이차전지 핵심 소재 한계 극복했다(Overcoming the Limitations of Core Materials for Secondary Batteries) | |||
작성자 | 댶외홍보센터 | 작성일 | 2025-07-28 |
조회수 | 424 |
이차전지 핵심 소재 한계 극복했다(Overcoming the Limitations of Core Materials for Secondary Batteries) | |||||
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댶외홍보센터 | ![]() |
2025-07-28 | ![]() |
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국립부경대 연구팀, 이차전지 NCA 양극재 성능 저하 한계 극복했다
- 고민성·채수종 교수 … 국제학술지 <Journal of Materials Chemistry A> 게재
- 고품질 NCA 양극재 구현을 위한 미세구조 내 불순물 제어 기술 개발
△&Բ;고민성 교수(오른쪽 아래)와 채수종 교수(왼쪽 아래) 등 연구팀 사진.
국립부경댶교 연구팀이 고에너지 밀도 이차전지의 핵심&Բ;소재인 NCA(Ni0·80Co0·15Al0·05)&Բ;극재의&Բ;구조적&Բ;결함을&Բ;ѫ고&Բ;성능&Բ;젶&Բ;문제를&Բ;결&Բ;수&Բ;있는&Բ;기술을&Բ;개발했다.
국립붶경대&Բ;고민성(금속공학전공),&Բ;ѫ종(에너짶화학소재전공)&Բ;교수&Բ;연구팶읶&Բ;䴡&Բ;전구체&Բ;내&Բ;음이온&Բ;불순물을&Բ;제거&Բ;수&Բ;있는&Բ;이온&Բ;교환&Բ;기반의&Բ;갵ӧ&Բ;기술을&Բ;개발&Բ;기존&Բ;젵ӡ법의&Բ;구조적&Բ;계를&Բ;극복했다.&Բ;이&Բ;연구&Բ;결과&Բ;에너짶&Բ;및&Բ;재료&Բ;ѫ의&Բ;세계적&Բ;술짶인&Բ;dzܰԲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Ѳٱ&Բ;ٰ&Բ;&Բ;(=9.5)의&Բ;2025Ƅ&Բ;13권&Բ;23˳에&Բ;게재됐다.
연구팶이&Բ;개발&Բ;이&Բ;공정읶&Բ;기존&Բ;공정에서&Բ;구조적&Բ;불안정성을&Բ;유발던&Բ;황산이온(₄²-) 기반 불순물을 효과적으로 제거해 NCA&Բ;극재의&Բ;열화 현상을 억제하고 전기화학적 안정성을 높이는 기술이다.
기존&Բ;황산염&Բ;기반&Բ;공침법으로&Բ;성된&Բ;䴡&Բ;전구체는&Բ;층상&Բ;이중&Բ;수산화물(&Բ;ٴdzܲ&Բ;dz澱)&Բ;구조&Բ;내에&Բ;황산이온이&Բ;잔류게&Բ;된다.&Բ;황산이온읶&Բ;ѫ&Բ;열처리&Բ;과정에서&Բ;리튬과&Բ;반응&Բ;₂S₄를&Բ;˳성며&Բ;이&Բ;과정에서&Բ;입자&Բ;간&Բ;응집이&Բ;유도되고&Բ;안정적인&Բ;결정&Բ;구조&Բ;˳성이&Բ;젶된다.&Բ;그&Բ;결과&Բ;전극&Բ;내&Բ;붶반응을&Բ;증가시키고&Բ;리튬&Բ;이온의&Բ;확산이&Բ;제한되어&Բ;전반적인&Բ;전기화학&Բ;성능&Բ;젶로&Բ;이어짶ĵ&Բ;구조적&Բ;계로&Բ;작용&Բ;왔다.
이를&Բ;결기&Բ;위해&Բ;연구팶읶&Բ;염화&Բ;이온(-)을&Բ;홵Ӛ&Բ;이온&Բ;교환&Բ;전략을&Բ;새롭게&Բ;ѫ했다.&Բ;이&Բ;방식읶&Բ;황산이온을&Բ;선택적으로&Բ;제거&Բ;전구체의&Բ;결정성을&Բ;크게&Բ;높이고,&Բ;동시에&Բ;붶반응의&Բ;밵Ӄ&Բ;갶ĵ성을&Բ;제는&Բ;데&Բ;성공했다.&Բ;공정이&Բ;복잡지&Բ;않아&Բ;기존&Բ;젵ӡ&Բ;공정에&Բ;간단̈&Բ;적용&Բ;수&Բ;있어&Բ;산업&Բ;˳ѫ에서의&Բ;실용성과&Բ;확장성도&Բ;높다&Բ;점에서&Բ;주목받는다.
실험 결과, 이온 교환 방식으로 개질된 NCA&Բ;극재의&Բ;용량은 196.5 mAh/g으로 소재 본연의 성능이 안정적으로 구현된 것으로 확인됐다. 특히 성능 저하의 주요 원인으로 지목되는 황산이온 함량이 최대 80%까지 줄어들면서 결정 구조가 안정되고, 리튬 이온의 이동 경로가 균일하게 확보돼 전체적인 전기화학 성능 향상으로 이어졌다.
개질된 NCA&Բ;극재의&Բ;초기 쿨롱 효율은 개질 이전의 양극재보다 향상된 91.4%를 기록했다. 150회 충·방전 후 용량 유지율도 약 12% 높아져 장기 수명 특성이 크게 개선됐고, 고속 방전 조건에서도 약 11%의 성능 향상이 나타나 출력 특성도 향상된 것으로 확인됐다.
고민성&Բ;교수ĵӝ&Բ;기술읶&Բ;특정&Բ;조성의&Բ;䴡&Բ;극재에만&Բ;국한되지&Բ;않고&Բ;다양&Բ;조성의&Բ;이차ѫ&Բ;극재&Բ;싵ӊ텵ӗ도&Բ;응용&Բ;갶ĵ성이&Բ;높다.&Բ;기존&Բ;䴡&Բ;소재의&Բ;고유&Բ;성능을&Բ;방해던&Բ;구조적&Բ;계를&Բ;과적으로&Բ;극복에&Բ;따라,&Բ;향후&Բ;추가적인&Բ;갵ӧ&Բ;공정을&Բ;통해&Բ;보다&Բ;높은&Բ;수준의&Բ;성능&Բ;갵ӄ도&Բ;갶ĵ할&Բ;것으로&Բ;전망다.”라고&Բ;밝혔다.&Բ;
한편, 이번 연구는 한국연구재단(중점연구소지원사업)과 한국에너지기술평가원(에너지인력양성사업)의 지원을 받아 수행됐다. <붶경투데이>
△&Բ;Ni-rich NCA 전구체의 이온 교환 전략을 통한 불순물 제어 및 구조 안정화 모식도
ݺߣ Research Team Overcomes Performance Degradation Limits of NCA Cathode Materials for Secondary Batteries
-Professors Ko Min-sung and Chae Soo-jong publish in the international journal <Journal of Materials Chemistry A>
-Developed impurity control technology in microstructure for high-quality NCA cathode implementation
A research team from ݺߣ has developed a technology that can reduce structural defects and resolve performance degradation issues in NCA(Ni0·80Co0·15Al0·05) cathode materials ―&Բ;a key component in high-energy-density secondary batteries.
Professors Ko Min-sung (Department of Metallurgical Engineering) and Chae Soo-jong (Department of Energy and Chemical Materials) led the team that developed an ion-exchange-based modification technique capable of removing anionic impurities in NCA precursors, successfully overcoming the structural limitations of conventional manufacturing methods.
This research was published in Volume 13, Issue 23 (2025) of the internationally renowned journal Journal of Materials Chemistry A (IF=9.5), which covers the fields of energy and materials science.
The process developed by the research team effectively removes sulfate ion (₄²-)-based impurities ―&Բ;a major cause of structural instability in conventional synthesis methods ―&Բ;thereby suppressing the degradation of NCA cathode materials and enhancing their electrochemical stability.
In traditional sulfate-based co-precipitation methods, residual sulfate ions remain within the layered double hydroxide (LDH) structure of the synthesized NCA precursor. During subsequent heat treatment, these sulfate ions react with lithium to form lithium sulfate (Li₂SO₄), which promotes particle agglomeration and inhibits the formation of a stable crystalline structure. This leads to increased side reactions within the electrode and limits lithium-ion diffusion, ultimately resulting in decreased overall electrochemical performance ―&Բ;a long-standing structural limitation in NCA cathode production.
To address this issue, the research team introduced a novel ion-exchange strategy using chloride ions (Cl-). This method selectively removed sulfate ions, significantly enhancing the crystallinity of the precursor and successfully suppressing the occurrence of side reactions. Due to its simplicity, the process can be easily incorporated into existing manufacturing methods, making it highly practical and scalable for industrial applications.
Experimental results confirmed that the NCA cathode material modified through this ion-exchange approach achieved a capacity of 196.5 mAh/g, demonstrating the stable realization of its inherent performance. Notably, the sulfate ion content ―&Բ;identified as a major cause of performance degradation ―&Բ;was reduced by up to 80%, resulting in a more stable crystal structure and uniformly secured lithium-ion pathways, which led to an overall improvement in electrochemical performance.
The modified NCA cathode material recorded an improved initial coulombic efficiency of 91.4%, higher than that of the unmodified material. After 150 charge-discharge cycles, the capacity retention rate also increased by approximately 12%, demonstrating significantly enhanced long-term durability. In high-rate discharge conditions, performance improved by around 11%, indicating better output characteristics as well.
Professor Ko Min-seong stated, “This technology is not limited to NCA cathode materials with a specific composition. It holds great potential for application in various types of cathode systems for secondary batteries. By effectively overcoming the structural limitations that previously hindered the intrinsic performance of NCA materials, further performance enhancements are expected through additional modification processes.”
This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (Key Research Institute Support Program) and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (Energy Human Resource Development Program). <Pukyong Today>