Screen printability assessment of water-based composite electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Screen printing is a processing technique that presents significant advantages as it is versatile, low-cost and generates minimal amounts of waste. These features make this technique of interest for use in the production of battery electrodes. However, it is important to understand that changing how the composite electrode is manufactured can impact its microstructure and thus its properties. This study highlights the importance of assessing whether a material presents the appropriate properties to be processed via a specific printing technique (screen printing vs. rod coating) to reach the targeted properties of the composite electrode. More specifically, an evaluation of the printability of water-based composite electrode inks that were formulated with a bio-based polymeric binder (carboxymethyl cellulose) is presented in the context of flat bed screen printing and conventional rod coating. An assessment of the wettability of the ink and its rheological characterization enable the suspension formulation to be adapted to the requirements of each processing technique while ensuring the reproducibility of the suspension formulations for both manufacturing processes. This study demonstrates that screen printing, which allows for significant flexibility and design freedom, can be used to produce composite electrodes as their electrochemical characterization suggests that their performance is similar to that of electrodes prepared using rod coating techniques.