A novel slurry concept for the fabrication of lithium-ion battery electrodes with beneficial properties

• We present a new slurry concept based on capillary suspensions for Li-ion electrodes.
• The slurry viscosity in the low shear region is tunable in a wide range without further additives.
• The slurry viscosity in the high shear region remains unchanged which is desirable during coating.
• Storage stability and shape accuracy during coating are improved significantly.
• Good mechanical and electrochemical properties of the novel electrodes are shown.

A novel slurry concept for the fabrication of Li-ion battery electrodes focusing on water based formulations is presented. Taking advantage of capillary forces inferred by adding a small fraction of a second fluid immiscible with the bulk continuous phase the low shear viscosity can be varied in a wide range without conventional polymeric rheology control agents disturbing the electric properties of the dry electrode. The new slurries provide superior storage stability and excellent shape accuracy of the final dry film. This reduces waste cut-off at the edges and increases the density of active ingredients, thus improving cost-efficiency. The viscosity at high shear rates remains unaffected, thus the slurries can be processed and coated using established equipment and process parameters. Adhesion to the conductor foil and electrochemical properties of the electrode layers and corresponding cells are similar to those made from conventional slurries.

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