Drying Temperature and Capillarity-Driven Crack Formation in Aqueous Processing of Li-Ion Battery Electrodes

Unlike conventional electrode processing for Li-ion batteries, which uses the expensive and highly toxic organic N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent, aqueous processing simply employs deionized water as the solvent. However, thick aqueous processed cathodes have been found to crack during drying. In this study, the influence of electrode drying temperature and thickness on cracking was investigated. LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 cathodes prepared with a hydrophilic binder, modified styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR), were coated at various thicknesses and dried at temperatures ranging from 20 to 70 °C. Experiments revealed cracking worsens with increased electrode thickness and elevated drying temperatures. Cracks were formed during the capillarity-driven phase during drying. Strong evaporation and weak diffusion played a critical role in the nonuniform distribution of the inactive phase. Images of electrode surfaces were processed to quantify crack dimensions and crack intensity factor (CIF). The average crack length and width, as well as CIF, increased with drying temperature and electrode thickness. Electrochemical performance revealed a strong and negative correlation between the crack density and performance in terms of specific capacity. Transport limitations associated with the presence of cracks adversely affect the advantage of high volume ratio of active materials in the thick electrodes.