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Effect of welding path on the weld quality of aluminum tab and steel battery case in lithium-ion battery

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Abstract

The choice of welding path in joining battery connections plays a crucial role in the bonding strength, which in turn affects battery performance. A commonly employed welding path in laser welding is the circular wobbling path. Our prior study revealed that the hatching path in laser welding, which is hardly reported in the literature, offers a flexible welding pattern and sufficient weld strength, especially for thin specimens. This study conducted a comparative analysis of circular and hatch welding paths concerning their microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrical characteristics. Upon observing the surfaces of the two types of welds, it becomes evident that the hatch welding path results in a superior weld appearance with less spatter formation near the welding zone in comparison to the circular path. Furthermore, an examination of the cross-sections reveals a significant disparity in the interdiffusion between the welding materials. While the circular path yields a non-uniform chemical diffusion of the case material within the welded tab, the hatching path exhibits a periodic upward penetration of the case material into the tab at the welding lines. This discrepancy leads to a distinctive distribution of hardness, electrical resistance, and mechanical strength in the welds, with the desired properties attributed to the hatch welding path. Through this comparative analysis, the study unveils the influence of the laser beam deflection path on the overall weld quality.

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Acknowledgments

The research described herein was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (No. RS-2023-00208039) and by the Innopolis Foundation of Korea (No. 2023-SB-SB-0079) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Korea). This research was also supported by the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) (2021RIS-004) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE, Korea). In addition, this work was supported by the Technology Development Program (S3288700, S3275266) funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Korea), and by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) (P0018009) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE, Korea). The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the sponsors’ views.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA

    Lanh Trinh

  2. Department of Future Convergence Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan, 31080, Korea

    Lanh Trinh & Dongkyoung Lee

  3. Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan, 31080, Korea

    Dongkyoung Lee

  4. Center for Advanced Powder Material and Parts (CAMP2), Kongju National University, Cheonan, 31080, Korea

    Dongkyoung Lee

  5. Global Institute of Manufacturing Technology (GITECH), Kongju National University, Cheonan, 31080, Korea

    Dongkyoung Lee

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  1. Lanh Trinh
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Correspondence to Dongkyoung Lee.

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Dongkyoung Lee received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2012 and an M.S. in 2011, both from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A. He also earned an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the same university in 2017, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea in 2006. Currently, he is an Associate (Tenured) Professor at Kongju National University, South Korea, in the Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Department of Future Convergence Engineering, and Center for Advanced Materials and Parts of Powder (CAMP2). His research focuses on laser-aided manufacturing, with particular emphasis on applications in lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, nuclear decommissioning, advanced semiconductor packaging, and display technologies.

Lanh Trinh obtained his M.S. in Engineering from Kongju National University, Cheonan, Korea, in 2021. During his master’s program, his research specialized in laser welding for dissimilar metals in Lithium-ion batteries. Presently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE, U.S.A. His current research focuses on advanced manufacturing and fabrication of high entropy materials tailored for extreme environments, encompassing high temperature, corrosion, and irradiation.

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Trinh, L., Lee, D. Effect of welding path on the weld quality of aluminum tab and steel battery case in lithium-ion battery. J Mech Sci Technol 38, 2385–2395 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-024-0417-1

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