Solvent-Free Manufacturing of Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries via Electrostatic Coating

This work demonstrates the feasibility of a novel solvent-free anode production for lithium-ion batteries. It combines a modified dry-mixing procedure with an innovative electrostatic coating process. The mixing is divided into two steps. At first, carbon black and binder are deagglomerated and recombined to a matrix structure by intensive mixing. In a second less intensive step, this matrix is blended with graphite. The powder mixture is fluidized and then transferred to the current collector by inducing a high voltage. After a subsequent hot pressing step, the powder coating is permanently fixed on the current collector. This procedure is presented with three different fluorinated binders. Furthermore, effects of different mixing intensities on the powder and electrode properties are examined. The electrodes are investigated in the three-electrode T-cell setup versus lithium metal to examine their C-rates and cycle stabilities. The produced anodes offer comparable electrochemical performance to conventional wet-coated ones on electrode and cell levels. Overall, this new process is a suitable alternative to the conventional electrode production techniques.