Dry Process Electrode Manufacturing for Lithium-Ion Batteries to Improve Performance, Manufacturability and Environmental Impact

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere in our modern world. They are used in many applications, including portable
electronic devices and electric vehicles. The current methods for manufacturing the electrodes in these batteries
involve the use of solvents, which can be hazardous and which require significant energy to dry off. This project
will focus on studying polymers for and developing a process that will avoid the use of solvent by incorporating a
polymer material that binds the component electrode powders together within a network upon dry mixing. The
properties of the polymers and the specific processing conditions will affect the microstructure of the electrodes,
which will affect the performance of the batteries, leading to potential performance improvements. Successful
completion of this research will allow a Canadian company to develop this type of next-gen technology and
incorporate it into batteries mass produced in Canada in the near future.

Faculty Supervisor:

Laurel Schafer

Student:

Partner:

E-One Moli Energy (Canada) Ltd.

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: