High Performance Additives for Lithium Ion Battery Electrode

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries are key parts in mobile devices, energy storage tools and electric vehicles. Great demands have posed challenges in developing batteries with higher energy density, longer cycle life and better battery quality. One of the major challenges in the fabrication of lithium ion battery is the need to have a thorough mix of various components in a viscous high-solid-content electrode slurry. 

This technology offer is a method to resolve the dispersion problem of various electrode slurry by using additives. The dispersion additives used in this method have surfactant-like molecular structure which can substantially decrease the viscosity, improve flowability and dispersion quality of electrode slurry. The use of dispersion additive in lithium ion battery shows a substantial improvement on discharge capacity even for high solid content electrode slurry.

The technology owner is keen to out-license this process to lithium-ion battery developers and manufacturers.

Existing battery technologies enhance battery performance based on the improvement of electrode materials and eletrolyte solutions. This technology offer adopts a new strategy by focusing on the improvement of the processing of the electrode slurry. It is a method by adding dispersion additives into the viscous high-solid-content electrode slurry of lithium-ion batteries.

The features of this technology are:

• Decrease the viscosity and improve the dispersion quality of electrode slurry.
• Increase the solid content of electrode slurry with acceptable viscosity and flowability.
• Improve the discharge capacity of lithium ion battery.
• No impact on battery manufacturing line.

This technology offer can be applied to the fabrication of high performance lithium ion batteries, which are in turn used in the following applications:

• Mobile devices (handphones, tablets, smart watches, portable chargers).
• Electric vehicles (EVs, HEVs, PMDs).
• Drones and satellites.
• Backup power systems.
• Battery charging stations.

• Improvement of lithium-ion battery performance by the use of dispersion additive.
• Cost effective (less than 1% dispersion additive in electrode slurry).
• Shorter mixing time and easier processing compared to the existing methods.
• Easy adaptation in lithium-ion battery manufacturing line.
• No additional equipment required.