STAR Scholars 2017
Methods of Electrode Fabrication
Processing conditions of battery slurries into electrodes are known to affect final battery performance. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of how to control processing conditions to achieve better batteries. Previous work has focused on the formulation step of the battery manufacturing process. This study concentrates on two of the slurry processing steps, namely coating and drying, and their effect on film quality and electrode performance. We use rheological measurements to determine the starting slurry microstructure as well as determine the effect of flow on microstructure evolution. Well characterized slurries were subjected to a series of shear rates and drying temperatures to examine the effect of flow and drying rate on final electrode performance. The data suggests that there is a complex relationship between surface roughness and shear rate/temperature. While more data is needed to make concrete conclusions, the preliminary data presented here shows for the first time quantitative relationships between processing conditions and battery performance.
Methods of Electrode Fabrication
Processing conditions of battery slurries into electrodes are known to affect final battery performance. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of how to control processing conditions to achieve better batteries. Previous work has focused on the formulation step of the battery manufacturing process. This study concentrates on two of the slurry processing steps, namely coating and drying, and their effect on film quality and electrode performance. We use rheological measurements to determine the starting slurry microstructure as well as determine the effect of flow on microstructure evolution. Well characterized slurries were subjected to a series of shear rates and drying temperatures to examine the effect of flow and drying rate on final electrode performance. The data suggests that there is a complex relationship between surface roughness and shear rate/temperature. While more data is needed to make concrete conclusions, the preliminary data presented here shows for the first time quantitative relationships between processing conditions and battery performance.