Characterisation of binder materials in silicon-graphite electrodes from slurry to lithium-ion battery

The scaling up of lithium-ion battery technology for high energy applications such as powering electric vehicles is not without its challenges. Increasing the capacity of these large energy storage systems is key in addressing consumer concerns about the driving range of electric vehicles, which remains inferior to that of gasoline-powered vehicles on average. The use of new materials within the battery electrodes is a promising avenue to doing just that. As such, the present study focuses on silicon-graphite composite electrodes, which have a significantly higher capacity per unit weight than standard graphite electrodes. However, issues with maintaining this capacity over many uses persist. One way to stabilize these electrodes is to optimize the binder that ensures the cohesion of the electrode material. The present study focuses on polyacrylic acid-based polymers and the effect of modifying several key parameters such as the solution pH, the water content, and the chain length of the polymer on the electrochemical performances of the electrodes. The information gained from this study will help both research groups improve their battery formulations going forward and foster collaboration between Canadian and French universities and industry partners.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lionel Roué

Student:

Partner:

Université de Nantes

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

Université du Québec : Institut national de la recherche scientifique

Program: