Crosslinked Thermosetting Polymers Used as Binder to Replace the PVDF in NMC Cathode Electrode

The binder in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is used to hold electrode particles together and to bind the electrode to the current collector. A good electrode binder should have good thermal, electrochemical, and binding abilities like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Unfortunately, PVDF has a few problems. Reactants of PVDF synthesis are all poisonous gases. PVDF combustion also generates toxic hydrogen fluoride. Replacing PVDF with a non-fluoride binder is an interesting research direction.

Researchers are testing non-fluoride thermoplastic polymers to replace PVDF, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylic rubber (AR), but few studies have addressed the non-fluoride thermoset polymers as a binder in the cathodes of LIBs.

Thermosets are synthesized by irreversibly curing viscous liquid monomers. Therefore, polymers have stronger microstructures and retain their solid form under heat once cured due to the cross-linked microstructure. This work aims to investigate the thermal, electrochemical, and adhesion abilities of thermosets, confirm the composition of electrodes with a thermoset as the binder, and test electrode performance.