Lamination of Separators to Electrodes using Electrospinning

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Lamination is crucial for efficient lithium-ion battery (Li-ion) production, offering fast line speeds by adhering separators to electrodes.
• Current lamination technology is limited to battery components utilizing thermoplastic binders, excluding many advanced formulations.
• Overcoming binder limitations is essential for next-generation Li-ion cell manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of Electrospinning as a viable method for advanced and rapid Li-ion cell production.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional lamination for non-thermoplastic battery materials.
• To demonstrate the successful adhesion of electrospun materials to battery electrodes.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of beaded polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer nanofibers onto a fiber-reinforced, inorganic-filled separator.
• Lamination of the modified separator onto a NMC111-cathode using a specific temperature profile (110/110/120°C).
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis to evaluate the adhesive behavior and successful lamination.

Main Results:

• Successful adhesion of the electrospun PVDF nanofibers to the separator was achieved.
• The modified separator demonstrated successful lamination onto the NMC111-cathode.
• SEM imaging confirmed the adhesive bonding between the polymer nanofibers and the electrode surface.

Conclusions:

• Electrospinning presents a feasible method to enhance Li-ion battery production processes.
• This technique overcomes the material constraints of traditional lamination, enabling wider applicability.
• The study confirms the potential of Electrospinning for advanced, fast-track Li-ion cell manufacturing.