequent description and the attached drawings will detail specific exemplary implementations of one or more implementations. However, these implementations are exemplary and may utilize a portion of a plurality of methods in a plurality of principles of a plurality of implementations, and the plurality of descriptions recorded include these implementations and their equivalents.

The terms "embodiment", "example", "implementation", "example", etc. used in this specification may also be interpreted as meaning that any implementation or design described is not better or has advantages over other implementations or designs.

Furthermore, terms such as “include” and/or “comprising” imply the existence of relevant features and/or structural elements, but should be understood as not excluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, structural elements and/or combinations thereof.

Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe a variety of structural elements, but the above structural elements are not limited to the above terms. The above terms are only used to distinguish one structural element from other structural elements. For example, the first structural element may be named as the second structural element without departing from the scope of the patent application of the present invention, and similarly, the second structural element may be named as the first structural element. The term "and/or" includes a combination of multiple related schemes described or one of the multiple related schemes described.

Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise defined, the meanings of all terms used herein, including technical terms or scientific terms, are the same as those commonly understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. A number of terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meanings as those in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as idealized or overly formalized unless they are clearly defined in the embodiments of the present invention.

Specifically, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for preparing a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material as follows, that is, to prepare a raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material in the form of particles using ordinary copper of low purity in order to replace the high-purity copper wire waste required for preparing the copper foil for negative electrode material of secondary batteries, so as to provide a raw material of copper foil that can improve price competitiveness and reduce costs, and to prepare the raw material of copper foil for negative electrode material in the form of particles so as to increase the dissolution rate when dissolved in an electrolyte, thereby improving the production efficiency when preparing the copper foil for negative electrode material.

In order to explain more specifically, the present invention will be explained below with reference to the attached drawings. In order to explain a technical feature and structural elements constituting the invention, multiple drawings may be referred to at the same time.

On the other hand, in the following description, in order to illustrate the functions of various structures of the present invention, the matters recorded in the attached drawings may omit some structures, or may be displayed in an over-enlarged or reduced manner. It should be understood that the displayed matters do not limit the technical features of the present invention and the scope of the patent application.

Furthermore, in the following description, multiple drawings will be referenced simultaneously to explain the structural elements constituting a technical feature or invention.

Briefly looking at the figures attached as an explanation of the present invention, FIG. 1 shows a simplified structural diagram of a copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 shows an example of the shape of the intermediate tank, FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view for explaining the specific shape of the intermediate tank, and FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the cooling water spray nozzle formed at the lower end of the first water tank. Furthermore, FIG. 5 shows a flow chart for explaining the process of preparing the copper foil raw material for negative electrode material, and FIG. 6 shows a diagram for explaining the operation process of the copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material.

1 showing a simplified structural diagram of a copper foil raw material preparation device for a negative electrode material according to an embodiment of the present invention, the copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for a negative electrode material according to the present invention generally includes: a melting furnace 10, an intermediate tank 20, a first water tank 30, a second water tank 40, and a third water tank 50.

First, the melting furnace 10 is used to melt the refined copper into a molten body 1 after it is put into the melting furnace 1 and discharge it to the intermediate tank 20. The melting furnace 10 may include: a discharge port 11, which is used to discharge the molten body 1 formed by melting the refined copper; and a first heating device 12, which is arranged in the area of the discharge port 11 and is used to prevent the liquid molten body 1 from being cooled and solidified.

In this case, preferably, the above-mentioned refined copper should be understood as copper obtained by a refining process using low-purity common copper, rather than high-purity copper wire waste (twisted wire) generally used in the preparation of copper foil.

On the other hand, a refractory material 13 is installed inside the melting furnace 10 , and a tapping port 11 may be formed in a region of the installed refractory material 13 along the length direction of the melting furnace 10 .

In this case, the refractory material 13 is a material having a strength higher than that of iron and stainless steel, such as magnesium or alumina, and can be disposed inside the melting furnace 10 to prevent the heat generated in the melt 1 from being directly transferred to the melting furnace 10.

On the other hand, the first heating device 12 is used to prevent the melt 1 discharged through the discharge port 11 of the melting furnace 10 from being cooled and solidified. Preferably, the first heating device 12 should be understood as a structure arranged in the area of the discharge port 11 and generating heat toward the discharge port 11 so that the melt 1 is not solidified and maintains a liquid shape.

In this case, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first heating device 12 may be a gas torch, the nozzle portion of the gas torch is facing the discharge port 11, and ignition may be achieved by supplying gas through a supply pipe connected to the gas torch.

On the other hand, the first heating device 12 may also be composed of an induction coil heater or a high-temperature heating element. During the discharge process of the molten body 1, any device may be used as long as the purpose is to maintain the high temperature state of the molten body 1. The first heating device 12 may also be arranged in the upper or lower end area of the melting furnace 10, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the intermediate tank 20 is located at the lower end of the melting furnace 10. The intermediate tank 20 has an inner cavity 21 capable of receiving the melt 1 discharged from the discharge port 11 of the melting furnace 10. The intermediate tank 20 has a plurality of discharge ports 22 formed at predetermined intervals in the side region along the circumferential direction of the side thereof, and the intermediate tank 20 is provided with a second heating device 24 at one region thereof for preventing the melt 1 from being cooled. As the intermediate tank 20 rotates, an inertial force is generated toward the melt 1 received in the inner cavity 21, so that the melt 1 is discharged from the discharge port 22.

Furthermore, a refractory material 25 is disposed on the inner wall of the intermediate tank 20 to prevent the heat generated by the molten body 1 received in the inner cavity 21 of the intermediate tank 20 from being directly transferred to the intermediate tank 20 .

In this case, preferably, the refractory material 25 provided on the inner wall of the intermediate tank 20 is a material having a strength higher than that of iron and stainless steel, such as magnesium or alumina.

On the other hand, the discharge port 22 is a structure for discharging the molten body 1 received in the inner cavity 21 of the intermediate tank 20 from the inside of the intermediate tank 20 to the outside, and a plurality of discharge ports 22 may be formed at preset intervals along the circumferential direction of the side of the intermediate tank 20 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , if the preset interval is 120 degrees, three outlets 22 may be formed at intervals of 120 degrees along the circumferential direction of the side of the intermediate tank 20 .

In this case, the intervals at which the discharge ports 22 are formed may also be varied, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, referring to FIG. 3 , the discharge port 22 may include a hollow-shaped mouth 23, the length of which corresponds to the thickness of the refractory material 25 provided on the inner wall of the intermediate tank 20, and the inner circumferential surface of the mouth 23 is formed by the refractory material to prevent the intermediate tank 20 from being deformed and damaged due to the molten body 1 discharged through the discharge port 22 as the intermediate tank 20 rotates.

In this case, as shown in part (b) of FIG. 3 , the mouth 23 is snapped into and coupled to the discharge port 22 to be fixed. Preferably, it should be understood that the mouth 23 can be replaced as needed.

For example, if the melt 1 discharged through the nozzle 23 solidifies in the nozzle 23 and is difficult to be discharged, or the refractory material in the nozzle 23 is cracked and the service life of the refractory material has expired, it can be replaced. In addition, as long as the purpose is to discharge the melt 1 smoothly, it can be replaced at any time, and the present invention is not limited to this.

On the other hand, the second heating device 24 is a structure for preventing the melt 1 received in the inner cavity 21 of the intermediate tank 20 from being cooled and solidified. The second heating device 24 can be understood as a structure that is arranged in an area of the intermediate tank 20 and generates heat to the intermediate tank 20 so that the melt 1 is not solidified and maintains a liquid state.

As an embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the second heating device 24 can be arranged at the lower end of the intermediate tank 20, and one or more heating devices selected from a gas torch, an induction coil heater and a high-temperature heating element can be used to generate heat at the lower end of the intermediate tank 20 to transfer heat to the molten body 1 in the intermediate tank 20. In addition, as long as the purpose is to maintain the liquid state of the molten body 1 received in the intermediate tank 20, any heating device can be used instead, and the present invention is not limited to this.

Furthermore, as another embodiment of the present invention, for the second heating device 24, more than one second heating device 24 can be set in the upper area of the intermediate tank 20 along the circumferential direction of the intermediate tank 20, and at least one heating device selected from a gas torch, an induction coil heater and a high-temperature heating element can be used, so that heat can be generated on the side of the intermediate tank 20 to transfer heat to the molten body 1 in the intermediate tank 20. In addition, as long as the purpose is to maintain the liquid state of the molten body 1 received in the intermediate tank 20, any heating device can be used instead, and the present invention is not limited to this.

Returning to FIG. 1 for further explanation, a first water tank 30 may be provided at the lower end of the intermediate tank 20 .

The first water tank 30 is formed with a plurality of cooling water spray nozzles 33 in the lower area thereof so as to spray high-pressure cooling water from the lower part to the upper part thereof in a cyclone manner. Preferably, the first water tank 30 should be understood as a structure for forming and collecting the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in a granular form by bringing the high-pressure cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzles 33 into contact with the molten body 1 discharged from the intermediate tank 20.

In this case, the first water tank 30 may be provided with a cylindrical portion 31 and a conical portion 32, the cylindrical portion 31 may have a vertical surface, and the conical portion 32 may have an inclined surface whose inner cross-sectional area gradually narrows toward the lower end.

On the other hand, as shown in part (a) of FIG. 4 , a plurality of the cooling water spray nozzles 33 may be formed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction starting from the inner region of the inclined surface of the conical portion 32 of the first water tank 30 .

Furthermore, referring to part (b) of FIG. 4 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling water spray nozzle 33 is formed into a shape inclined at a preset angle from the inclined surface of the conical portion 32 of the first water tank 30 so as to be able to spray high-pressure cooling water from the bottom toward the top in a cyclone manner. Preferably, the cooling water spray nozzle 33 should be understood as rotating from the bottom of the first water tank 30 toward the top and discharging high-pressure cooling water.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, high-pressure cooling water is sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33. In this case, preferably, in terms of the pressure of spraying the cooling water, the cooling water is sprayed by applying pressure in a manner such that when the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 contacts the melt 1 discharged from the intermediate tank 20, the melt 1 does not overflow to the outside of the first water tank 30.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of cooling water spray nozzles 33 and the angle at which the cooling water spray nozzles 33 are tilted from the inclined surface of the conical portion 32 can be changed according to the position where the sprayed cooling water needs to reach, or can be changed according to the size of the first water tank 30, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, the process of forming the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in a granular form by bringing the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 into contact with the molten body 1 discharged from the intermediate tank 20 can be carried out by utilizing the principle of steam ejection in which the cooling water explosively generates high-pressure steam and transmits shock waves to the surroundings during the heat transfer process when the high-temperature molten metal contacts the cooling water.

That is, preferably, it should be understood that steam ejection is generated by bringing cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejection nozzle 33 formed in the first water tank 30 into contact with the high-temperature melt 1 discharged from the discharge port 22 of the intermediate tank 20, thereby forming the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in a granular form.

Specifically, while the melt 1 is dispersed into a particle form by steam ejection generated by bringing the cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejecting nozzle 33 into contact with the melt 1 discharged from the discharge port 22 of the intermediate tank 20, the melt 1 dispersed in the particle form is cooled for the first time by the cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejecting nozzle 33, and is cooled for the second time by settling in the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30, thereby preparing a copper foil raw material 100 for a negative electrode material in a particle form.

On the other hand, regarding the steam ejection generated by bringing the melt 1 discharged from the intermediate tank 20 into contact with the high-pressure cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejection nozzle 33 of the first water tank 30, it can be understood that the intensity of the ejection becomes different depending on the temperature difference between the temperature of the melt 1 and the temperature of the cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejection nozzle 33.

Therefore, preferably, the intensity of steam ejection can be adjusted by precisely adjusting the temperature of the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 and the cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejection nozzle 33, so that the melt 1 is dispersed into a particle form without sticking or bonding to each other, thereby preparing a copper foil raw material 100 for a negative electrode material in a particle form with a large surface area.

Furthermore, preferably, the melt 1 dispersed in the form of particles that is cooled for the first time by the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 is precipitated into the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 and a second steam ejection may be generated due to the temperature difference. The temperature of the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 and the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 should be precisely adjusted.

That is, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles with a large surface area is prepared by dispersing the melt 1 into a particle form to avoid mutual adhesion or bonding. In order to prevent the melt 1 dispersed into the particle form and cooled for the first time by the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 from settling into the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 and generating a second steam ejection due to the temperature difference, preferably, the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 and the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 have an optimal temperature of about 30 degrees. The temperature of the above cooling water can be adjusted as needed, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Furthermore, the temperature of the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 can be constantly maintained through the primary cooling caused by the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 and the secondary cooling caused by the cooling water being precipitated into the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 .

On the other hand, the first water tank 30 can store cooling water to a preset water level therein. If the level of the cooling water stored therein exceeds the preset water level because the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles is deposited to the lower part of the first water tank 30 and collected, the cooling water in the first water tank 30 can be discharged through a cooling water outlet (not shown) formed in a region of the first water tank 30 to adjust the water level.

In this case, the preset water level of the first water tank 30 is lower than the position where steam ejection is generated due to the contact between the melt 1 discharged from the intermediate tank 20 and the high-pressure cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 of the first water tank 30. Preferably, the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 does not contact the melt 1 except for the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33.

Furthermore, the cooling water outlet may be formed in the area of the conical portion 32 of the first water tank 30, or may be formed in the area on the side of the cylindrical portion 31 of the first water tank 30, that is, the cooling water outlet may also be formed in an area corresponding to a preset water level, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, as an embodiment of the present invention, in the case where the cooling water outlet is formed in the area of the conical portion 32 of the first water tank 30, when the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 exceeds the preset water level, the water level can be adjusted by opening the cooling water outlet formed in the area of the conical portion 32 of the first water tank 30.

Furthermore, as another embodiment of the present invention, when the above-mentioned cooling water drain outlet is formed in an area on the side of the cylindrical portion 31 of the first water tank 30, that is, when the above-mentioned cooling water drain outlet is formed in an area equivalent to the preset water level, the above-mentioned cooling water drain outlet can be continuously opened to automatically discharge the cooling water through the opened cooling water drain outlet when the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 exceeds the preset water level, thereby adjusting the water level.

Returning to FIG. 1 for further description, the second water tank 40 may be located at the lower end of the first water tank 30 .

Preferably, the second water tank 40 should be understood as a structure for collecting the cooling water discharged through the above-mentioned cooling water outlet of the first water tank 30 and the cooling water discharged outside the first water tank 30 after being sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 and contacting the melt 1.

In this case, preferably, the second water tank 40 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a size that can accommodate the first water tank 30 therein, so as to be able to collect the cooling water discharged from the first water tank 30 and the cooling water discharged outside the first water tank 30 after being sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 and contacting the melt 1, but the second water tank 40 can be changed into any shape as long as it is a size that can accommodate the first water tank 30, and the present invention is not limited to this.

Furthermore, the cooling water collected in the second water tank 40 is collected through the process of discharging the cooling water through the above-mentioned cooling water outlet of the first water tank 30 and the steam ejection process, which can be understood as the cooling water having a temperature that is increased or decreased to make the cooling water different from the cooling water used in the first water tank 30.

On the other hand, referring to FIG. 1 , the second water tank 40 may be connected to the third water tank 50 .

Preferably, the third water tank 50 should be understood as a structure for collecting the cooling water in the second water tank 40 and supplying it to the cooler 60 to re-cool the cooling water when the water level of the second water tank 40 exceeds a preset water level (for example, 2/3 of the height of the second water tank 40).

In this case, the cooler 60 may supply the cooling water received from the third water tank 50 to the cooling water spray nozzle 33 of the first water tank 30 by re-cooling the cooling water to the temperature of the cooling water used in the first water tank 30.

That is, the copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for negative electrode material of the present invention allows the cooling water used in the process of preparing the copper foil raw material 100 for negative electrode material to be reused through the circulation of the first water tank 30, the second water tank 40, the third water tank 50 and the cooler 60, thereby reducing the operating cost of the copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for negative electrode material and improving energy efficiency.

Returning to FIG. 1 for explanation, the negative electrode material copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 of the present invention may further include an extension rod 70 , a rotation control unit 80 and a fixing rod 90 .

The extension rod 70 is coupled to the lower end of the intermediate tank 20 . The extension rod 70 may be formed into a cylindrical shape having a preset length. One end of the extension rod 70 may be coupled to the lower end of the intermediate tank 20 .

On the other hand, as an embodiment of the present invention, when the intermediate tank 20 rotates, the extension rod 70 will not be separated therefrom, but can be separated after the intermediate tank 20 stops rotating, and in this way can be combined into various forms. As long as the extension rod 70 is not separated from the intermediate tank 20 during the rotation of the intermediate tank 20, it can be changed to any combination method, and the present invention is not limited to this.

Next, one end of the rotation control unit 80 is coupled to the other end of the extension rod 70 coupled to the intermediate tank 20 to control the rotation of the intermediate tank 20. The rotation control unit 80 may be composed of a rotation motor (not shown).

In this case, if the rotation control unit 80 receives external power to start the above-mentioned rotation motor, the extension rod 70 connected to the rotation control unit 80 will rotate, and the rotation of the extension rod 70 can be used to rotate the intermediate tank 20.

On the other hand, the rotation speed of the rotary motor can be changed by the user according to the amount of the melt 1 discharged from the intermediate tank 20, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Next, the fixing rod 90 is a structure for fixing the rotation control part 80 at the central part of the lower part of the first water tank 30. The fixing rod 90 may be formed in a rectangular plate shape and provided in plural.

In this case, the fixing rod 90 is formed with a rectangular through hole at one area thereof, so that the high-pressure cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 of the first water tank 30 can flow smoothly.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, one end of the plurality of fixing rods 90 is fixed to the side surface of the rotation control portion 80 with a preset interval, and the other end is fixed to the area at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 31 of the first water tank 30, so that the rotation control portion 80 can be fixed to the center of the lower end of the cylindrical portion 31 of the first water tank 30.

On the other hand, the number of the fixing rods 90 and the number of the rectangular through holes formed in the fixing rods 90 can be changed by the user, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Furthermore, preferably, the intermediate tank 20 is fixed by separating the extension rod 70, the rotation control part 80, and the fixing rod 90 from the lower end of the first water tank 30 by a predetermined distance.

In this case, preferably, the distance separating and fixing the intermediate tank 20 from the lower end of the first water tank 30 should be understood as a distance set in the following manner, that is, to prevent the molten body 1 discharged through the discharge port 22 of the intermediate tank 20 from being discharged outside the first water tank 30, so that the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 in the first water tank 30 will not be re-stored in the first water tank 30 after contacting the molten body 1 discharged through the discharge port 22, but will be discharged to the second water tank 40.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the spacing distance between the intermediate tank 20 and the first water tank 30 can be adjusted and changed according to conditions such as the position of the discharge port 22 formed in the intermediate tank 20, the height of the first water tank 30, the spray pressure of the cooling water spray nozzle 33, etc., but the present invention is not limited to this.

On the other hand, if the copper foil raw material preparation apparatus 1000 for the negative electrode material stops operating, a step of collecting the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles at the lower end of the first water tank 30 may be performed.

In this case, in order to recover the copper foil raw material 100 for negative electrode material in the form of particles collected at the lower end of the first water tank 30, after all the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 is discharged so that there is no other substance in the first water tank 30 except the copper foil raw material 100 for negative electrode material in the form of particles, the copper foil raw material 100 for negative electrode material in the form of particles is recovered and moved by a conveyor belt (not shown) to be collected in one place.

On the other hand, although not explicitly shown in the attached drawings, the present invention may also provide a mesh net (not shown) at the lower end of the first water tank 30 .

The mesh net is disposed at the lower end of the first water tank 30 , that is, inside the conical portion 32 of the first water tank 30 , so as to easily collect the granular copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material deposited at the lower end of the first water tank 30 .

On the other hand, although not explicitly shown in the attached drawings, the present invention may further include a cover (not shown) for covering the opened upper portion of the intermediate tank 20.

The above-mentioned cover can be understood as a structure that covers the upper part of the intermediate tank 20 to prevent external impurities from entering the interior of the intermediate tank 20 when the negative electrode material copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 of the present invention stops operating.

Furthermore, as an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned cover is made of a refractory material and has a through hole formed in the central area thereof, and the molten body 1 discharged through the discharge port 11 of the melting furnace 10 can be received in the inner cavity 21 of the intermediate tank 20 through the through hole, so the above-mentioned cover can also be used in the operation process of the copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for negative electrode material of the present invention. In the present invention, the above-mentioned cover is provided to prevent external impurities from entering the molten body 1, thereby further improving the quality of the copper foil raw material 100 for negative electrode material in the form of particles finally generated.

Hereinafter, the operation steps of the copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for the negative electrode material having the structure as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .

First, referring to Figure 5, according to step S10, in the copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for negative electrode material of the present invention, after the refined copper is placed in the melting furnace 10, it is melted to form a molten body 1, and the molten body 1 is discharged into the inner cavity of the intermediate tank 20 through the discharge port 11 of the melting furnace 10.

Next, according to step S20, the intermediate tank 20 is rotated by starting the rotation motor of the rotation control unit 80 connected to the lower part of the intermediate tank 20 to generate an inertial force at the molten body 1 received in the internal cavity 21 of the intermediate tank 20, thereby discharging the molten body 1 from the discharge port 22 formed on the side of the intermediate tank 20.

According to step S30, while the melt 1 is discharged in step S20, cooling water is sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 in the first water tank 30, and steam spraying is generated by making the sprayed cooling water contact with the melt 1 discharged in step S20.

According to step S40, while the melt 1 is dispersed into a particle form due to the steam ejection generated in step S30, the melt 1 dispersed into the particle form due to the cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejection nozzle 33 is first cooled.

Next, according to step S50, the molten body 1 in the form of particles that has been cooled for the first time in step S40 is cooled for the second time by being precipitated into the cooling water in the first water tank 30, thereby preparing the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles.

Finally, according to step S60, after all the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 is discharged so that there is no other substance in the first water tank 30 except the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles, the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles collected at the lower end of the first water tank 30 is recovered.

On the other hand, the process of circulating cooling water used in the process of preparing the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles by the copper foil raw material preparing apparatus 1000 for the negative electrode material of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

First, as the melt 1 discharged from the intermediate tank 20 comes into contact with the cooling water sprayed through the cooling water spray nozzle 33 in the first water tank 30, steam spraying is generated, and the melt 1 dispersed in the form of particles is precipitated and accumulated in the first water tank 30. At this time, the cooling water stored in the first water tank 30 will exceed the preset water level of the first water tank 30, so part of the cooling water exceeding the preset water level will be discharged to the second water tank 40 through the cooling water outlet of the first water tank 30.

Furthermore, the second water tank 40 can also collect cooling water that is sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 of the first water tank 30 and contacts the melt 1 and then is discharged outside the first water tank 30 .

As described above, the second water tank 40 collects the cooling water discharged from the first water tank 30 and the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle 33 and flowing out of the first water tank 30 after contacting the melt 1. When the water level of the second water tank 40 exceeds the preset water level due to the collected cooling water, the cooling water in the second water tank 40 is collected at the third water tank 50 connected to the second water tank 40 to be supplied to the cooler 60.

In this case, the cooler 60 may supply the cooling water received from the third water tank 50 to the cooling water spray nozzle 33 of the first water tank 30 by re-cooling the cooling water to the temperature of the cooling water used in the first water tank 30.

Through the process described above, the copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for negative electrode material of the present invention can reuse the cooling water used in the process of preparing the copper foil raw material 100 for negative electrode material in the form of particles by circulating through the first water tank 30, the second water tank 40, the third water tank 50 and the cooler 60.

According to the above-described copper foil raw material preparation device 1000 for negative electrode material, the present invention has the following effect, namely, the copper foil raw material 100 for negative electrode material in the form of particles can be prepared by using low-purity ordinary copper to replace high-purity copper wire waste, thereby providing a copper foil raw material that improves price competitiveness and reduces costs.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention has the following effect, that is, it can be provided by preparing the negative electrode material copper foil raw material in the form of particles, so that in the process of electrolysis when preparing the copper foil, when the negative electrode material copper foil raw material 100 in the form of particles is dissolved in the electrolyte, the dissolution rate is increased, thereby improving the production efficiency when preparing the copper foil.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention has the following effect, that is, cooling water can be reused when preparing the copper foil raw material 100 for the negative electrode material in the form of particles, thereby reducing equipment operating costs and improving energy efficiency.

The above is a description of the copper foil raw material preparation device for the negative electrode material of the present invention. The concept of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments proposed in this specification. A person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs who understands the concept of the present invention can easily propose other embodiments within the same concept scope by adding, changing, deleting, increasing, etc. structural elements, but this also falls within the concept scope of the present invention.

Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the terms "including", "consisting of" or "having" described in the above contents should be interpreted as including other structural elements, rather than excluding other structural elements. Unless otherwise defined, the meanings of all terms, including technical terms or scientific terms, are the same as those commonly understood by persons with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Terms defined in dictionaries and other commonly used terms should be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted with idealized meanings or overly formalized meanings unless they are clearly defined in the present invention.

The above description is only an exemplary description of the technical concept of the present invention. As long as a person has ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the multiple embodiments disclosed in the present invention are only used to illustrate the technical concept of the present invention, rather than to limit the technical concept of the present invention, and the scope of the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted according to the scope of the attached invention application patent, and all technical concepts within the same scope should be interpreted as falling within the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

1: molten body 10: melting furnace 11: discharge port 12: first heating device 13: refractory material 20: intermediate tank 21: inner cavity 22: discharge port 23: nozzle 24: second heating device 25: refractory material 30: first water tank 31: cylindrical part 32: conical part 33: cooling water spray nozzle 40: second water tank 50: third water tank 60: cooler 70: extension rod 80: rotation control part 90: fixed rod 100: copper foil raw material for negative electrode material 1000: copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material S10, S20, S30, S40, S50, S60: Steps

FIG1 is a simplified structural diagram of a copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG2 is an example of the shape of an intermediate tank of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG3 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating the specific shape of the intermediate tank of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG4 is an example of the configuration of a cooling water spray nozzle formed at the lower end of a first water tank of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG5 is a flow chart for illustrating the process of preparing the copper foil raw material for negative electrode material of an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG6 is a diagram for illustrating the operation process of the copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material of an embodiment of the present invention.

10: Melting furnace

11: Discharge port

12: First heating device

13: Refractory materials

20: Intermediate tank

21: Inner cavity

22: Exhaust outlet

23: Mouth

24: Second heating device

25: Refractory materials

30: First water tank

31: Cylindrical part

32: Conical part

33: Cooling water spray nozzle

40: Second water tank

50: The third water tank

60: Cooler

70: Extension rod

80: Rotation control unit

90: Fixed rod

1000: Copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode materials

Claims (9)

A copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material, comprising: A melting furnace, provided with a discharge port for discharging a molten body formed by melting refined copper, and a first heating device for preventing the molten body from being cooled is arranged in the area of the discharge port; An intermediate tank, located at the lower end of the melting furnace, the intermediate tank having an inner cavity for receiving the molten body discharged from the discharge port, the intermediate tank having a plurality of discharge ports formed at preset intervals in the area of its side along the circumferential direction of its side, the intermediate tank having a second heating device for preventing the molten body from being cooled in one area thereof, and the intermediate tank generates an inertial force at the molten body received in the inner cavity by rotating to discharge the molten body from the discharge port; The first water tank is located at the lower end of the intermediate tank. The first water tank is formed with a plurality of cooling water spray nozzles in the lower area thereof so as to spray high-pressure cooling water from the lower part to the upper part thereof in a cyclone manner, and the copper foil raw material for the negative electrode material in the form of particles is formed and collected by making the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle contact with the molten body discharged from the intermediate tank; The second water tank is used to collect the cooling water discharged from the first water tank and the cooling water sprayed from the cooling water spray nozzle and contacting with the molten body and then flowing out of the first water tank; and The third water tank collects the cooling water in the second water tank to supply it to the cooler when the water level in the second water tank exceeds the preset water level, and then re-cools the cooling water to supply it from the cooler to the cooling water spray nozzle of the first water tank. A copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material as described in claim 1, wherein the discharge port includes a hollow-shaped mouth, the length of which corresponds to the thickness of the refractory material arranged on the inner wall of the intermediate tank, and the inner circumferential surface of the mouth is formed by the refractory material to prevent the intermediate tank from being deformed and damaged due to the molten body discharged through the discharge port as the intermediate tank rotates. A copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material as described in claim 2, wherein the nozzle is snap-fitted into the discharge port and can therefore be replaced. The copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material as described in claim 1, wherein, the first water tank is provided with a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, the cylindrical portion has a vertical surface, the conical portion has an inclined surface whose inner cross-sectional area gradually narrows toward its lower end, wherein, the plurality of cooling water spray nozzles are formed at preset intervals along the circumferential direction from the inner area of the inclined surface. The copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material as described in claim 1, wherein, the first water tank stores the cooling water in its interior until the preset water level, and when the water level of the cooling water stored in the interior of the first water tank exceeds the preset water level, the cooling water is discharged through a cooling water outlet formed in a region of the first water tank to adjust the water level. The copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material as described in claim 1 further includes: an extension rod with a preset length, coupled to the lower end of the intermediate tank; a rotation control part, coupled to the extension rod, for controlling the rotation of the intermediate tank; and a plurality of fixing rods, for fixing the rotation control part to the central part of the lower part of the first water tank. The copper foil raw material preparation device for negative electrode material as described in claim 6, wherein the intermediate tank is fixed by separating the extension rod, the rotation control part and the fixing rod from the lower end of the first water tank by a preset distance. A copper foil raw material preparation device for a negative electrode material as described in claim 1, wherein, for the copper foil raw material for a negative electrode material, steam ejection is generated by bringing the cooling water ejected from the cooling water ejection nozzle into contact with the molten body discharged from the discharge port of the intermediate tank, and after the molten body is dispersed into a particle form by the steam ejection and subjected to a first cooling, the molten body is precipitated by the cooling water in the first water tank for a second cooling, thereby preparing the copper foil raw material for a negative electrode material in a particle form. As described in claim 8, the copper foil raw material for negative electrode material is prepared by the device, wherein, when the copper foil raw material for negative electrode material is stopped, the copper foil raw material for negative electrode material collected at the lower end of the first water tank is recovered.