Bio-Based Binder Development for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

The development of rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology has facilitated the shift toward electric vehicles and grid storage solutions. This technology is currently undergoing significant development to meet industrial applications for portable electronics and provide our society with "greener" electricity. The large increase in LIB production following the growing demand from the automotive sector has led to the establishment of gigafactories worldwide, thus increasing the substantial consumption of fossil-based and non-sustainable materials, such as polyvinylidene fluoride and/or styrene-butadiene rubber as binders in cathode and anode formulations. Furthermore, the use of raw resources, such as Li, Ni, and Mn in cathode active materials and graphite and nanosilicon in anodes, necessitates further efforts to enhance battery efficiency. To foster a global sustainable transition in LIB manufacturing and reduce reliance on non-sustainable materials, the implementation of bio-based binder solutions for electrodes in LIBs is crucial. Bio-based binders such as cellulose, lignin, alginate, gums, starch, and others can address environmental concerns and can enhance LIBs' performance. This review aims to provide an overview of the current progress in the development and application of bio-based binders for LIB electrode manufacturing, highlighting their significance toward sustainable development.

Keywords: anode; battery; binder; cathode; sustainable.

Figure 1

Schematics of the mechanical interlocking and interfacial force binding mechanism are illustrated in the image. The classification of the chemical binding such as dot-to-surface contact, segment-to-surface contact, and network-to-surface contact is shown to the right. (A) Illustrates the schematic diagram of chemical connection and (B) the schematic demonstration of the interactions. The image to the left is reproduced with permission from [24], and the image to the right is reproduced with permission from [8].

Figure 2

Schematics of the improved mechanical integrity of next-generation Si-based anodes via the introduction of a reinforcement binder are illustrated. The image is reproduced with permission from [30].

Figure 3

Schematics illustrating the preservation of conductive network during delithiation/lithiation cycling in active material via the introduction of conductive binders. Traditional and conductive binder approaches to address volume expansion are demonstrated in (a,b). Synthetic scheme of the conductive polymer is illustrated in (c). The image is reproduced with permission from [20].

Figure 4

A sketch demonstrating the bio-based binder class focus of this review, including cellulose, lignin, various gums, sodium alginate, and starch binders for the preparation of LIB anode and cathode slurries.