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Lignin as a Binder Material for Eco-Friendly Li-Ion Batteries
Huiran Lu1, Ann Cornell2, Fernando Alvarado3
1Applied Electrochemistry, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm SE-100 44, Sweden. niuniulu@kth.se.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 5, 2017
Summary
Industrial lignin, a renewable byproduct, shows promise as an eco-friendly binder for lithium-ion battery electrodes. Pretreated lignin enables good reversible capacities and rate capabilities in both positive and negative battery cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Lignin, an abundant and renewable byproduct of Kraft pulping, is increasingly explored for sustainable applications.
- Traditional binders in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) often rely on non-renewable resources.
- Developing cost-effective and environmentally friendly binder materials is crucial for advancing LIB technology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using industrial lignin as a binder material for both positive (LiFePO₄) and negative (graphite) electrodes in LIBs.
- To optimize lignin pretreatment for enhanced electrochemical performance.
- To evaluate the performance of lignin-bound electrodes in terms of capacity, rate capability, and stability.
Main Methods:
- Lignin pretreatment involving leaching to remove low-molecular fractions.
- Characterization of lignin's molecular mass distribution and thermal properties before and after pretreatment.
- Fabrication of electrodes using active materials, conductive additives, and pretreated lignin.
- Electrode characterization via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling.
Main Results:
- Pretreated lignin demonstrated effective binder functionality in both LiFePO₄ positive and graphite negative electrodes.
- High reversible capacities were achieved: 148 mAh·g⁻¹ for the positive electrode and 305 mAh·g⁻¹ for the negative electrode.
- Satisfactory rate capabilities were observed (117 mAh·g⁻¹ for positive and 160 mAh·g⁻¹ for negative at 1C) with low ohmic resistance.
Conclusions:
- Pretreated industrial lignin is a viable and promising eco-friendly binder for LIB electrodes.
- Lignin-based binders offer a sustainable alternative to conventional binders, contributing to greener battery technologies.
- Further research into lignin modification and electrode engineering could unlock its full potential in energy storage applications.
