Relation between mixing processes and properties of lithium-ion battery electrode-slurry

Abstract

The mixing process of electrode-slurry plays an important role in the electrode performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The dispersion state of conductive materials, such as acetylene black (AB), in the electrode-slurry directly influences the electronic conductivity in the composite electrodes. In this study, the relation between the mixing process of electrode-slurry and the internal resistance of the composite electrode was investigated in combination with the characterization of the electrodeslurries by the rheological analysis and the alternating current (AC) impedance spectroscopy. Some of the electrode-slurries showed higher value and gentler slope of the dynamic storage modulus in the low-angular-frequency region and higher thixotropic index than the others depending on the way of the mixing process and the AB content, agreeing with the low electronic volume resistivities of the corresponding composite electrodes and the electrode-slurries, which indicates the AB network growth. The results suggested that the low-viscosity state when AB and active electrode material are mixed contributes to the dispersive AB network.